The latest practice match for the third round of the Oxford Winter League was fished by 40 anglers on the Thames at Radley and produced some top- quality chub.

With a heavy overnight frost and a clearing river, chub were always likely to be the fish to go for, and so it proved as the roach totally shut up shop on a venue that is normally full of them.

Chris Ives (Sensas A4) topped the field with 21.14.0 from a peg four above the boathouse, catching five large chub, the biggest a cracker of 6.6.0, on maggot-feeder cast to the far bank.

He backed it up with 3lb of pole-caught perch and gudgeon.

Colin Wainwright (Sensas A4) did enough for second place with 18.10.0, catching 13 chub on maggot-feeder fished to a tree above the boathouse.

Third was Richard Head (Drennan GOT Bait) with 11.8.0, comprising three chub, all caught in a ten-minute spell on maggot-feeder.

Dave Kirk (Fox Match ISIS) was fourth with three chub for 7.14.0.

Beehive AC fished their own winter league match on a frost-hit Lower Court Farm, and most of the 14 anglers fishing found it hard work until the sun came out and the carp decided to bite.

Switching between a pellet waggler and a maggot-feeder, Richard Mott put together a winning 40.8.0 of carp.

Kevin Jeacock was runner-up with 28.12.0, alternating between pellet waggler and straight lead, and third with 21.0.0 of carp was Dave Simmons, who fished a method feeder with corn on the hook.

A pairs match fished at the same time was won by Richard Mott and Les Radford with 42.0.0.

Littlemore travelled over to Cheney Manor for their Roach Cup and ten of the 11 anglers are still trying to work out how Brian Hutchings does it!

He fished maggot on the pole at five metres and caught an impressive 150 roach, giving himself a clear win with 20.4.0 to claim the silverware.

Doug Robinson tried the same tactics, but his roach were well small compared to Brian’s, weighing 9.3.0 for second place.

Nick Collier had 3.12.0 for third place.

There were plenty of roach caught, plus other species, including several carp and a 2.4.0 perch, but these were all put back as they didn’t count.

The Acorn Angling Open was fished by 16 on the Thames at Carmel College.

The winner was organiser Tony Gee (Acorn Angling) with a net of roach weighing 20.2.0 on pole and maggot.

A catch of roach and skimmers weighing 15.8.0 earned Mick Foster second place after he balled in groundbait and fished maggot over the top.

Matt Micallef (Acorn Angling) was third with 11.9.0 of waggler and maggot-caught roach.

The Adrian Payne Pairs match was fished by 11 Jolly Anglers on their Oxford Reach of the Thames and you needed to be on a feeder peg to be in with a chance.

Lee Edmunds put his maggot-feeder to good use, netting seven chub for a winning 11.9.0.

Also on the maggot-feeder, Phil Ansell had 9.6.0 for second, followed by Frank Butler, who used a cage-feeder with liquidised bread and flake to weigh in 7.6.0.

Kidlington fished their Henry Clarke Cup on the Oxford Canal at Grovelands, which despite a hard over-night frost, fished quite well for the 13 anglers.

Alan Middleton began with punch and caught 60 small roach, also feeding the far bank with chopped worm which he fished later to catch a chub of 2.8.0, plus some perch, for a winning 10.8.0.

Jason Bean was second with 9.3.0 of chub and perch on lobworm, while Alan Steele took third spot with a net of pole and punch-caught roach weighing 4.6.0.

Points after 11 matches: J Bean 90, D Foreshew 60, H Clarke & S Heath 46.

There was a good turn-out of eight members for the Oxford Bus AC match fished on the Cherwell at ‘The School’, where the first three places totalled 28.9.4.

Graham Bradshaw took the honours with a net of roach and perch weighing 10.6.4, fishing worm over chop. His best perch went 2.7.0.

Anthony Tompkins caught 9.5.0 of roach and perch on the pole with punch and maggot for second, followed by Pete Clarke with 8.14.0 of roach and perch on caster.

Ten Coldstone AC anglers fished the Oxford Canal at Lower Heyford, where Garry Didcock emerged the victor with roach and perch on squatt and chopped worm for 5.8.0.

Brian Ballard had to settle for second place with another net of roach and perch weighing 5.0.0 and third with 3.12.0 was Steve Arthurs, who had most of his fish on the squatt.

There was only one weight under 2lb, which is not bad going at all.