with KINGFISHER

ANOTHER decent weekend weatherwise ensured that anglers, of all persuasions and at every type of venue, had some success.

None more so than Nelson matchman Dave Wells, who not only filled his keepnet but had his pockets overflowing as well.

Wells has found the size and variety of fish at Cheshire's Brookside fishery, at Stretton near Warrington, much to his liking. There are bigger ones but fish to about 12oz predominate and there are plenty of them. Typically roach, carp, chub and tench feature in most anglers nets, though it varies from lake to lake at this pretty venue.

On Saturday, he drew peg 21 on Mallard Lake and, using maggot or caster on the hook presented at 13 metres with the pole, he had the fish coming steadily throughout the match. Dave, who fishes for the GTI Rochdale team, weighed in a 27-4-0 mixed bag for a comfortable win. The runner-up was nowhere to be seen with only 19-6-0.

The Sunday match turned out to be a tighter affair. Snake Lake accommodates more anglers than Mallard, and has a bigger head of carp. Wells reckoned that the warm conditions would encourage the fish, small carp in particular, to feed in mid-water. He was right and, again using maggot or caster, only at six metres range, he soon had some roach and loads of small carp (to 8 oz) queuing up.

He finished with 17-9-0, just 2oz clear of the runner-up, to complete the sort of weekend double that most match anglers only dream about. It most certainly made a change from all the crayfish trouble he and the others had to endure, on the Basingstoke Canal in the First Division National, last week.

The carp are generally a bit bigger than this at Copthorne Lakes, with a 2-pounder being typical. There are plenty of chub of a similar size as well in Doughnut Lake, the chosen venue for the Premier League series. Top Hyndburn canal angler Arthur Hargreaves showed there is much more to him than that, using pellet on long pole to take a mixture of both species totalling 34-10-0. Todmorden's Simon Beswick was the nearest challenger of the 53 anglers, with 20-15-0. The better quality fish of Hargreaves certainly told in the end, with Beswick having to settle for mainly small carp (1lb) and disappointment.

The carp are much bigger at Greenhalgh Lodge near Kirkham. They do reach well into double figures. They take a lot of handling at that size on the pole, but that is how most of the match anglers tackle the venue in the summer months. Hyndburn anglers Dave Pickering and John Rogers are both adept at getting them in and regularly take big weights to win matches.

Both were out of luck last week, having to settle for minor placings despite decent catches. The 75-1-0 weighed in by Rogers was good enough for only fourth place while Pickering, with 52-14-0 picked up the money for sixth. The match was won with 103-10-0, by a fishery regular, using paste/pellet at nine metres, for 28 carp -- best 14lb 10oz.

Pilsworth continued in disappointing form, with the main lake producing a winner with just 11-8-0. He wasn't a local but the match did provide an opportunity for anglers from the improving teAMS H&B to show their mettle. B. Harrison was runner-up, with seven pounds and J Jones framed in fifth with 5-6-0.

There were a number of local entrants for the Hebden Bridge open last Sunday. Not surprising considering the £1000 Golden Peg prize up for grabs, though none of them managed to take the loot. Closest was Hyndburn MG member John Meredith who finished third with 4-2-0. The canal was in poor form, blamed on the heavy boat traffic, with 5-15-8 being the top weight.

Odd big fish, tench, boosted the weights of all the top anglers but even they were scratching for most of the match with squatt or pinkie for small roach. The Golden Peg money carries on to the next match and it is looking unlikely it will be won.

Pleasure anglers on local stretches of canal, though there are few, have fared pretty well over the past weeks. Both skimmers and roach have shown in decent numbers. A proliferation of weedgrowth means the fish are evenly spread and any number of pegs can produce. Boat traffic has been a minor problem, but severe damage to a lock gate in Blackburn will alleviate even that. Caster is the top bait for better quality fish, both skimmers and roach, though hempseed is producing good bags of roach.

Now, late summer, is the time to really bag up with bream at local reservoirs. Like the canal they seem under-fished, many anglers preferring the certainty of commercial fisheries. Foulridge and Elton Reservoirs look likely to each produce ton-up weights in the next few weeks. Simple feeder tactics, with a maggot/worm cocktail on the hook, will be all you need. Shallow field-side pegs at either venue will still have loads of fish though the Dam wall would be my choice as we move into autumn.