Tony Lowe is on a high after netting victory

The action took place on the Metro Bridge Section of the Walsall Canal in Wednesbury where Lowe (Sportsman AC) struck from peg 22.

He netted 7-12-3 of bream and skimmers, caught on poled caster.

Four Ashes AC anglers completed the frame. Walsall’s Steve Cope came second with 6-4-1from peg 15, leaving Wednesfield’s Mel Wood in third on peg five with 5-14-9.

The fifth round of the Storey’s Halesowen RBL Individual League was held on the Staffs & Worcester Canal in Castlecroft with Sean Waite netting a clear victory.

Drawn on the gardens at peg eight, Waite pole-fished pinkies to land skimmers and chub for a winning11-1-0.

Pete Hatton, who won round one and finished third in round three, bagged second place from peg 13 with 8-5-0 of small chub, perch and skimmers. Mick Davies took third with 6-0-0.

There is four-way tie at the top of the league standings with Waite, Lawrie Mulheron, Geoff Garrish and Tony Bowen all on 16 points.

There was a Wolverhampton one-two in the Goodyear AC match on the Shawhall Lane, 3 Hammers Golf Course and Anchor PH Sections of the Staffs & Worcester Canal in Coven.

Bruce Birch took the win on the golf course length, netting all roach for 6-5-1 from peg 21.

The next two results came from the Shawhall Lane stretch, Steve Dudley gaining second with 5-1-12 and Walsall’s Steve Cope netting 4-4-0.

In-form Armitage rod Digger Conway (Carthy’s) Tackle) headed Wednesday’s 19-peg Sensas Lifestyle MG Open on the Shropshire Union Canal at Shebdon. Drawn on peg 9, Conway pole-fished bread punch and squatt to tip 7-10-0 of roach and gudgeon onto the scales. Hodnet-based Terry Nutt (Hodnet AC) secured second with over 100 pinkie and bread punch-tempted predominantly roach plus a bonus 1lb perch caught down the track on poled chopped worm for 5-15-0 from peg 18, nudging Crewe’s Les Olszewski (Team ‘Les’ O) into third with 5-10-4 of mainly roach and a few perch, taken chiefly on poled bread punch at peg 15.

The top two at Saturday’s Sportsman AC Open on the Ocker Hill Section of the Walsall Canal in Tipton caught roach on pole-fished bread punch. Dave Anderson (Sportsman AC) led the way on end peg 1 with 5-13-0. Dave Sheaf (Canal Kings) was bridesmaid for the second consecutive week, this time with 4-8-3 from adjacent peg 2, ahead of Steve Harris (Sportsman AC) who weighed in 3-12-12 of roach and skimmers gathered on pole-fished maggot at peg 4.

Conditions were not ideal at Sunday’s 19-entry Cradley Heath Labour AC event on the Staffs & Worcs Canal in Castlecroft. Bright sunshine, a clear canal and a northerly breeze resulted in an unusually hard match. Nevertheless, Martyn Yarsley found himself among the chub at peg 13 on the hawthorns, where he poled caster and maggot, landing fish to 3lb for an admirable 16-2-0. The next two framers used the same bait tactics as the winner and a tie occurred for second place when Andy Sloan and Steve Horton both recorded 3-6-0. Sloan with mainly perch from peg 19 and Horton who caught perch and roach on peg 3. Next came Ken Whitmore with 3-4-0 of like-fish to Horton taken on poled caster at peg 14 on the reeds.

Sunday’s 19-peg Rough Hay AC bout took place on the Teddesley Boatyard Section of the Staffs & Worcs Canal in Penkridge. A few boats passed through the match length which did put some colour in the water. Norton Canes-based Roger Hunter had cause for a double celebration when he eased to victory for a Golden Peg win on peg 3 with 9-14-0 of mainly skimmers and the odd roach, caught on the pole with a variety of baits, fished to the scaffolding. Runner-up, Alan Coley poled chopped worm and caster off end peg 19, catching some perch and roach plus a welcome weighed and verified 1-4-7 perch, to scale 3-14-0, ahead of Roy Horton’s 3-8-4 of roach and skimmers gathered on pole-fished pinkie and squatt over groundbait at peg 17.

