BARBOURNE club stalwart Nigel Hobday marked a return to match fishing with a narrow victory at Moorlands Farm Fishery’s Moors Pool.

After having all his fishing tackle stolen, Hobday used his replacement kit to good effect by netting eight carp to five pounds from peg three.

Expander pellet over small pellet feed at around eight metres was the successful tactic for Hobday to take the verdict with a 39lbs 6oz catch.

Bob Griffiths continued his good form with a corn and pellet net of 33-8 from peg 15 to narrowly beat his son Lee, whose 33-3 came from peg 13.

Fourth place went to club star Chris Carter, who took 27-8 to the scales.

The next Barbourne match is on Evesham Jubilee Pool in two weeks.

Spa MG’s Rob Francis took a fine 14-0-4 catch to win the final round of the WDUAA Spring Pairs League.

His five bream and two roach net fell to groundbait and pinkie on peg 127 behind the football ground.

On the adjacent peg 126 was runner-up Garry Smith (WMG), who also found three bream on worm and caster to tip the scales at 9-8-4.

Mike Higginbottom made the trip from Tewkesbury worthwhile when he weighed in a third-placed 7-5-8 from peg 120 to beat Bill Biddle’s 5-1-2 from peg 118.

Top pair on the day were Francis and Clive Duggan followed by Les Sanders and Mike Higginbotham.

Francis and Duggan walked away with this year’s title after securing just 19 penalty points, while way back in second came Smith and Chris Turner’s 30-point score.

Sunday, June 5, sees the popular Geoff Tibbetts memorial contest on the canal.

Entry costs £12 and more details are available from Colin Pettifer on 01905-25193.

Rifleman’s AC struggled with strong winds when they tackled the White Hart pool at Grimley where four anglers broke their poles in terrible conditions.

Coming out best was winner Simon Wheeler, whose 8-4 catch consisted of just one carp.

Second, again with one fish, was Roger Andrews with 7-8, third came John Sparkes weighing 6-10 and fourth Robert Preece with 2-2.

The previous week, the club went head-to-head with the 100AC on the Grand Union canal.

Mick Truman (100AC) took a winning of 6-14 to the scales.

Second went to team-mate Reg Ford with 6-10, while stopping a host club rout was Rifleman’s Mick Watson with 5-15 in third spot.

100AC comfortably won, scoring 50 points to 86.

Phil Bennett improved on his previous week’s fourth place to win the Arbo contest on the club pool with 20-2 of small carp from the margins of peg two on worm bait.

Making a rare appearance in the frame was Nigel Hodgetts whose 17-13-8 runner-up catch consisted of two carp falling to paste bait on peg 17.

Mick Logan was third with 16-9, while fourth-placed lady angler Mo Hodgetts recorded 14-3 from peg 12.

The next Arbo contest is on the Oak Pool at Cob House Fisheries.

Woodland View, Friday afternoon open: 1 P Taylor 177-4, 2 M Westwood 155-14, 3 L Cole 146-2; Saturday open: 1 K Fix 156-14, 2 I Wood 123-12, 3 M Cox 78-14.

Moorlands Farm, Friday afternoon open: 1 R Skura 155-10, 2 V Bush 118-14; Saturday open: 1 W Ainsworth 112-12, 2 W Mellings 109-10; Sunday open: 1 S Pearce 151-0, 2 P Moore 126-10.