Top West Midlands squad Shakespeare won the Warwickshire Winter league’s final round to clinch a place in the semi finals of national Angling Times championship.

The sixth round was held along the Nuneaton lengths of the Coventry canal which was partly frozen following a sharp drop in the overnight temperature.

In freezing conditions Rob Mallabone (Atherstone) led the individual scoring with a modest for  the venue 6-4-6 top weight.

He was drawn at a peg opposite the marina where he used unusual towpath tactics – a swimfeeder rig – to offer bloodworms and squatt  maggots on a very small hook.

The result was just four fish, three good bream and a roach. 

Second placed Simon Preece caught his 5-3-4 from a peg opposite the ‘big  tree’ facing the Chinese restaurant.

The W B Clarke team man latched into a 3 lb chub taken on caster plus a few roach on maggots. 

Stuart Conroy’s (Drennan North  West) 4-13-4- consisted of small roach.

Others in the frame were Ted Yearby (Sensas Dams & Lock) 4-12-4, John Arthur (Shakespeare) 4-6-14, Mike Hatchard  (Shakespeare) 4-6-14 and Mick Hatchard (Shakespeare) 4-1-0.

Top team Shakespeare scored 37 penalty points over Drennan North West 44, Sensas Dams &  Lock 45. 

Fox Match Tipton VDE 47, Atherstone 58 and Browning Central and W B Clarke both 60. 

Final league penalty points are Shakespeare 13  and  Drennan North West 14 who both go through to the semi finals, Tipton VDE 15, Browning Central 23, W B Clarke and Sensas north West both 30.

It was very slow going generally on a very cold Shropshire Union canal atBrewood but local lad Mark Westwood  managed to get fish feeding  at peg 18 , three  above the bridge.

The Bilston Angling sponsored rod  clinched top place quite  comfortably with a 7-7-4 from peg number 18, the third past the bridge.

Working with  bloodworms and ‘joker’ baits cast under the far bank he caught mostly roach which included a few quality specimens to eight ounces.

Wolverhampton based Shakespeare team ace Dave McCall’s second best 4-1-4 also consisted of roach taken with the same baits at peg 17.

Following leading weights, all from the same section came from Graham Windmill (Bilston) 3-5-8, Dave Richards (Midleisure) 2 10-8, Colin Cole (Bilston) 2-9-0 and Bert Simmill (Brittons Tackle) 2-2-8.

Host club member Roy Wallbank won the Stirrup Cup A A’s latest open fixture quite  easily with a 7-9-0 effort. In fact he more than doubled the score of his nearest  challenger who was  Dudley’s Gary Ward.

Wearing the Black Country Tackle colours he caught all roach with pinkie and squatt maggots at peg 49.

His travelling companion Ian Hughes (Black Country Tackle) was next but miles behind with 2-11-0  while section winning prizes went to Dave Holbrook (Brownhills) 2-10-14 and Gordon  Massey (Stirrup Cup) 1-13-0.

Back in form Wolverhampton based Shakespeare team stalwart Paul Ross pulled off another victory in the Stake City A A’s canal series on the Shropshire Union canal at Norbury. 

Taking advantage of the first peg on the Grubb Street sections he caught small roach, perch and gudgeon plus a bonus 2 lb chub together weighing 5-9-0 with punched bread and squatt maggots.

Stafford’s Mick Millgate (Isaac Walton)  was second with an almost identical 3-14-4 haul from a peg at the opposite end of the line-up. Steve Faux (Eclipse) was third with 1-6-4.

It was slow going on a very cold Shropshire Union canal at Brewood but Mark Westwood  managed to put together a respectable 7-7-4 top catch. 

Drawn on peg number 18, the third above the  bridge he used bloodworm feed and hookbait to  attract all roach, some of which ranged around the eight ounce mark. 

Shakespeare grouped Dave McCall  was second but well behind with 4-1-4 from the next peg 17.

 He relied on the same baits and tactics but couldn’t get the roach to feed quite so freely.

Another Bilston angler, Graham Windmill was next with 3-5-8 over Dave Richards (Midleisure) 2-10-8, Colin Cole (Bilston) 2-9-0 and Bert Simmill (Brittons) 2-2-8.