BARBOURNE Angling Club visited the Worcester and District United Anglers Association pools at Cobb House Farm where Lee Griffiths beat the abysmal conditions to win with a 19 lbs 11 oz total.

On a day when most anglers preferred to stay at home due to persistent rain and strong winds, Griffiths braved the elements to win his club's Sunday League encounter by a narrow margin.

Drawn on C' pool peg 11 at the Wichenford venue, Griffiths offered sweetcorn bait over pellet feed at five metres to net six similar-sized carp.

Unfortunate runner-up was club secretary Nigel Hobday who managed to lose at least three hefty carp when he took 17-5 of mainly skimmers from peg eight on B' pool. Hobday presented worm and caster on pole tackle at 10 metres.

Mick Homans claimed third prize, thanks to three carp and a few skimmers going 10-10 which fell for corn over pellet on peg C'12. Homans beat regular club winner Richie Parker who, after losing four carp on peg B' six, finished with 9-1 and fourth place.

The next Barbourne AC event is on Cotheridge pool this coming weekend.

Similar conditions greeted members of the Plough Inn Angling Club when they staged their first contest of the new term on the normally prolific club pool at Broadheath.

Les Thompson won overall from fancied peg one where he presented casters on the pole towards the far bank to record respectable figures of 20-6.

It was taken, like most of the competitors, in the first two hours of the contest.

Second place went to consistent club man Andy Sankey who, on peg 11, offered pellet bait mid-pool on pole tackle in order to net 13-4 of carp.

Third place went to club stalwart Nigel Crane whose 10-2 of carp fell to cat meat on peg 22.

Midland matchman Mark Tooze featured in every match at Moorlands Farm over the weekend, giving the SBS-backed angler an excellent pay-out over the three days.

Tooze claimed second place on a 19-peg afternoon open with a weight of 87-4.

The winner was Smithy's Tackle man Albert Jones who caught 125-14 of carp from peg 23 on Bank pool. Third place went to Pete Wellington (Moorlands) with 81-2.

The following day, fishery manager Mal Watson (Daiwa Gordon League) again stole the show when he beat 20 other hopefuls to net 78-2 on corn from Meadow pool peg 44.

Runner-up was former Shakespeare river man Dave Elliot with 69-4, while Tooze had to settle for third prize when he weighed in 67-8.

On a 29-peg open, it all came together for Tooze when he topped the magic ton' to record figures of 101-14 with all his fish coming to sweetcorn offered into the margins on peg 47 on Meadow pool.

Bilston Angling's Colin Pace took 97-4 to the scales for second spot, beating Ronan Skjurer who weighed in 84-6.

Match organisers and club secretaries who would like their results published in this column can ring Alf Hand on 01905-821059, preferably on Sunday evenings or e-mail alf.hand@btinternet.com Hopefully, conditions will be better this coming weekend when WDUAA continue their series of opens with a match on the canal. The draw is at 8.30am at the Cavalier.

Providing boat traffic is not too heavy, extra colour in the canal should encourage fish to feed, especially bream when goods bags could be taken on caster or maggot pole fished into the centre channel.