VETERAN campaigner Ivor Ballard’s 5-6-0 catch more than doubled the weight of his nearest rival and easily won the latest Swan club contest on a difficult canal at Shernal Green.

Heat wave conditions significantly reduced catches but Ballard used all his experience to net a brace of good bream along with a few perch, all taken on chopped worm offered across to a far bank reed bed.

Another seasoned Worcester matchman, Bill Biddle, took the runner-up spot with just 1-15-0 of small perch, while Les Sanders was third weighing 1-14-0 of perch and roach to beat Mick Samson (1-13-0).

The next Swan contest is in two weeks on the ‘Triangle’ section of Stoke Works.

The second round of the Mid-Worcestershire cup series took place on the Ombersley pool where Rifleman’s Alan Cooper narrowly won with a weight of 12-6-0.

The hosts’ Derek Sanders took second place with 12-3-0, while third went to Rifleman’s Mike Cooper weighing 12-0-0.

Unstoppable Stuart Gormley once again took pole position on his Arbo club contest — a rod and line only affair on Leigh Sinton pool.

Offering meat on a waggler rig on peg one, Gormley took carp to 16lbs in his winning 41-12-0 catch.

Runner-up Paul Bennett weighed 32-6-0 of carp taken on the ‘wag and mag’, Lee Talley claimed third place with 25-7-0 and Tim Yapp’s 24-4-0 was fourth.

Barbourne AC found things difficult on the Jubilee pool where Paul Bosworth marked his return to club matches with a narrow victory, taking 29-2-0 of small carp, all caught on a method feeder and meat.

Derek Silk was second weighing in a meat-caught 25-8-0, Bob Griffith’s catch of 19-8-0 took third with fourth going to Nigel Hobday who, despite loosing a large carp, weighed 10-9-0.

The club visit Sion Farm this weekend.

Portobello were on the same venue and Stuart Tibbetts showed his class by taking 55-8-0 of carp and silvers to the scales, pellet and corn being the successful tactics.

Second went to Pete Coldrick with a meat-caught 20-15-0, evergreen Ivor Taylor’s 20 pounds claimed third and fourth was Gary Brixton junior weighing 17-6-0.

Tony Hawker used paste in the margins to narrowly win the Whitehall evening open contest on the club pool.

Organising club member Hawker took an all-carp bag of 20-15-0 to the scales from peg nine.

Once again the runner-up prize went to the consistent Lee Davey (Brewers AC) who fell just five ounces short when his meat-caught net from peg four tipped the scales at 20-10-0.

Whitehall star Dave Warren finished third with 15-5-0 to beat Portobello’s Derek Stephens’ mixed bag of 14-6-0 into fourth.

The series continues for another four weeks.

Woodlands View, Saturday open: M Cox 78-4, K Fix 66-8, I Wood 58-8; Sunday open: J Harvey 127-0, J Arthur 121-5, R Buxton 101-10.

Moorlands Farm, Saturday open: J Bagley 91-9, J Cooper 84-8, D Johnson 81-3; Sunday open: R Kings 103-10, R Chatwin 88-8, D Highfield 82-13.

Prospects: On stillwaters, carp are feeding freely on most baits, nearside margins being particularly good, while, on the River Severn, extra water should encourage bream and barbel to feed in earnest.