WORCESTER matchman Tim Noke won the National Federation of Anglers’ third division national on the Staffs/Worcester canal.

Drawn on ‘D’ section, Noke reeled in a huge 14lbs carp which he netted on his first cast.

His team tactics were to feed a squatt and groundbait line as well as caster and corn under an overhanging tree.

Trying his luck with stout tackle at the start of the match paid off handsomely with the big fish coming straight away.

After losing another big carp some time later, Noke changed his approach to the squatt line to top up his net with small silver fish and skimmers, ending with a total winning weight of 18lbs 15oz.

His Worcester national team narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing 15th out of 38 teams, with team member Gary Smith also scoring a section win. It has taken Terry Box two years to win his first Barbourne AC contest but he did it in style on the Dragonfly Pool at Willow Marsh Fisheries.

With the wind blowing into his bank on the left-hand side of the pool, Box found fish feeding from the off by offering corn and red meat against the marginal reeds.

Netting carp to double figures steadily throughout saw him finish with an excellent 108-0 winning total.

Club star Pete Hughes makes the frame regularly on Barbourne matches and this he took the runner-up prize with 88-8.

They were all caught in similar style to the winner from his peg in front of the car park.

Andy Wheeler followed close behind with 84-6, while Lee Griffiths netted 77-6 from the opposite side of the lake.

Barbourne AC are on Elmbridge Fishery in two weeks.

Steve Williams capitalised on a good draw near the entrance to the Plough AC pool at Broadheath in order to win the latest Halfway House club match.

Being one of the few pegs where the far bank is within pole distance, Williams presented his meat and corn baits well across the pool to net seven similar-sized carp for a 48-4 winning total.

The club’s most consistent angler, Richard Oliver, secured the runner-up spot when he too netted carp, his six fish coming to maggot bait offered shallow at 11 metres and going 30-10.

Tracy Pegram took third prize with a carp and silver fish net of 27-7 beating Glen Butt who weighed in 18-2.

The next Halfway AC contest is at Moorlands Farm in three weeks.

Arbo AC anglers must have thought they were on the canal when they struggled for bites on the Elgar Pool at the Broadheath complex.

First-placed man Tim Yapp took one carp and a few bits for a winning total of just 5-3-8.

Acko Staite continued his good run with a second-placed 2-13-8 of small roach and rudd.

Third went to Ray Hodgetts with 2-0 of silvers and in fourth, weighing a miserly 1-2, was Mick Logan.

Also finding fish hard to come by were competitors in the Plough AC contest, held in the basin of the Droitwich Canal.

The normally-prolific venue switched off completely with only three anglers weighing in.

In first place was canal specialist Nick Doherty, who took a solitary 2lb bream on pellet bait.

Second was Graham Mitchenhall with one 8oz bream and Mike Hope weighed just 4oz.

Things improved for the club’s Thursday evening scramble on their own pool where, despite the recent heavy rain, Hope needed a carp and silver net of 17-8 to secure victory.

Close on Hope’s heels was Dave Warren who took carp from the margins on peg 28, going 16-14 for second place.

Wilf Evans, on peg 11, took an all-carp, third-placed weight of 9-15.

Cob House Farm still continues to provide top sport with local rod Alan Baldwin finally taking the number one spot on the Laugherne Pool.

Baldwin bagged an all-small carp net, caught on pellet from peg six, going 75-2.

Fishing in similar style to the winner on peg four was John Maloney, weighing 74-5, and third was previous match winner Mick Turberfiled’s 51-9 catch.

Moorlands Farm Wednesday Over 50s Open: P Wellington 108-0, B Drew 107-12, J Mott 80-12; Saturday Open: L Richards 141-4, S Chester 132-10, S Stuart 115-4; Sunday Open: J Trevis 89-8, L Richards 81-5.

Solhampton Fishery, Open, Kingfisher Pool: K Stevens (Walsall) 94-0, S Dicken (Wolves) 68-12, G Dallow (Solhampton) 58-8; Valley Pool, Sealine AC: M Powell, 61-14, D Parkington 43-0, P Lane 37-6; Valley Pool, Beechdale AC: M Whittaker 89-12, C Astbury senior 57-0, M Applebury 56-6; Evening Open, Valley Pool: M Gallowkowski (Clows Top) 130-8, Dicken 117-12, E Bloxham (Kidderminster) 114-4.