with KINGFISHER

OUR two local teams wrapped up the titles in their respective divisions of the Octoplus Standish Autumn League last weekend as expected and there was more joy for East Lancs matchmen in Yorkshire.

On the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Appley Bridge, Springview really didn't even need to turn up to be crowned First Division champions, but they did and rammed home their series superiority with yet another dazzling team display.

They not only won the day, by a big margin indeed, but provided the top individual in Steve Gallop.

He had a tremendous day's fishing near Gathurst Locks, including no less than five species of fish in his winning 11-11-13. Starting on breadpunch, at 13 metres, he accounted for a string of smallish roach before switching to caster down the track.

A good perch, two eels, a tench, a chub and a decent hybrid falling to the shell Springview's winning total of 34 penalty points left them an enormous 112 points clear of the runners-up, but it was a might closer for our other top team in Division Two.

Octoplus Blackburn could manage only third place on the day, with their nearest overall challengers, Daiwa Wigan finishing ahead.

Only, it turned out, by eight points and not enough!

So Octoplus Blackburn achieved exactly what their performances last year promised and they they were surely well pleased with their 19 point overall margin of victory - especially since it was over the highly fancied Wigan. Round three of the Pennine Winter League was held on a difficult Calder and Hebble canal at Thornhill, but two Burnley lads showed the rest how it should be done.

Both John Leeds and Andy Shirtliffe are tied to the Tri-Cast Rochdale stable, but in this event they are in seperate teams, Leeds in the Blacks and Shirtliffe fishing for the Reds.

John Leeds ran out a comfortable winner in the end, taking some quality fish in his 10-2-0 final tally. Fishing caster over chopped worm, across to an overhanging tree, he had three chub to add to some decent roach and perch.

Andy meanwhile, fishing exactly the same method, could find only small roach and perch with a single decent chub to finish runner-up with 6-4-0.

Although they did not win on the day Tri-Cast Rochdale Red held on to their lead at the head of the league quite comfortably.

Pro-Fish UK Gold closed the gap by taking the day's team honours with 60 points, but that was only three better than the Tri-Cast Red team in second spot, who now enjoy a mere 17 point advantage overall.

It is difficult to predict how any venue might fare at this time if year but what I can tell you is, with the mild temperatures we are having right now, prospects are as good as they could possibly be.

Fallen leaves have already caused some problems for river anglers this week (catching on the line and giving false bites) and they will certainly be doing so for the next few days, at least.

Nevertheless, the river is surely worth a try, given that the levels are not too high.

Leaves may also be a problem elsewhere and you might be wise to select any commercial outing very carefully, with this in mind.

Although carp are becoming less active, do not be tempted to put away the pellets (in favour of maggot or caster) just yet, and it will remain the top barbel bait on the river.

As the colour drops out of the water over the next few weeks you might concentrate your efforts more on the caster, at commercials as well as on local stretches of canal, though punched bread is surely the first choice for most anglers at the latter.