The final round of the Oxford Division Angling Times Winter League on the Oxford Canal at Wolvercote proved a bit of a grueller for the 59 competitors, writes ANDY WEBBER.

Due to the frosts, the canal partially froze earlier in the week, and it was still mighty chilly on Sunday.

Graham Ault (Isis Oxford) was two pegs below the railway bridge and used either chopped worm for perch or bloodworm for roach, weighing in 5.15.0.

That was just enough as only two ounces behind was Steve Pawson (Garbolino Banbury Gunsmiths).

He was drawn on the perch bush above Frenchay Road and although a few decent perch did fall to chopped worm, the bulk of his weight was made up of roach on bloodworm.

Robert Head (Oxford Drennan) was below Frenchay Road and had a couple of small chub for about 1lb, together with nearly 4lb of silver fish caught on joker for 4.14.0.

Isis Oxford produced another excellent canal performance to win the day on 44 points, followed by Sensa A4 with 39, Oxford Drennan with 38 and Garbolino Banbury Gunsmiths with 37.

This means that Sensas A4 comfortably won the league and go to the Kennet and Avon Canal semi-final.

Isis Oxford overhauled Oxford Drennan to take the runners-up spot and the second semi-final place at Monks Lake.

Final league placings: Sensas A4 12pts, Isis Oxford 16, Oxford Drennan 17, Garbolino BGS 20, Chipping Norton 26, North Oxford 34.

Top individuals overall: 1 R Norris (Sensas A4), 2 S Townsend (Garbolino BGS), 3= D Harpin & R Rosinski (both Sensas A4).

Since the July floods, the fish on the Evenlode have been quite hard to find, but Coldstone AC's Christmas Match on the river at Ascott last Saturday saw a big improvement.

Although it was freezing cold, the weather did not put off the chub and Peter Moss caught 11 of them for a winning 32.15.0. He had fish up to 4lb on pole and maggot.

Steve Arthurs switched between pole and stick float using maggot to tempt seven chub to 4.5.0 for a second-placed 19.10.0.

Barry Barnes used the same tactics to weigh in 6.6.0 of roach and dace for third place.

Lechlade Marina was the venue for the Kinloch AC's Christmas Match and the 26 anglers found the place buzzing. Plenty of fish caught and there were no blanks.

Fishing the pole and alternating between punch and maggot, Paul Woodley put a winning 22.4.0 on the scales, a mixed bag of roach, perch and dace.

Dean Bowerman, fishing the flow of the marina, also used either punch or maggot to land roach and perch for a second-placed 19.12.0, followed by Wayne Gray with 12.0.0 of roach and perch on maggot and the chop.

There was a good turnout of 17 for Kidlington's Wise Alderman Christmas Trophy on the Cherwell at Branson Meadows.

The Cherwell can be a moody river, but last Sunday it fished quite well.

Legering worm, Dave Scott-Picton got off to a cracking start when he slipped his net under a 15.4.0 carp, adding some roach for a winning 17.5.0.

In second place with 9.14.0 was Alan Steele, who also had a carp of 6.4.0, plus a bream and some dace all taking legered flake.

Third was Jan Cebula with 6.3.8. He used the pole with caster and had a bream and some roach.

The Thame at Warren Barn fished reasonably for the nine anglers in Cuddesdon Mill VAA's Cuddesdon Cup.

With five chub on legered bread, Richard Martin was the clear winner with 11.6.0.

Also using bread was Roy Barber, who landed four chub for a second-placed 7.3.0, while three chub on bread and worm gave Bryan Ball third with 4.2.0.

Marston were over at a near-frozen Lower Court for their Christmas Match combined with the Hunt Edmunds Cup, where the eight members looked more like Eskimos.

Half the field blanked, but Anthony Tomkins, who also drew the golden peg, found two carp on pole and maggot for a winning 3.8.0.

Pete Clarke was second with 2.12.0 of skimmers on pellet, followed by Steve Tomkins with 0.6.0 of skimmers also on pellet.

Sutton Courtenay's Christmas Match on Culham Cut attracted 19 anglers and raised a creditable £280 for Cancer Relief.

Barry Watson found a chub of 5.6.0 on maggot-feeder with red maggot to win from Gary Stafford's 5.0.0 and Bob Gosbee's 1.4.0.

Prizes were donated by Drennan and Didcot Angling Centre.

The 21 anglers who fished Masons' Christmas Match on the canal at the Rock of Gibraltar found it a struggle.

Fishing the long pole with chopped worm, Paul Armstrong put 3.3.0 of perch on the scales to emerge the winner.

Andy Benwell fished bloodworm over joker and had a mixed bag for 1.11.0, while a perch of 1.9.0 on lobworm gave Brian Goodgame third.

OTHER RESULTS

Dorchester: (Inter-League, Glebe Lake, 8 fished) 1 L Budd 6.10.0 (bits, pole, bread punch), 2 I Smith 4.8.0, 3= T Krason & J Johnson3.10.0.

Jolly Anglers: (Christmas Match, Thames) 1 W Cave (chub of 4.11.0, stick float, maggot), 2 M MacDonald 3.5.0, 3 P Ansell 0.7.8.

Oakfield: (Wednesday, Brook/Swallow, 12 fished) 1 L Ripper (Fox Match GOT Baits) 23.9.0, 2 P Alland (Oakfield) 14.5.8, 3 N Bryan (The Bull) 7.12.8.

Oakfield: (Saturday, Swallow, 17 fished) 1 P Alland (Oakfield) 20.9.8, 2 B Walker (Oakfield) 19.11.0, 3 G Thorpe (Fox Match GOT Baits) 18.4.8.

Panshill: (Thursday, Wood Lake, 15 fished) 1 M Betteridge 24.4.0, 2 R Guppy (RS Baits) 21.3.0, 3 P Bunce (Panshill) 18.8.0.

Panshill: (Saturday, Pans Lake, 21 fished) 1 A Foulkes (Panshill) 67.15.0, 2: L Ripper (Fox Match GOT Baits) 46.12.0, 3 P Bunce (Panshill) 42.11.0.

Panshill: (Sunday, Wood Lake, 18 fished) 1 G Thorpe (Fox Match GOT Baits) 33.1.0, 2 A Wiffen (RS Baits) 29.9.0, 3 D Holland (Panshill) 26.9.0.