CLUB secretary Chris Ballard took one of the biggest weights recorded when he won the first Droitwich Spa AC river contest on the Avon at Twyning.

An excellent turnout of 25 anglers expected a difficult day when they found the river low and clear which made the winning catch of 94lb 2oz 0dr all the more amazing.

Using an open-end feeder with groundbait and maggot on his peg 19 Ballard was into his first bream after half-an-hour.

He went on to net 30 good samples during the day and if not for half-a-dozen lost fish the club ace would have broken the magic ton barrier comfortably.

Runner-up prize went to veteran Pete Chance who was on the adjacent peg 20 where he used the same approach to net eight bream and post a weight of 22-2.

There was a big drop to third-placed Alf Hand who on peg four took a dozen skimmers on a small feeder going 6-0 to beat Birmingham’s Bryan Jarvis whose one bream and two skimmers came from peg 14 and weighed 4-12.

Section winners were Kev Downton, Nigel Davis, Richard Blight, Tony Hamilton and Jamie Smith.

Swan AC were further up the Avon at Fladbury where Dennis Yeomans took pole position from the peg above the bridge with 16-4 of chub, skimmers and small barbel to a stick float and maggot combination.

Nick Vaughan came second with a late run of skimmers on pole and groundbait going 9-0.

Rich Brewer put a brace of feeder-taken bream onto the scales for a third-placed 8-0 while in fourth came Paul Coley weighing in a float-caught 5-9 of small chub.

The next Swan contest is on the canal at Shernal Green on July 2.

Richard Oliver continued his domination of all Whitehall contests when he won at Fishponds with a peg five catch of silvers going 11-10 to pole-fished maggot.

Martin Sharpe was second with 10-8 from peg 10 beating Liam Purser who took 9-6 to the scales which included a fine tench of 6-2.

Section prizes went to Jason Swinford, Len Merrill, Colin Davis and Steve Hope while the silver fish winner was Rob Page.

Leigh Sinton Fisheries held their Thursday evening open on the Badgers Brook pool where Dan Sydall (Whitehall) used a method feeder to come out on top with an all-carp net going 11-2.

Second went to Liam Purser (Whitehall) a with two-carp weight of 10-8, Neil Angel (Malvern) took an all-silvers net of 7-4 for third with Colin Hope’s fourth-placed catch of 3-8 being all small roach.

There will be another evening open on Thursday with draw at 5.30pm.

For more details contact Colin Hope on 07968 735046.

Worcester and District United Anglers Association Thursday Open, Birmingham and Worcester Canal: 1 Mick Sampson (Worcester) 16-8, 2 Les Sanders (Worcester) 16-6, 3 N.Turner (Black Country) 9-1, 4 and Section B: Rob Francis (Worcester) 6-11-8, 5 Jerry Bartlett (Kidderminster) 6-8, 6 and Section A: Paul Turner (Black Country) 5-11, Section C: Paul Wilson (Kidderminster) 5-4-8.

Next canal open contest on Thursday, draw 9am on Perdiswell Leisure Centre car park.

Woodland View, Saturday, Ghost pool: 1 T Guise & C Bradley 106-0, 3 P Edmonds 88-4; Sunday afternoon, Deans pool: 1 M Taylor 214-8, 2 A Pollard 198-12, 3 A Perkins 158-8.

Moorlands Farm, Weekend Ultimate League final, Saturday am: 1 G Reynolds 185-15, 2 E Mills 178-2; Saturday pm: 1 C Hill 125-0, 2 M Watson 109-15; Sunday final: 1 D Williams 178-2, 2 J Bagley 165-12; overall points: 1 G Reynolds 3, 2 C Hill 5, 3 A Morrison 6.