Two Botley anglers, Rod Smith and Colin Howse, have caught some specimen fish in recent weeks, writes ANDY WEBBER.

Travelling down the Botley Road to Potts Stream, Rod found some nice chub, including one of 6.2.0, his best to date.

Fishing the free stretch at King George’s Meadow, he started by trying to satisfy the crayfish by putting in around 20 boilies and then fished a 14mm CC Moore Odyssey XXX boilie with a paste wrap around it. That was hair-rigged to a size 9 Drennan Barbel hook and tied to a 10lb ESP Sink Link.

I have been saying for ages that Potts is a very good water, but totally neglected by anglers.

I am quite sure that if someone gives the stretch serious attention, something very special will come out.

Colin has been travelling to the Kennet, concentrating on one of the Reading and District Angling Association waters, and landed two barbel of 12.0.0 and 12.3.0.

Both came from an area that is full of snags and he used hair-rigged boilies fished with a PVA bag of broken boilies.

  • The Masonic Trout & Salmon Fishing Charity held their third and final event of 2009 at Busheyleaze, Lech-lade, where bright, sunny conditions made it hard going for the 20 youngsters rep-resenting four Oxford-shire schools.

The Oxfordshire branch has held two other events this year at Bullingdon Prison Lake, for coarse fishing, and at Farmoor Fly Fishing Club's Darlow Water.

More than 60 young people with special needs have attended this year, accompanied by experienced anglers.

More information at www. mtsfc.co.uk