The first round of the FMS League attracted thirteen teams of four to the Trent and Mersey canal in the Trentham area.

Unfortunately the water was partly frozen and crystal clear which put paid to hopes of big catch weights.  But then a boat passed through which helped clear the ice and fish began to feed much more freely.

So much so that Tipton VDE team member  Dan Carter put together a very good on the day  5-8-8 top weight.

Pegged near the  cables on the Pacific Drive sections he used bloodworm and joker feed and hookbait to catch small roach and perch.

Second placed John Arthur who is enjoying a good run under his Shakespeare team colours was pegged near the incinerator, another good area where he whipped out 3-10-13 of very small roach with punched bread.

Back in form Walsall expert Rob Quinn was third, also for Shakespeare  with 3-9-0. 

This consisted of just two perch which fell for casters at a peg in the well known Meadow area. Mark Derry (Carthy’s Tackle) was next with 3-6-14 over Fred Cheetham (Eclipse) 3-2-6.

Team winners Shakespeare, the only side with no dry nets scored 51 points for a clear lead over W B Clarke Red’s 44, Tipton VDE 38, Carthy’s Tackle 35, North West Blue 36 and Eclipse 34.

 Hopes were high of good catch weights from the Birmingham Main Line canal in the latest HanKat open fixture at Coseley. 

But cold conditions put the brakes on sport and organiser Lee Woodhouse headed the weight sheet with a modest 5-3-0. 

Using bloodworm and joker at peg 125 towards the tunnel he caught all small roach. Following catches which were almost identical came from his team mate Kevin Adderley 4-7-0, Lewis Breeze (Sensas North West) 3-14-0, Adam Slade (Black Country Tackle) 3-1-8 and Ade Shepherd’s (W B Clarke) 2-15-8.

The new Stafford Isaac Walton Individual league’s first round was held on the Shropshire Union canal at Gnosall where unstoppable Dave McCall added another victory to his growing list.

The Wolverhampton based Shakespeare team member drew a peg near the Navigation pub where he caught small roach and perch with squatt maggots before switching to the ‘pinkie’ variety which attracted some better samples.

Second man John Egerton (Isaac Walton, Stafford) made his 5-4-2 haul in an area near the cooling towers and he also caught roach with squatt maggots.

Eric Gardner (Eclipse) was third with 4-11-8 over Paul Murrin (W B Clarke) 4-11-3, Dave Richards (Midleisure) 4-10-1 and Dennis Sumner (Bilston Angling) 4-5-11.

The raised sections of the Staffs Worcester canal near Wobaston Road at Tettenhall produced lots of fish in a Bilston Angling open fixture but the pegs placed  near the Motorway area were outstanding. 

Dudley based Ben Garbett will confirm this after putting together a 12-7-0 winning bag.  Commencing with squat and pinkie maggots he was in action from the off catching small roach, bream, perch and gudgeon. 

Nearby peg 21 threw up a 9-15-4 second best bag for Mel Davies (Bilston) who included a nice fat chub in his similar effort also caught with maggots and casters.

Third man Phil Taylor (Bilston) weighed in 6-8-13  over Dave Sheaf (Black Country tackle) 6-5-2, John Cottrell (Bilston) 5-15-14 and Bruce Birch (Bilston Angling) 4-14-9.

Very much in form Wolverhampton canal specialist Paul Ross headed Stafford club Isaac Walton’s open fixture on the Shropshire Union canal.

The contest was spread out along the Cowley Narrows sections which are partially overlooked by the sandstone cliffs near Gnosall and this is where the Shakespeare team man made his mark. Drawn at a peg towards the tunnel, a very narrow and deep area, he began operations with punched bread. 

This tempted quite a few small roach but a switch to casters brought three quality perch to 2 lbs 7 oz which lifted him well clear of the pack. Another Wolverhampton expert, Dennis Kneller ( W B Clarke) was second with 7-5-0. 

He relied on punched bread from start to finish and caught all roach to eight ounces. Tipton VDE team man Richard Guest was next with 5-8-5 over Stafford expert Tony Keeling (Eclipse) 4-2-7, Paul Turner (Tipton VDE)  4-0-2 and Dean Willis (Isaac Walton, Stafford) 3-9-8.  

 Roach which  were more active than usual made up the bulk of leading catches in the Soho Loop canal fixture. This took place on the Clissold Street and hospital sections and it was the latter which yielded a 5-9-0 winner for Mick Swain.

Pegged at number 51 near the dead arm at Winson Green he hooked samples to 4 oz and also added a small bream all taken with casters. 

Second placed Mervyn Rogers (R & D) put together a 5-0-0 best bag from the Clissold Street area where he drew peg 84. Offering squatt maggots  in several different spots he took roach and a brace of perch with squatt maggots.

Kevin Perry from Dudley pulled off an excellent victory in a Stirrup Cup A C open match on the Birmingham Fazeley canal at Curdworth.

Drawn at peg 64 on the wide sections at the top end of the stretch he left the opposition trailing with an 8-4-0 mixed bag. Relying on caster feed and bait he hooked a brace of roach to 12 oz plus.