with Kingfisher

THE second round of the Octoplus Blackburn Saturday League was held last week at Rishton, where the canal did not produce the sort of form the anglers were hoping for.

Nevertheless breadpunch did account for plenty of small roach, though caster was not soproductive.

The better quality roach caught, fish of around 10 ounces, fell to the punch and the anglers who managed a few of these figured in the 'shake up' at the finish.

Saints' Mike Webb, pegged on the hen-pens, was one such angler and 5-5-6 was enough (only just!) to snatch victory.

And 10 metres was the range that Webb found the fish, as did Drennan NW angler at Spring Street bridge. He also used punch to fall, agonisingly, just a tiny fish short, finishing with 5-5-4.

The best local performance was that of Mick Gornall, whose 2-11-6 was worth fifth place and earned good points for his Octoplus Blackburn Red team. Combining with some excellent backup from his team-mates it was also worth a bit of money for him from that aspect of the contest - a share of first place with Drennan NW.

Drennan NW therefore consolidated their opening round victory and now have a twelve point advantage at the top. Octoplus Blackburn Red are the second placed team, just a point clear of Saints and Ted Carter Southport.

Big fish were, as usual, significant captures at Hebden Bridge in the Pennine Winter League. Most anglers tackling the Rochdale Canal here will not ignore the potential for a quality perch or two and always have a chopped worm swim on the go. There are other species, however, that this tactic will attract and so it did for the winner of this one.

Dave McGuinn included a three and a half pound bream in his 4-15-0 net, with the balance made up of small roach and perch on squatt. McGuinn fishes for Tri-Cast Rochdale Black and the rest of the team also did their bit as last year's champions roared back to form, following last week's 'blowout'.

They won by 7 points and now hold a daunting (for the rest) overall lead of 23 points, just when they thought they were all in with a shout!

Individually, the performance of the week must be that of Mick Southworth who really put the rest in their places at Greenhalgh Lodge.

Southworth's winning weight of 131-1-0 was way in excess of anything that anyone expected and right because the rest of the competitors could get nowhere near him. In fact his net, made up of carp to 14lbs taken on 14 metre pole/ paste, was more than double the weight of his nearest 'challenger'.