Match fishing

John Spence was the clear winner of the Tackley Estates match fished by eight on the Oxford Canal at the Rock of Gibraltar with 30.10.0 – an outstanding weight for the water, writes ANDY WEBBER.

He fished worm over chop to land bream to 2.8.0, plus a bonus perch of 2.12.8.

Anthony Holder caught skimmers and bits on worm for a second-placed 6.0.0, and third with 3.7.0 was Stephen Malone, who fished caster and worm to catch small skimmers, roach and perch.

The practice match for tomorrow’s third round of the Oxford Winter League was fished by 40 anglers on a very clear Thames at Radley and hardly a roach was caught.

Alan Bateman (Abingdon Alliance) topped the field with 10.14.0 from a noted chub peg above the boathouse. He had a 4lb-plus chub second chuck on the feeder and maggot, followed by another good chub and some perch.

Mick Elliot (Drennan GOT Baits) was second with 9.2.0, including two good chub early on. He also used the maggot-feeder.

Third was Charlie Somerton (Isis) with 7.12.0 of small chub on maggot-feeder.

Brian Hutchings won Littlemore’s Roach Cup at Cheney Manor for the second year running with another quality net of roach.

While the other ten anglers could only find small roach, Hutchings had several to 1lb, ending up with a winning 21.5.0. All his fish came on pole with maggot.

Nick Collier and Alan Campbell battled it out for second and third, Collier getting the the nod with 10.7.0 to Campbell’s 9.8.0. Both anglers caught well over 100 small roach on pole with maggot.

It was a one-two for the MacDonalds in the Jolly Anglers’ Adrian Payne Pairs match, fished by ten on the Oxford reach of the Thames.

Martin weighed in 113 roach on waggler with maggot and hemp for a top weight of 15.1.0, beating his son Ryan, who caught three chub and some roach for 14.4.0.

Third-placed Steve Gray fished pole and maggot for 9.3.0 of roach.

Winning pair: M MacDonald & A Critcher 18.15.0.

It was hard on the Thame at Wheatley Bridge for Oxford Waltonian’s J Campden Cup, fished by nine.

Alan Gee (Acorn Angling) won with three chub on pole and maggot for 12.8.0, having lost seven chub in a big snag.

Tony Gee (Acorn Angling) snatched second place with 3.9.0 of perch, roach, gudgeon and a small barbel on pole and maggot, followed by Mick Baston with 2.12.0 of perch.

Kidlington’s Henry Clarke Cup was fished by 15 on a very busy Oxford Canal at Grovelands, Gary Pether emerging the winner with a 10.9.0 net of chub up to 4lb, plus perch on worm over chop.

Switching between caster and pinkie, Dave Scott-Picton weighed in a net of roach for 6.7.0, while Alan Middleton was third with 4.15.0 of chub and perch on worm.

Points after 11 matches: J Bean 75, T Lester 65, H Clarke 58, D Britnell 40.