Edwards king of the chub club after working wonders on Wye

WELSH International Lee Edwards, from Caerphilly, won the prestigious Wye Championship for the second time when he caught 71lb 9oz of chub on waggler and maggots from a peg on the Bartonsham section of the river downstream of the road bridge in Hereford.

Another previous winner Mike Bradley was runner up with 61lb 6oz while reigning Riverfest Champion Paul Bick was third with 50lb 2oz.

Andrew Murphy, from Ebbw Vale, was the next highest placed South Wales angler in thirteenth place with 25lb 10oz.

Although the top weights were impressive, the match was disappointing for most and Dennis O’Leary, the Ebbw Vale angler who has already won the title twice, was among the 55 out of the 140 anglers taking part failed to weigh in.

There was a dead heat in the Tuesday silver fish open at Tri-Nant Fishery when Cardiff competitors Bob Mitchell and Jim Palmer both put 10lb of roach on the scales. Third place went to Phil Hunt, from Porthcawl, with 9lb 1oz.

The Wednesday open at Redhill was pegged on Penny’s Pond and won by Alan Davies, from Trealaw, with 52lb 4oz of carp caught on pole and pellets. Arron Williams’s 48lb 2oz of carp was second best and just two ounces too good for Adrian Davies in third place.

Bill Gronow, from Cwmbran, made it two wins in a row in the Wednesday matches for the over 50s at Cefn Mably Lakes when he legered pellets and caught 65lb of carp.

Tonypandy angler Doug Hornblow finished second with 61lb; Glamorgan AC member Mick Fraser was third with 54lb and Phil Hunt took the silver fish pool with 12lb 8oz of roach and bream.

Veteran’s National Champion Phil Weaver was a clear winner of the Saturday open at Mathern Mill when he baited with casters and hooked carp into double figures to end with a weight of 110lb.

Runner up Norman Sterry weighed in 63lb 2oz and the 33lb 10oz of bream, chub and roach included also gave him the silver fish pool.

Third place went to Andy Fuller with 60lb of carp. Weaver was also unbeatable the next day in the Sirhowy AS match on Penny’s Pond at Redhill.

His winning 80lb 12oz included 56lb of roach and bream all caught on maggots pole fished a few yards out.

Carp caught on legered pellets made up the second best weight of 75lb 14oz taken by Tredegar angler David Evans and that was also how Ian Driscoll, from Newport, caught the 68lb 1oz of carp that put him in third place.

Philip Jones, from Fochriw, kept up his good run with Aberglais AC when the club held a match at Staunton Court near Gloucester.

He drew a peg on the grass bank and pole fished maggots close in to catch 106lb 9oz of carp.

Merthyr members took the rest of the prize money. Frank Davies’s 90lb 4oz of carp was second best; Paddy Payne was third with 89lb 1oz and Gary Lewis fourth with 82lb 2oz.

One barbel that fell for a piece of luncheon meat and turned the scales to 8lb 11oz won the Rhymney AS match on the River Wye at Boughrood for Carl Morgan. He was at the downstream peg on the deep glide while next up was Lloyd Davies who was runner up with two chub weighing 6lb 2oz and on the top peg was third placed Colin Whitehead with a 3lb 10oz chub.

The Sunday open at White Springs was on the Match Lake and won by