Thatchers claim league trophy

The sixth round of the Sensas Commercial House League was fished on the Kennet & Avon Canal at Claverton and Limpley Stoke. It was heavily coloured and overcast but fished fairly well with 22 angles catching over 5lbs.

Michael Withey of Sensas Nomads won the match from Claverton upstream of Ferry Lane. He caught roach on bread at the start and when a boat went through he had a look on the inside and started catching skimmers and bream up to 3lbs for the rest of the match on maggot, pinkie or castors over groundbait and finished with 32lbs 12oz.

Jerry Pocock (Midland Spinner) was second with 13lbs 11oz downstream of Ferry Lane. He fished bread on the inside and caught some skimmers before failing to catch much in the final hour with double pinkie over the bread line, which produced skimmers and hybrids up to 2lbs.

Darren Gillman of Mosella Bathampton A was third with 11lbs 14ozs. He was on an end peg at Limpley Stoke and caught 1lb 8oz of roach at the start on bread before switching to groundbait at 9m where he caught decent roach on red maggot. Ben Matthews (Mosella Bathampton B) was fourth with 11lbs 8oz, ahead of Mark Harper (Preston Innovations Thatchers) with 9lbs 10oz and Mark Williams (Sensas Nomads) with 7lbs 12.5oz.

Preston Innovations Thatchers took Division A on the day to comfortably win the league overall. Mosella Bathampton B were second, which saved them from relegation to the B Division. One point separated the B Division on the day with M&N Electrical and Midland Spinner tying, giving M&N Electrical a one-point lead to win the division.

Paul Isaacs won the individual series with 34 points, three better than Rob Mann who beat Nicky Johns with a higher weight.

Isaacs also caught the biggest fish of the season, a bream weighing 6lbs 14oz.