CANAL record holder John Moloney returned to his favourite type of fishing to win the rearranged Swan AC contest above Blackpole bridge.

With the match transferred from a flooded Mythe pool, Moloney tackled peg 11 on the canal with maggot bait offered over groundbait and caster.

He took three good skimmers along with a few big rudd together tipping the scales at a match-winning 5lb 13oz 1dr total.

Richard Brewer again had to settle for second when, despite being about to pack up after four hours on end peg six, he netted the first of a brace of bream with the worm-caught fish giving him 4-8-3.

On the next peg five came third-placed Alan Baldwin who took 3-3 of roach and skimmers.

Section winners were Mike Higginbotham and Keith Hunt.

The next Swan AC contest is on April 22 on the high wall section at Stoke Works.

The planned WDUAA canal spring league will now be open contests with the first on Sunday on the Blanquettes section. Contact Keith Hunt on 07918 106533 for more details.

Pete Bryant won the second round of the Court Farm Spring League with a peg 20 mixed bag on pole and maggot going 37-9.

Runner-up was Dave Warren with 35-0 from peg five and in third place came Mike Spragg with 26-10 to beat Matt Barnes’ fourth-placed 24-2.

The league after two rounds sees Barnes top with 21 points followed by Kevin Morris with 20 and Bill Hartland on 19.

Barley Mow AC found the canal at Oddingley difficult with winner Dave Lowe needing just 2-10-2 of punch fish to take the verdict.

Second went to Colin Davis with 2-2-6 and third was Alan Hanson’s 1-11-8 weight.

Section prizes went to Pete Chance, Will Priddy and Mick Sparkes.

Woodland View, Saturday, Arles pool: 1 A Buchanan 59-0, 2 D Jarman 45-3, 3 K Slade 35-0; Sunday High & Deans pools: 1 P Sibley 77-2, 2 P Taylor 71-4, 3 M Taylor 69-7.

Moorlands Farm, Tuesday Costcutter open: 1 M Watson 89-8, 2 D Kruckow 59-8; Saturday open: 1 N Groves 76-11, 2 M Lefevre 73-13, 3 M Henshall 58-0; Sunday open: 1 A Jackson 150-4, 2 M Watson 98-0, 3 N Groves 67-7.