BOLTON Anglers Association held their Coronation Cup on the Bridgewater Canal at Dane Road and the recent spell of good weather helped to get the skimmers interested and provide some decent sport. John Pimlott in permanent peg 285 was kept busy catching throughout the five hours, to return the winning weight of 13lbs-4ozs-7drs. Craig Higson also had skimmers on the pole with squat and finished second with 6lbs-1ozs-4drs. Third place went to John Clayton who caught his skimmers on bread for 4lbs-13ozs-0drs. Steve Milward tried a choped worm approach and finished fourth with 3lbs-11ozs-0drs. Little Lever Angling Club took the team prize with a combined weight of 17lbs-15ozs-4drs.

A GOOD turn out of 30 anglers compeated in the 'Standard Scaffolding Cup Open' but while a lot of good fish were lost the canal was not at top form. Ian Holbrook of Bolton Permits Club fished bloodworm on the pole on peg nine and caught bream and small silver fish for the evenings best weight of 4lbs-12ozs-12drs. Unattached angler, Alan Turner was on peg 19 and had a single fish but this was good enough too take second place when a 3lb-0ozs-0drs bream was tempted to his waggler fished caster.

Geoff Terry senior of Little Lever Anglers had small skimmers and roach on pole fished bloodworm and casters from peg 24 and finished third with 2lbs-11ozs-12drs. Team BAS 2000 angler Save Williams was fourth with small fish for 2lbs-2ozs-12drs. The bonus peg was not won and £68 is carried foreward into next week.

THE sun shone on Gary Powell when he took last weeks Macey's Wednesday Open on Bradshaw Hall Fisheries number 4 lake. The Swinton Gold member fished the 12 metre pole with soft hooker pellets from peg 27 and his all carp bag made the weighers earn their money with an enormous weight of 123lbs-10ozs. Fishermans Way angler, Alan Sharman was only one fish away from the magic ton himself with a second placed weight of 97lbs-12ozs. Third was Mick Mulligan of Van Den Eyne Crown with 86lbs-14ozs. Others:- 4th. Lee Addy (Swinton Gold) 78lbs-10ozs, 5th. Stuart Rogers (Bolton) 73lbs-0ozs, 6th. Jack Holland (Macey's Aces) 72lbs-14ozs.

HISTORY repeated itself four days later for Alan Sharman, when once again he was just one fish short of breaking the ton barrier on Bradshaw Hall Fisheries lake number 4. This time he did go a place better to win the latest round of The Preston Innovations/Cats and Dogs Bonanza. Fishing peg 39 the Fishermans Way angler baited his pole with soft hook pellets to weigh his all carp catch at 97lbs-8ozs. Others:- 2nd. Mark Webb (Trevs of Wilmslow) 59lbs-4ozs., 3rd. Paul Bottomly (R Millington) 53lbs-8ozs., 4th. Ian Blakeley (Octoplus Saints) 48lbs-4ozs., 5th. Mark Fielding (Unattached) 46lbs-12ozs., 6th. Bruce Clarke (Tricast Calder) 44lbs-0ozs.

A BRIGHT and warm day at the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook was the background for Patricroft ROF Angling Club's latest match but all the conditions did was to turn the resident breams attention to other business rather than feeding.

The match was reduced to 'bit bashing' , and then only when the heavy boat traffic would permit. 1st. Cliff Barber 4lbs-9ozs-14drs., 2nd. Jack Dobson 4lbs-4ozs-11drs., 3rd. Ian Ford (Guest) 3lbs-11ozs-4drs., 5th. Mick Mulligan (Guest) 2lbs-13ozs-15drs., 6th. Paul Horrobin (Guest) 2lbs-9ozs-6drs.

Shore Top AC Paul Wood Memorial - 1st. Simon Stott 8lbs-0ozs, small silver fish caught on pole with red maggot. 2nd. Jimmy Thornley 7lbs-9ozs a 1lbs-8ozs carp plus 7 skimmers caught on the tip with pinkie. 3rd. Gordon Corfield 2lbs-15ozs 4skimmers plus bits caught on the tip with red maggot. 4th. John Turton 2lbs-7ozs., 5th. Trvor Bevin 2lbs-5ozs., 6th. Frank Smalley 2lbs-4ozs.

Bolton Anglers Sunday Open Fishermans Retreat Ramsbottom- 1st. S. Radcliffe 9lbs-13ozs pole with red maggot. 2nd. E. Swindells 8lbs-4ozs pole maggot and chopped worm 3rd. Don Tyldesley 8lbs-3ozs. Section winners 'A' Tony Birchall 4lbs-13ozs., 'B' S. Taylor 7lbs-11ozs.

Good Companions Bridgewater Canal Dane Road - 1st. Lawrence Clayton 3lbs-14ozs-0drs, roach and skimmers caught on pole with bread. 2nd. Kenny Price 3lbs-10ozs-7drs, small bream caught on tip with caster. 3rd. Geoff Terry senior 3lbs-6ozs-4drs, roach and skimmers caught on pole with bread and caster. 4th. Ray Shorrocks 3lbs-1ozs-0drs, skimmers and perch caught on pole with caster, maggot and squat. 5th. Jim Smith 3lbs-0ozs-6drs, roach caught on waggler with caster and worm. Next match on Lancaster Canal in June.