SWAN AC members tackled a wind-lashed canal at Stoke Works where pole ace Alan Baldwin led good catches despite gale-force conditions.

Pegs opposite the moored boats were essential with all the first three anglers drawn on these features.

Offering breadpunch against the boat as well as just out of the centre channel on peg eight produced seven skimmers for Baldwin in the first hour of the match.

They were topped up by small fish along with two or three caster roach late in the day, giving the former River Avon champion match-winning figures of 8lbs 5oz.

Len Merrill netted bream to 2lbs on peg nine with breadpunch in his net of 6-14-2.

Nic Vaughan took third from peg 12 with a skimmer and roach catch going 5-8-9, narrowly beating Alf Hand whose small fish net of 5-3-13 came to punch and squatt from roadside peg five.

The next Swan AC contest is at Alvechurch in two weeks.

Ashley Bosworth returned to winning ways when he won the latest Barbourne AC contest on the club pool at Cotheridge with 49-0.

Facing the strong wind on peg 27, Bosworth’s tactics of maggot offered in just two feet of water tight into the bank proved spot-on with the club star taking carp to 7lbs.

Runner-up was Terry Box with 27-12 from peg 12, also on maggot, followed by Richard Hancocks who, despite losing fish on peg 25, took 27-8 to the scales and beat Derek Silk’s 24-10 catch.

After winning previously at Broadheath Fisheries, Stuart Tibbetts won his second Portobello contest on the trot by taking the honours on the club pool at Rushwick with a roach and skimmer net, all caught on pinkie and pellet baits offered at 10 metres and weighing 5-9.

Second-placed Graham Collins, with 5-0, used the same tactics as the winner.

There was a tie for third with Steve Dobbs weighing 3-10 of bigger caster roach, while Alan Tibbetts netted smaller fish on the pinkie and punch combination.

On Sunday, Portobello are on the same venue.

Colin Bradley made the Plough pool at Cotheridge come to life for Halfway House AC when he netted a fine 53-8 of mainly carp from the margins of peg 12 with sweetcorn and maggot the best baits.

Way behind in second was Steve Williams with 15-9 consisting of one good carp and silvers from peg five.

Steve Jones’ 15-4 catch was followed by Mick Watling with 14-10.

The club are on their own pool at Church Farm on February 20, which will be a silver fish-only event.

It was a tale of two halves for the Eckington pairs contest with the leading catches coming from the Stone Bridge end of the Avon.

Drawn on peg three next to the famous stump peg, veteran Pete Jones hammered out a staggering 84-4 of bream from the low clear river with an open-end feeder set-up along with worm hook bait.

Second from peg six was Eckington stalwart Lawrence Hibbs with another fine bream weight of 81-2, consisting of fish to 6lbs also taken on the feeder.

Ron Wilcox (Tewkesbury) took 31-3 from peg seven for third ahead of Stuart Pulsar (DGL) with 23-10 off peg eight.

The best weight from the lower covert section was 7lbs.

Top pair were Hibbs and Andy Millyard with four points followed by Mike Blakemore and Bill Blowing on 13.

Still in the lead overall are Pulsar and John Curtis, who have 23 points.

Woodland View Saturday silver fish open: 1 C Dicks 39-4, 2 J Dent 25-4, 3 S Hemmingway 22-12; Sunday Clubman League: 1 G Kirkham 54-13, 2 C Hill 51-2; teams: 1 Mossella Wolves, 2 Maver Solihull Blue.

Cob House Fisheries Saturday open, Laurel pool: 1 A Jones 65-8, 2 L Hughes 55-8.

Moorlands Farm Wednesday over 50s open: 1 J Bagley 25-6, 2 M Watson 21-4; Saturday pairs open: 1 J Cooper 57-4, 2 N Groves 40-2; Sunday open: 1 Groves 57-6, 2 P Nash 41-12.