The top three at Wednesday’s Over 50’s Open on Silver Pool at Moorlands Farm all caught F1s to 2lb on pole-fished maggot. Bewdley rod, Mal Watson (DGL) gaining the upper hand on peg 3 with an impressive 157-8-0, ahead of Moorlands’ own Darren Webster who recorded 140-4-0 at peg 46. Third place went to Pete Mace (Autism B’ham) with 104-12-0 from peg 2.

On Sunday, Parkes Hall AC were in action on the Laurel Pool at Cob House Fisheries in Worcester. Match organiser, Upper Gornal-based lorry driver Jamie Trevis rose to the fore on peg 17, having poled double red maggot over dead red maggots in the margins, to return 90-4-0 of carp to 12lb with lots averaging 3lb apiece. Woodsetton’s Les Harris came second with 78-9-0 of carp to 12lb caught on the pellet feeder at peg 19, leaving Lower Gornal’s Darren Jeavons in third on peg 11, where he used both feeder and pole with corn for 58-14-0 of carp to 7lb.

Tipton-based Darren Painter (Baggeridge) topped Thursday’s open match at Quarry Pool in Aston Eyre. Fishing the pellet waggler out into the middle off peg 29, Painter brought a rewarding 118-13-0 haul of carp to over 10lb to the scalesman. Drawn on peg 16, Halesowen’s Lee Payne (Mosella) fished the pole at 14 metres out with banded pellet shallow and the pellet waggler, bagging four carp on the waggler and seven on the pole for 94-6-0 and second place, ahead of Steve Roberts (OAC) who banked similar lumps to the winner, fishing the pole at 45° to his left, at 8 metres out with soft pellet to return 89-10-0 at peg 14.

Wednesday’s Larch, Sycamore and Chestnut Pools Open at Preston Innovations Boldings Pools in Bridgnorth saw Penkridge’s Dave Brown (Preston Innovations) leave the others in his wake with a cracking 170-2-0 top weight of carp to 8lb, caught on pole-fished bread and maggot, presented up in the water off Larch peg 8. Monkhall’s Paul Hemming followed on Larch peg 4 having poled maggot and corn at 8 metres out and down the side for 102-9-0 of carp to 9lb, pipping Wolverhampton’s Gary Steele (Swan AC) into third with 102-0-0 from Sycamore peg 48.

It was double joy at the weekend for Steve Harris (Matrix Midlands) at Monkhall Fisheries in Monkhopton, nr. Bridgnorth. First in the bag was Saturday’s Swallow and Lark Pools Open when he took the winners purse on Swallow peg 18 with 116-15-0 of carp and F1s; both species to 3lb, caught down the edge on pole-fished pellet and corn. Oakengates rod Jack O’Sullivan followed with 106-4-0 of carp to 3lb and F1s in the 4lb bracket gathered on poled corn in the margins and maggot poled shallow at Lark peg 8. Harris’ teammate, Dudley-based Andy Welding secured third on Swallow peg 15, where he caught on the same tactics as O’Sullivan to scale 91-7-0 of carp to 2lb, F1s to 4lb and chub to 2lb 8oz. Harris’ coup was complete when he headed Sunday’s Hawk and Buzzard Pools Open where Hawk was the place to be for the top three. Pole-fishing pellet and corn on his edge line at peg 11, Harris graced the scales with 110-4-0 of F1s to 3lb. Monkhall men completed the frame, Kev Hayes claiming second on peg 9 where he fished the pellet feeder and hard pellet on the long pole for 105-2-0 of carp to 5lb and F1s to 1lb 8oz, leaving Dean Stewart in third on peg 5 with 83-12-0 of carp and F1s; both to 2lb plus ide caught up in the water on the short pole with maggot.