WELL- travelled Worcester matchman John Maloney made the long journey back from Cornwall worth- while by winning the first round of the prestigious Phoenix Individual League.

Although the Severn at Pitchcroft and Paynes Meadow was running about two feet up prospects looked good, but an hour into the match the river started to rise rapidly making conditions very difficult.

Drawn at the downstream end of Paynes on peg 8 Maloney started on a "topper" float and bronze maggot, taking two pounds of roach early on before an inspired change of tactics led to the Worcester Match Group angler netting around two hundred bleak in the final hours of the match.

Maloney's winning weight of 8-10-0 completes an excellent week for the ex Phoenix star which saw him take first and second places in consecutive matches at the WhiteAcres fishery.

Close behind in second, also from Paynes Meadow, was in from Mark Newman (WMG). Using his favoured swimfeeder approach, Newman presented red maggot along with groundbait on peg 6 to take one good bream along with several skimmers and a few roach for a 8-2-0 total. The local expert was unfortunate to loose a match winning pike early, having forgot his landing net!

Third place went to last years league runner up Kevin Wright (Old Mill AC) who after drawing the much fancied "Boards" peg at Pitchcroft took a level eight pounds of chub and roach on a topper before conditions forced him to loose to loose touch with the shoal.

Fourth was Mike Towler Harvey (Upton) weighing 4-7-0.

Section winners and therefore league leaders after one round are: Tim Biddle, Alf Hand, Kevin Wright, Dave Wright and John Maloney.

The next round is on November 18.

BARBOURNE AC

Barbourne Angling Club's final match of the year was held on the prolific Greenhills fishery at Grimley, where Chris Carter stole the show with an excellent 58-1-0 of carp, caught using a waggler float cast to the island along with maggot bait.

Second with another good carp net, taken this time on the pole, was Paul Bosworth weighing 31-1-0. Just behind in third came club star Pete Hughes with 30-1-0 and fourth, Neil Adams weight of 26-13-0.

WINTER LEAGUE

Worcester and District held the second round of their Winter League on the notoriously difficult section of the canal at Perdiswell.

With weights tempered by gale force winds and heavy rain, the match did however produce an exceptionally close finish between next peg competitors, Colin Jew and Anthony Primaverina.

Pegged at the top of Blackpole on peg 2, Primaverina used an unusual approach of three red maggots on a size fourteen hook tied to .014 diameter in the hope of capturing one of the venues noted big carp. Instead the young matchman netted three big roach! Which along with two perch gave him a long awaited victory for his weight of 2-7-9.

Phoenix angler Colin Jew on the next peg adopted more normal canal tactics, but after a fruitless first two hours he too changed to a big bait fished across to the sedges and was immediately rewarded with a good bream.

After adding a few skimmers and roach to his net the canal expert was left just an agonising two drams short weighing in 2-7-9.

Third went to local character Ashley Platt (WMG) with the top weight from a wind lashed Perdiswell section of 2-1-4.

Platt's catch of two good perch and a few bits came from peg 52 using pinkie bait, and fourth was venue regular Alan Baldwin (Pheonix) with a level two pounds of perch taken early in the match before bankside disturbance moved the shoal.

Teams on the day saw both Worcester Match Group outfits take top honours with the B team first on 11points and the A team second scoring 15, Rexel were third with 22.

After two rounds WMG A have 29 pts, WMG B are second with 37 and Phoenix third on 42.

BAA JUNIOR OPEN

Local lads took all the leading places on the BAA junior open fished on the Birmingham to Worcester canal at Hanbury Wharf.

First was Ian Wood with a perch and eel catch of 2-6-0 taken on worm, his biggest eel was a fine 1lbs 3oz specimen, second came team mate Craig Bennett with 1-2-0 of roach and gudgeon and third Andy Collins similar catch, taken on pinkie weighing 1-0-0.

MOORLANDS FARM

Saturday Winter League (second round): 1, D Jordan 63-12-0; 2, I. Whitehouse 59-3-0; 3,W. Mellings 59-0-0.

Teams: 1, Fosters Gold & Foster Elite 55pts; 3, Shakespeare.

League: 1, Shakespeare 30pts; 2, Fosters Elite 29pts; 3, Foster Tipton 28pts.

Sunday Open: 1, D. Barlow 87-6-0; 2, D. Elliot 80-10-0; 3, D. Hill 79-8-0; 4, C. Hill 72-4-0

Last week's cancelled River Wye Champ-ionships will now be held on Sunday, November 26. Ticket holders who require a refund should contact Woody's Angling Centre on 01432-344644 before November 20.