MICK Samson won his second Swan AC contest in a row at Hawbridge fisheries.

Samson's success fuelled rumours the devout canal ace might be turning into something of a carp specialist.

After drawing peg one on the bottom pool, Samson offered worm and corn at just four metres to net carp to 6lb in his winning 46lb 8oz total.

Another towpath star, Colin Davis, came second when, despite losing hefty specimens, he netted fish to double figures from peg seven on worm and corn for 34-15.

Making a rare appearance in the frame was Len Merrill, who used corn to good effect on peg four and recorded 28-8 to beat Rod Guise who lost no less than four good fish on his way to 27-12.

It has been a while since Keith Eggerton has won a Halfway AC match but he beat difficult conditions to win his club's latest encounter on Church Farm pool.

With the water level over the landing stages due to recent heavy rain, Eggerton's decision to use maggot bait proved to be correct.

He took a mainly silver fish net along with a solitary 5lb carp from peg 22 for 19-10.

Runner-up from peg 26 was Ron Pitts, who used a pellet and pole approach at seven metres to net 13-6 of skimmers.

Third-placed Harry Taylor took just two carp on macaroni cheese from peg one for 12-0, beating club star Keith Deaner whose 11-12 came from peg 17 on maggot bait.

Lee Griffiths improved on last week's second place by winning the Barbourne AC match at Willow Marsh in convincing style.

Tackling his peg on the Sandpiper pool with meat and corn, Griffiths recorded an excellent weight of 96-2 of carp from the margins.

Neil Adams took the second prize, thanks to another all-carp net, which fell to worm and corn, going 46-15.

Pete Hughes secured third from his peg next to the winner when he took 41-2 to the scales. Fourth was carp man Craig Davis with 25-12 of his favourite species.

The club's next trip is to Elmbridge fishery on Sunday.

Evesham's Jubilee Fishery match pool hosted the latest round of Portobello contests where small F1 carp made up all the leading weights. Stuart Tibbetts stole the show when he offered sweetcorn at 16 metres across to the island in order to weigh in a winning 32-12.

Runner-up was Lol Jameson with a meat and corn net going 25-10.

The ever-present Pete Coldrick came third when he took 25-8 to the scales.

Fourth was southern exile Ron Eagle who, acting on his previous week's experience, used paste bait to record 19-8.

The top junior was Lewis Baker, weighing 11-14.

The next Portobello contest is on Hill View fishery this weekend.

Members of Electro Drives AC watched Ken Kerr net carp to 8lb all day from peg eight on the Plough pool at Broadheath.

Using pellet shallow, Kerr took an excellent winning 67-8 to the scales.

R Parsons was second, thanks to a carp and eel net going 29-4 from peg 10.

Mark Hill fished at five metres in order to weigh in a third-placed 14-0, which included one 10lb fish, and fourth was Keith Hollioke with 13-1.

Moorlands Farm Friday Open: R Skjurer 175-0, N Groves 149-10, A Jones 123-8; Saturday Open: M Guest 98-4, M Tooze 74-10, M Leferve 69-7; Sunday Open: T Parker 85-14, M Tooze 67-13, M Watson 65-9.

Heavy rain has affected water temperatures with carp coming mainly to sweetcorn offered either into the margins or in the deeper water.

If conditions improve however, fish should respond to the pellet and paste combination.