The second round of the HanKat league produced more good catch weights, this time from  Walsall’s Tame Valley canal.

The 32 teams of three lined up along the Ocker Hill sections at Tipton where the former Shakespeare team ace John Arthur clinched a comfortable 9-6-8 victory. 

Using bloodworms and joker feed and hookbait he hooked 320 very small roach from peg number 24. 

Ian Moulton’s (Drennan North West) second best 7-11-0 also consisted of small roach taken on bloodworm from a peg in the short pound by Moors Mill bridge.

Young England international team member Mat Derry from Brownhills was third with 7-8-8 over Paul Bick (Shakespeare) 7-14-0 and Simon Nickless (Saints)  and Darren Massey (Shakespeare) both 6-7-0. 

Top team on the day were the Saints, Simon Nickless, Paul Hughes and Ian Blakeley with five points (One section win and two second places).

Shakespeare Match were third with eight over HanKat VDE 13. League places are Saints 23 points, HanKat VDE and Shakespeare Superteam 28 and Sensas Dams & Lock 32.

• In-form Brierley Hill angler Dave Sheaf clinched top place in the Woodside winter league fourth round which failed to produce any good catches. 

The Dudley canal at  Merry Hill was gin clear and icy cold and began to freeze over towards the end of the match. Winner Sheaf (Black Country Tackle) drew peg number 39 just below Navigation Drive where he hooked 62 similar sized small roach with punched bread.

His team colleague  Adam Slade  was joint second with a 3-10-8 almost identical bag of 58 roach taken with the same method from peg 36. 

He shared his prize money with Gary Ward (Cradley Heath Labour) who hooked roach , perch and gudgeon on chopped worms. Ben Garbett (Ring Mat) was next with 3-6-0 from downstream peg 102 over Kevin Perry (Black Country Tackle) 3-2-0 from peg 74.

Current league points are Dave Sheaf, Kevin Perry and Ben Garbett each with seven over Steve Robson (Cradley Heath Labour eight.

• The Walsall Arboretum winter league wasn’t due to begin  until January but organiser John Miller brought it forward by popular request.

The first round  took place between the bandstand and the boathouse sections of Hatherton Lake and the best catches came from the latter area. Winner with 5-12-0 was Stuart Bagnall ( S Jones) whose catch was made up with roach to 1 lb 8 oz. 

Drawn  at peg No 11 on the right hand side of the boat house he caught all his fish with casters. Kevin Edwards (Walsall) was second with 4-8-0, again all roach caught with casters from peg No 2 also on the boathouse side.

Gary Beesley (Walsall) was next with 1-4-0 over Pat Le Fevre 0-9-0.

The next round will take place on January 13 and anyone wanting to take part should call John Miller  (07736388412)

• The fifth round of the Warwickshire League was held on the Birmingham Fazeley canal where the ten teams of  ten lined up along the Minworth sections.

With close scoring in virtually every section it was no surprise when John Arthur  (Shakespeare) and Ian Moulton (Drennan North West) shared top place each with 6-11-0 from adjoining pegs Arthur caught roach between two and six ounces with casters.

Lewis Breeze (Sensas North West) was third with 6-2-0 over Mark Taylor (Tipton VDE) 4-13-12. 

In the team stakes Tipton VDE and Drennan North West share top place each with 41 penalty points over W B Clarke, Browning Central and Eclipse both 51 and Shakespeare 52. League points are  Tipton 11, Drennan North West  and Shakespeare 12, Sensas north West 22, Browning Central 23 and W B Clarke 24.

• The latest Bilston Angling open competition was held along the  Staffs Worcester canal at Tettenhall where ounces separated the top four weights.

Local anglers claimed all the prizes and the winner  with 4-10-11 was Mark Westwood (Bilston Angling).  He used bloodworm feed and hookbait for roach and perch to beat his team-mates Carl Davies 4-2-0 and Mel Wood 4-1-4.

Section winners were Craig Cope 4-0-14, Mat Coxon 3-11-0 and Mat Parkes  4-1-0.

• Walsall police dog handler Wayne Mellings enjoyed an all action weekend by winning the Saturday fixture at Boldings Pools and the Sunday event at Shareshill’s  Kings Pools.

His 47-5-0 effort from the Bridgnorth venue consisted of carp to 5lbs taken on maggots at 16 metres from the Chestnut. Sunday saw him at peg 15 on Kings’ Match lake where he rounded up a 33-0-0 mixed bag from peg 15. 

Local lad Gary Gollings was second  with a 24-10-0 similar bag from peg 17 on the New Match and he was followed by Kevin Tipton (W’hampton) 20-4-0 off peg 11 also on the New Match and Andy ‘Snowy’ Ashington 20-12-0 from peg 2 on the Syndicate.