IT was Steve Gray all the way for the second time in two weeks when he won the latest Jolly Anglers' club match on the BMH.
The nine members who took part found bream rolling in a couple of swims, but overall it proved hard work.
Gray was on groundbait feeder with maggot and had seven bream up to 6.6.0 for a top weight of 35.0.0.
Phil Ansell struggled until the last 45 minutes of the match when everything came together, and in those dying minutes he landed nine bream on feeder and maggot for a second-placed 28.4.0.
With four decent chub on maggot-feeder, Bill Davies was third with 15.8.0, while fourth-placed Frank Butler caught one chub, a cracker going 5.5.0.
Littlemore fished an Open at Lower Court, where the wind caused havoc with presentation before dying down.
Matt Ryman (Predator) had a good last hour, with a late burst of carp taken on maggot winning the match with 42.14.0.
John Davies (Littlemore) was on the next peg and also came from nowhere to finish second thanks to a mad last hour. He had carp and skimmers all falling to maggot, ending up with 37.9.0.
With 36.6.0, Derek Hammond (Banbury Gunsmiths Garbolino) finished third, having caught skimmers and the odd carp consistently all day.
There was a fair turn-out of 12 members, plus a guest, for Yarnton's latest trip to Boddington.
They were up on the dam wall and it was very hard. No matter what tactics were used, they could not get the carp going.
At the weigh-in, Nick Collier emerged the victor with 31.0.0 using the method and boilies.
Martin Becket weighed in 25.10.0 on the method and dead red maggots, followed by Predator's Tony Wright, who changed to the method with about an hour and a half left and had three fish worth 20.8.0.
With just one match to go, it's still all to play for with only two points separating the top four anglers, and 22lb separating the top three on weight.
Kinloch's P Woodley Winter League kicked off at Ridgeway where 22 matchmen took part.
Witney's Dean Bowerman took 15 carp on the chop fished down the edge for a winning 21.0.0, while Bob Webb alternated between maggot and corn and took second place with a net of carp worth 15.10.0.
He edged out Graham Wilsdon with 14.9.0 on maggot.
The Oxford Canal at the Rock of Gibraltar was the venue for Kidlington's Paul Jackman Cup fished by ten anglers.
You needed to be on the marina to stand any chance and the first three all came from there.
Feeding pellet and fishing either pellet or worm, Jason Bean had a good net of skimmers up to 2lb which went 18.11.0 for first place.
Also getting among the skimmers was Jeff Chandler, who weighed in 9.3.0, followed by Terry Lester with 8.1.0 of yet more skimmers.
Points after 11 matches: H Clarke 75, T Lester 74, J Bean 72, A Middleton 65.
There was a good turn-out of 24 for Mason's Teams of Three match on Medley, although the Thames fished poorly.
I was told it was "clear, full of boats and no fish", and in fact 18 anglers did not get a bite.
Pegged on the fallen tree, Alan Smith found three bream on groundbait feeder and maggot in the last half hour for a winning 14.10.0.
Three chublets on maggot-feeder from sandy point gave Mick Warner second with 1.6.0, followed by Dave Pether with a perch of 1.5.0.
Match organiser Tony Gee took the honours in his own Acorn Angling Open fished by 15 on the Thames at Carmel College.
The river was very clear and had very little flow, which added up to hard work.
Gee fished the maggot-feeder and banked two chub for 7.13.0, but this weight could have been doubled or even trebled if he had not lost two carp and four chub.
Some little dace, chublets and roach on maggot gave Neil Grant second spot with 5.5.0, while Matt Micallef (Acorn Angling) used the pole and punch to extract some small roach and chublets for 4.10.0 and third.
The Thames was also in dire mood for Beehive AC's match at Radley, with eight blanks recorded from the 15 fishing.
A storm at the start set the scene for the five hours of pain.
Barry Morgan sat biteless for four hours and then had two fish, a 2lb perch and a 5.7.0 bream to feeder and worm for first place.
Andy Crabb managed three bites for 5.3.0, comprising one bream and two perch, followed by Chris Dingle with a bream of 3.8.0.
Abingdon Town AC were on Culham Cut for the first match in their Winter Cup series and the 13 anglers found it gin-clear.
Perch at least put in an appearance and Bob Gosbee found 6.8.0 of them on pole and chop for victory.
Malcolm Vigor had three perch for a second-placed 4.9.0, followed by Trevor Martin (Didcot Angling Centre) with 4.4.0 of perch.
Only five anglers bothered to weigh in.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article