THE River Avon has been fishing extremely well lately and with all our local still waters suffering from the freeze up, I thought I would take a trip to Fladbury on Tuesday and wasn't disappointed.

Angling news by TONY BRUNN

Just upstream of Jubilee Bridge is a lovely stick and waggler peg running about seven feet deep and feeding bronze maggots to the middle of river and running a stick float over them. I was soon into the roach, averaging three ounces apiece.

After a couple of hours I switched to a waggler float and that worked even better, ending my five-hour stint with 97 roach and five chub for close to 20 pounds.

It just goes to show if the river conditions are right, the fish are there to be caught.

On the match scene, the Starlets Veterans started their new year campaign on Tuesday January 8 at Moorlands Farm, spread over the bank, island, middle and moors pools to evade the ice.

Roy Dugmore (Northfield) had a convincing victory by waggler fishing pinkies at Moors Peg 14 for carp up to eight pounds in his 25-4-0 catch while runner-up John Allington (Hereford) had 10-4-0 Derek Buckle (Bewdley) in third with 9-3-0.

Ice was still a problem on Thursday for the Starlets Veterans at Woodlands Views High Pool and catches suffered accordingly with Bill Drew (Bewdley) needing just 2-14-0 of roach for first place, taken with waggler and pinkies from peg nine.

Second was Brian Hill (Stourport) 2-10-0 with Roy Dugmore (Northfield) in third place with 2-9-0.

Saturday saw round six of the Woodlands View Winter League and the seven teams of six event saw some slightly better catches.

Alistair Chisholm (Woodlands B) took the top individual honours by waggler fishing maggots at Deans Pool peg 64, taking six carp for 37-14-0.

Paul Downes (Map Starlets) followed with a bloodworm and joker mixed catch of 19-0-0 from High Pool peg six and third was Rob Grandley (Map Starlets) with 15-13-0.

Joint team winners were Preston Innovations Six and Jock Six Pack with 26 points while Woodlands B and Slapheads both had 24 points.

Overall, Jocks Six Pack lead with 127, Oxford Drennan 122 and Preston Innovations Six 120.

Lee Nutlan (Moseley A) pocketed the £2,000 Link Peg Prize at The Moorlands Farm Open with sister fishery Hallcroft and it was Bank peg 20 that did it when pole fished maggots for a mixed 18-12-0 catch.

Second place went to John Taylor (Preston) with 13-11-0 from Moors peg one and third was Andy Newton (DC Lifestyle) with 11-5-0.

Sunday's Moorlands Open produced the best result of the weekend with Mark Pincer (Lifestyle) taking a 57-8-0 carp catch, with waggler and maggots from Meadow Pool peg 54.

Runner-up Nigel Ball (Baitex) was close by on peg 56, taking a 37-0-0 catch while John Taylor finished third (Preston) with 31-4-0.

The Colebrook Open at Earlswood on the Stratford Canal was won by Derek Martin (Middy Central) with a pole fished joker catch of 3-9-7.

Second was Norman Baker (Massey Ferguson) with 3-2-0 and third was Keith Woodhead (Ovation Leisure), 2-13-12.

The Birmingham Civil Service AC were on the Grand Union Canal at Knowle for their second round individual Winter League event.

Steve Lile (Coleshill) made it two in a row with a 2-11-8 catch of roach and perch taken with pole, bloodworm and joker, just up from the Black Boy Pub at peg 62.

Catshill top rod Gary Booth was a close second with 2-10-0, third was Darran Mills with a catch of 2-3-12.

Steve Lile leads the league with a perfect two points with Gary Booth on four points.

Tony Holmes (Slapheads) won the Woodlands View Deans Pool Open with a waggler and corn catch of 35-4-0 from peg 47.

Norman Carpenter (Map Starlets) took second place with 16-6-0 and Chris Carter (Woodlands) finished third with 9-2-0.

Woodlands Views Top Pool One was the venue for Wolverhampton Club Fieryholes AC with Steve Fletcher in pole position with 45-3-0 of small carp.

Second was Keith Sheldon, 38-4-0 and third was Brian Kent 27-9-0.

At Astwood Fishery the Bluebell Pool Open was headed by Adrian Niblett (Weoley Castle) with a pole and maggot 53-3-0 carp haul from peg 15.

Paul Savings (Sheldon Heath) was second with 25-9-8 and Paul Woodfield (Boars Head) finished third on 24-7-0.