RESULTS from many waters last week, particularly canals, were very encouraging and provided the weather doesn't turn too nasty there should be a few fish to catch this week as well.

There were some very decent pleasure catches by anglers with some knowledge of where roach shoal in the winter, but it was with some match weights I was most impressed.

Sixty-eight top north-west anglers turned out to fish the best match of the weekend, an open run on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Blackburn by Hyndburn & Blackburn AA.

Burnley's Dave Whitaker is highly experienced on local stretches of canal. He knows exactly what bait to use, and how to present it, to get the best from a peg in winter. He is most certainly not alone in this, as I'm sure he would agree, and yet he must have been very proud to weigh in a superb 11-8-8 net of roach to win.

The weather wasn't brilliant but, as I suggested they may be, quality roach were very much in evidence on Blackburn's Tesco length. Dave was pegged close to Gore Street bridge and, fishing punch down the centre with a caster swim across, he took a string of quality roach to about 10ozs.

The fish were not isolated in Dave's peg however, though the runner-up was just three away. He was Dave Stanhope who must have been happy to travel in from Bradford for 8-13-2 on similar methods.

There were over 200lbs of fish weighed in by the 68 anglers, and Keith Nugent of Lostock Tackle must have been surprised to only just creep into the frame with 6-12-4.

You wouldn't be surprised if I were to suggest this section may be worth consideration for a pleasure session so I will. Though Dezzy Forrest is organising another H&B match tomorrow this is not the section to be pegged. You may fancy it (the match) especially if you take my word that the William Blythe's section (Hapton) has pegs easily capable of a similar winning weight. Either way the only baits you need to bother about are breadpunch and caster. Dezzy, on 0798 0431905 will give you details of the match, which will be drawn at 8.30am at the Foresters.

The final round of the Pennine Winter League, on the Calder & Hebble Canal at Brighouse, was not quite so good.

The majority of the 102 anglers caught a fish or two, and it certainly made for an exciting finish to this six match series.

Todmorden, as you may recall, were just about in touch with long time league leaders GTI Rochdale. On the day Todmorden put in a superb effort, as a team, and quite easily beat the Rochdale outfit. Unfortunately the both of them were beaten by Tri-Cast Calder and, when the points were totted up, GTI Rochdale managed to hold on to top spot by just a single point.

The individual honours on the day were just as keenly contested. Tri-Cast Calder had three anglers in the frame including the winner, Craig Ellis. He started on punch at his peg on the Pop Shop length to take roach to 6ozs at the off.

He had to change to bloodworm to keep in touch later on, but eventually put a nice 5-11-0 on the scales. Kevin Mead, Fishamania, had a mixture from Elland basin for 4-9-8 with team mate Dave Pilgrim weighing 4-7-8.

John Townend, Tri-Cast, and Mack's Tackle angler Ray O'Sullivan tied in fourth with 3-14-0 and Tri Cast's Steve Michaels made up the frame with 3-12-8. It was not only difficult to get a fish from the Ribble last weekend, it wasn't easy to find a swim that was fishable. That shouldn't be the case this weekend, but nevertheless, the angler just happy to put a fish in his net is as well sticking to the canal.

Specimen hunters cannot ignore the heavyweight chub and barbel of the Ribble, which will be eager to feed sometime soon - but will it be tomorrow? If it is then lobworm may just outfish the favourite flavoured luncheon meat. Unfortunately if it freezes getting lobworms could be just as difficult as catching barbel.

If you do decide to tackle the canal then choose a peg which you find comfortable, since sheltered pegs are often favoured by the fish also. Take care with your choice of peg. If you can find the sheltered peg described above AND it has some colour, you could be on the way to a double figure weight.

You will catch on the drop with both breadpunch and caster, but you should ensure your float is set to approximately six inches overdepth. If you're using a pole try lifting and twitching the bait.

When you have decided on your swim, tackle up well away from the edge to minimise disturbance. For the same reason position your box carefully, well back from the edge. Keep a low profile all the time and have your landing net set up and keepnet positioned before you start the session.

If you do this, and have the right swim, you may make Dave Whitaker's 11lbs look anything but extraordinary and its only something a pleasure angler could achieve.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.