WARDS AC's first contest of the new term was the Roy Harris Memorial, held on the club pool and it was consistent performer Terry Box who got his season off to a flying start when he took 38-10-0 to the scales.

Winter series runner-up Box, found himself on permanent peg seven where he offered pellet and paste into the margins in order to net carp to double figures and secure a narrow victory over the runner up - 76-year-old Hugh Busby.

Drawn on his favourite peg 28, Busby, the reigning winter league champion, took a number of carp on meat and pellet, going 37-4-0 to beat club star Dave Wright whose third-placed 21-9-0 weight came on pellet from the margins of peg 12. All together the club raised £135 on the day for the Acorns appeal.

n It takes double figures to win WDUAA canal opens these days with bream making up some excellent catches.

Last Sunday's event, held on the Lansdowne section, was no different and saw Grovesenor matchman Martin Wright take the verdict when he netted bream to two pounds, along with smaller skimmers from peg 174.

Runner-up was Gordon Stockton (Marks Tackle) who found himself on unfancied peg 184 where he took 9-2-5 of skimmers on worm.

Birmingham's Dave Angel came third with a weight of 6-8-12 taken from 166 to beat Stuart Spencer (Eckington) whose 5-9-10 from peg 182 secured fourth prize.

n Venue expert Pete Hughes once again showed his class on the club's own Cotheridge pool by winning the Barbourne AC Saturday league event with an all carp net of 38-4-0.

Peg 22 was where Hughes took fish to four pounds by offering a variety of hook baits over a bed of pellets at eight metres.

Ashley Bosworth came second with 31-4-0 from permanent 25. Jamie Anderson took third prize with a weight of 27-9-0, while previous week's winner Andy Wheeler was in fourth place with 23-11-0 from corner peg 14.

Making a return to the open circuit after a three-year absence, was the latest Brockamin winner, Steve Taylor.

Drawn well on peg 34 in the neck of the top pool, Taylor used corn and pellet at 16 metres to net carp between two and eight pounds and finish with a healthy winning weight of 96-14-0.

Shop manager Chris Summers came second from nearby peg 31 where he presented his paste bait into the margins in order to net 59-4-0 of carp.

Third place went to Halfway AC star Richard Oliver who, on peg 29, used a waggler set-up with sweetcorn to take 47-2-0, beating Anthony Primaverina's fourth-placed 37-0-0 which came from permanent peg nine.

Moorlands Farm, Friday open: 1 S Harris (120-6-0), 2 C Carey (120-4-0), 3 P Cartwright (85-10-0).

Saturday Drennan Individual Final: 1 I Diddcott (79-14-0), 2 S Ballard (75-4-0), 3 C Clarke (65-14-0).

Sunday Open: 1 M Tooze (118-14-0), 2 M Watson (76-1-0), 3 L Richards (75-2-0).

n The local canal is in top form with catches of bream being taken from most sections. Caster or maggot are the best baits at the moment.

Carp on stillwaters are now coming from the margins with pellet being the preferred offering.