DROITWICH ace Chris Ballard beat a good turn-out in the Barley Mow AC contest on the canal at Whitford Bridge by nearly doubling his nearest rival’s weight.

Despite heavy boat traffic, Ballard, drawn just below the bridge, used maggot and bread punch to take a mixed bag of perch, hybrids and gudgeon along with a few roach for 7lb 6oz 12dr.

Ken Legge was runner-up with a mixed bag of 3-12-6 and Steve Robson’s 3-6-6 beat former national angler Mick Salcumbe’s 3-0 into third spot. Section prizes went to Dennis Evans, Mal Galliers and Rob Reece.

Rob Francis and Chris Senter won the WDUAA Winter Pairs League second round on the canal at Blackpole and Perdiswell with three points ahead of Matt Hodgetts and Paul Wilson on five.

Venue expert Mick Samson put 10-13 of chub to 3lb along with perch on worm and caster from peg 38 above the brambles for the individual victory.

Senter secured second with 7-1-8 from the end peg 47 at Perdiswell with a big bream, small chub and perch on caster to beat Wilson’s third-placed 5-4 from peg 37.

After two rounds, Hodgetts and Wilson lead the league on 14 points with Samson and Rich Brewer equal second with Francis and Senter on 15.

The next round is on Sunday.

Despite adverse conditions, two Upton AA contests on the Severn produced tight finishes.

Local ace Colin Harvey tamed a downstream wind and rising river best to top the Wednesday contest with a 3lb chub along with roach net on waggler and maggot from peg 28 going 12-14.

Second on peg 25 came Dave Huggins with a bolo-taken roach weight of 10-12, while third from fancied peg 20 was Alf Hand’s stick float-caught roach net of 9-4.

The Sunday contest saw Sensas-backed Shaun Gould beat the strong east wind on peg 22 and net big roach on the bolo to win with 10-6. Hand came second with a late run of roach from peg 11 weighing 9-12, narrowly beating Harvey’s peg 18 catch of 9-2.

The Top Two team of Terry and Justin King, Trevor Smith and Bob Patrick won the Whitehall invitation contest at Hawford Bridge Fishery with 57 points.

Runners-up were Evesham Youth with 50 followed by The Thursday’s on 44.

Individual honours went to Terry King, who put an all-carp net together going 168-8.

Second came Derrick Silk with 161-4 and third Mark Newitt with 145-12. Pool winners were Patrick, Justin King, Liam Dennick, Chris Harrison, Rob Swain and Ken Turner.

Woodland View, Saturday Deans pool: 1 A Pollard 89-8, 2 A Kent 81-12, 3 P Bishop 49-10; Sunday, Arles pool: 1 A Stone 72-0, 2 P Bishop 58-6, 3 T Whitcher 52-0.

Moorlands Farm, Saturday open: 1 N Groves 94-14, 2 R Kings 88-6, 3 I Wood 82-14; Sunday open: 1 P Rice 82-4, 2 C Hill 68-3, 3 M Watson 56-13.

There will be an open contest on the Droitwich canal on Sunday with an 8.30am draw and fishing from 10am until 3pm.

More details are available from Gary Smith on 07856 850859.