DESPITE extremely windy conditions on Sunday at Hampton Springs, Port anglers were very successful in the open match.

Gary Tolley, Lenny Bolton and Rob Denny took the second, third and fourth places respectively in a close contest.

Tolley bagged a mixture of carp, tench and skimmers weighing 35lbs on peg 32 of Long Island with pellet.

Most of Tolley’s fish came in the last hour-and-a-half of the match to stave off the challenge of Childer Thornton’s Bolton on the adjacent peg 30.

Bolton finished just short with a similar bag of fish weighing 33lbs 14oz caught again on pellet.

Half a dozen carp taken to corn provided the Port’s Rob Denny with 31lbs exactly for fourth spot from peg eight of Rock Pool.

Only Manchester-based Colin Mayer could do better as he bagged 46lbs 8oz from peg 18 of Long Island to seal victory.

Members of Rivacre AC really struggled in what turned out to be dangerous conditions among trees in high winds on the River Dane.

Only two members caught on the Davenham stretch of a swollen Dane.

Harry Gittins of Ellesmere Port did well to take 5lbs 4oz of chub weighing up to 1lb 8oz on maggot on the tip for the win.

The only other angler not to have a dry net was Billy Gore with 1lb 2oz of small dace and gudgeon that also fell to maggot fished on the tip.