THE big story this week is the closure of British Waterways' premier carp fishery, Earlswood Engine Lake, following a major mysterious fish death. This follows a statement last week from BW boss Keith Fisher that only a small number of fish, around 150, had died due to stress. What codswollop!

I have seen these fish alive and dead, and they are covered in sores and fungus, which is amazing as each fish was injected against disease before they were introduced in the autumn of 1999. Last year gave mammoth catches including a new national five hour match record.

With a price hike from £5 to £7 for a day ticket due from the beginning of June, it's no wonder the number of fatalities was put on the low side. This will most definitely be putting anglers off fishing the venue, and one of the saddest things to come out of this episode is the Angling Times VDE Supercup Regional Final on Saturday June 2 will now be cut down from six a side to three, and will be held on the Windmill Lake where bream will be the target fish. All the clubs that have qualified for this six man event now have the headache of picking just three to fish for their side then, in the final in July, six team members! Who would be a team captain! Watch this space for the outcome and, more to the point, how British Waterways sort out the Earlswood Carp Lake problem.

On Tuesday the Starlets Veterans were back at Moorlands Farm's Meadow Pool for their latest encounter, and Stan James (Bewdley) was the winner by pole fishing double red maggots up in the water at peg 55 for 46-7-0 of carp. Brian Hill (Stourport) followed with 44-3-0, and Ken Giles (Alvechurch) took third spot with 33-6-0.

At Woodlands View the Affordable Open was held on Deans Pool with Wayne Knott (Spartans) taking a top catch 73-1-0 by pole fishing corn up in the water at peg 52. Second John Drew (Baitbox) 65-7-0, third Charlie Smith (Woodlands) 61-7-0.

Arles Pool was the scene for Wednesday's Woodlands View open, with Black Country matchman Tim Guise (Preston Innovations) just missing the ton with 97-12-0, pole fishing worm and casters from peg ten. Paul Downes (MAP Starlets) fished same style for 68-14-0, third Alan Burton (Fisherman's Friend) 62-12-0.

The Starlets Veterans moved to Broadacres on Thursday and a very close contest was headed by John Osman (Northfield) who pole fished corn on the lake bed for 23-3-0 of carp. Second place went to club secretary Mick Taylor (Northfield) with 22-8-0, third Ken Hall (Northfield) 21-8-0.

Woodlands View's Arles Pool open was topped by Neville Groves (Woodlands) with a pole, corn and meat catch of 75-12-0 from peg 18. Second Mark Bradford (Cradley Heath Labour) 44-7-0, third Bill Drew (Starlets Veterans) 41-1-0.

The Friday afternoon open was held on Arles and Deans Pools with Chris Whitehouse (Spartans) taking the winners purse with a 66-3-0 take with pole, corn and meat from Deans peg 60. Second Pete Ricketts (New Willenhall) 61-10-0, third Steve Juliff (Vikings) 59-7-0.

At Earlswood, the Saturday Windmill open was won by Steve Brown (CSM) with a ten bream catch of 29-12-0 taken with groundbait feeder with worm hookbait from peg nine. Tony Delves (Ovation Leisure) took second place, also with ten bream, for a 26-3-0 catch from Causeway peg 61, third Dave Ford (DGL) 22-0-0.

At Lower Broadheath the Pairs Challenge event was fished on the Willow Pool with Richard Brewer and John Malloney putting together a joint catch of 65-10-0 for victory. Richard was top individual with 39-15-0 by pole fishing corn and meat at peg 23. Ollie Sparkes (Castle) took second place with 34-15-0, third Alan Bartlam (Barford) 29-2-0.

Tony Holmes (Slapheads) continued his good run at Woodlands View by taking the venue's biggest catch of the week 122-9-0 with pole, worm and caters from Deans Pool peg six. Tim Guise (Preston Innovations) took the only other ton up catch of 104-15-0 from close by peg four, third Rob Gandley (Shakespeare) 90-4-0.

The Troutmasters KO, which is sponsored by Trout Fisherman magazine, saw Brian Stuart from Solihull win his way through to the final at Rutland Water in July by winning the Silligrove Qualifier with nine Rainbows, the best at four pounds taken on dry fly. Trevor Bransford from Kidderminster had eight fish, with Kingswinford's Joe Woodhouse banking six fish. Bill Barley from Stourbridge had an eight pounds Rainbow on a viva fly.

On Sunday the Mallards of Bewdley Open was fished on the Staffs-Worcs Canal at Greensforge which was won by Ian Hingley (GTI Midlands Match) with pole, hemp and roach catch of 13-12-0 from close to the marina. Second Chris Greenwood (DC Lifestyle) 7-2-0, third Andy Wilson (Shimano Portway) 6-14-0.

A £600 purse went to Andy Robinson (Moorlands) after drawing golden peg four on the Meadow Pool at Moorlands Farm and taking a winning 71-1-0 from the margins with corn and meat. Second Dereck Hopkins (Needles AC) 46-2-0, third Ian Lockley (Strike) 40-5-0.

The evening open was won by John Mottershead (Trentside) with a pole, worm and caster catch of 76-4-0 from Meadow Pool peg 22. Second Keith Fryatt (Ripon) 66-5-0, third Mick Henshaw (Fosters MG) 61-9-0.

Tony Holmes (Slapheads) rounded off a good week by taking a triple victory at the Woodlands View open with a pole, corn and caster catch of 92-13-0 from Deans Pool peg 64. Runner up Mike Smith (Slapheads) had 59-8-0, third Chris Mayor (Keenets NW) 59-6-0.

The evening event was held on Arles and Deans Pools with Paul White (Fisherman's Way) in first place with a pole, corn and meat catch of 81-0-0 from Deans peg five. Second Rob Guppy (Thatchman Angling) 74-13-0, third Daz Shaw (Sensas Garbolino) 70-3-0.