EXPERIENCED carp pool angler Bill Drew from Bewdley has only just joined the Starlets Veterans, and he showed the rest of the members of the club that he will be a force to be reckoned with when he won their latest match on Tuesday at Moorlands Farms Bank and Moors Pools.

Bill pole fished corn at Moors peg 12 for five carp that took the scales round to 21-4-0, runner-up Harry Morris (Redditch) had 8-12-0, third Peter Taylor (Redditch) 3-12-0.

Moorlands Farms Thursday Special Open was held on the Meadow Pool with Alan Sutton (CSM) taking a top catch 22-8-0 with pole and red maggots from peg 59, second John Roberts (Droitwich) 16-12-0, third Bill Drew (Bewdley) 6-3-0.

Saturday saw the eighth round of the Moorlands Farm Winter League with 17 teams of four competing. The top individual winner was John Taylor (DC Lifestyle Red) who waggler fished corn at Moors Pool peg 14 for 62-8-0 of carp, second Joe Brennan (Fosters Tipton) 42-2-0, third Clive Munslow (TPKK) 40-10-0. Top team on the day was Fosters Tipton with 58, Fosters gold had 53, DC Lifestyle finished on 44. Overall the Shakespeare team lead with 102, Fosters Gold 100, TPKK 99.

At Woodlands View, the Silver Fish Open was topped by Ricky Teal (Preston Innovations) by pole fishing bloodworm and joker at High Pool peg 33 for 7-10-0, second Rob Gandley (Shakespeare) 6-7-0, third Tim Guise (Fisherman's Friend) 4-5-0. Sunday's Deans and High Pools Silver Fish Event saw a close result with Vince Gandley (Shakespeare) taking the verdict with a pole bloodworm and joker catch of 10-1-0 from Deans peg 12, Ricky Teal (Preston Innovations) followed his previous day's win with a second placed 9-14-0, third Nick Williams (Shrew's Bait) 9-4-0.

The second rounds of the Stratford AA Winter League found the River Avon in a fishable state after the recent floods, but it was a struggle for most anglers trying to coax bites out of the chilled water, and Division A was held at Luddington where Clayton Bagley (DC Lifestyle) link ledgered maggots at Top End peg one for a winning 8-1-8 of bream, second Paul King (Shimano Portway) 7-1-0, third Brian Hill (DC Lifestyle) 2-12-0.

Top team were Stratford AA with 21, joint second were Shimano Portway and DC with 26, with Shimano Portway and DC Lifestyle both on 23. Division C was at Manor Farm which saw joint individual winners Mark Bullivant (CSM) at peg 36 and Mal Watson (Tackle Cellar) at peg 22, both had 3-14-0, Steve Barlow (CSM) followed with 3-6-0 and Keith Butler (Ovation Leisure) had 3-1-0. CSM topped the day's points list with 27, Tackle Cellar 24, Ovation Leisure 19. Overall, Tackle Cellar lead with 48, CSM 47, Ovation Leisure 38.

The Kings Norton AS Individual Winter League Third Round at Kinwarton on the River Alne was also hard going, with the winner Jim Pedley from (Northfield) giving his new pole an airing to take a solitary 1-1-8 chub for victory with red maggot hook bait from peg 28, second John Swan 11 ounces, third Ian Rainbow ten ounces 12 drams.

The Birmingham Civil Service were on club waters on the Grand Union Canal at the Black Boy in Knowle, and it was club match secretary John Powell who showed the way by pole fishing bloodworm and joker at peg 96 for a mixed catch of 2-8-0, second Wayne Hubbard 2-2-0, third Roy Blud with 12 ounces.