ANGLING: THE Northwich Mini League season started on Sunday and the talk is of those that got away, writes JOHN STUBBS.

The competition began with 12 teams, a third fewer than last year, which might again be explained by the increasing preference of anglers for fisheries' sport.

Yet the first fixture returned some good weights, mainly from the River Weaver's town-centre pegs.

Hamlett (Dave's of Middlewich) took the spoils when he put 29-10-0 worth of skim-mers on worm and maggot.

Anthony King (Lymm) used pole and caster for 28-7-0 to run Hamlett close, with Terry Kettle (Rudheath SC) third with 25-8-0 of bream and skimmers.

Support from Hamlett's teammates was enough to make Dave's tops with 40-7-0, followed by Lymm 38-5-0, Edgeley Sports 33-12-00 and Rudheath SC 27-13-0.

Grange anglers were first and third in Sunday's Winsford Winter League fixture. Steve Walton and Steve Flood were split by runner-up Ian Shaw (Narlows).

Walton fished peg 200 for 19-3-0, Shaw had 12-9-0 from 189 on the Red Lion stretch and Flood returned 12-3-0.

Section winners were Jimmy Young (Grange) with just 4oz on the National length, Alex Walton (Meadow Bank) 5oz and Pete Boughey (Meadow Bank) 6-6-0.

Colin Abbott took the Winsford Veterans' match with a cracking net of roach weighing at 19-0-0 from Marina peg 194, leaving Russ Bebbington 9-4-0 and Ernie Ayers 8-12-0 trailing but still second and third.

Section winners included Ian Shaw 6-9-0, Kevin Ashurst 5-13-0 and Brian Sproston and Alex Walton 5-9-0.

Geoff Stannier (Dave's) won the Winsford Open with 14-2-0 worth of roach to 1lb, with Ernie Ayers kept busy by small fish for a second placed 10-13-0, Eric Taylor third with 9-3-0 and Lionel Sheen 7-15-0.

With one match remaining Steve Walker moved into a challenging position in Barnton-Frodsham AC's Scott's Shield on the Weaver at Newbridge on Sunday.

Walker took 3-14-4 of pole fished roach and skimmers to beat Alan Forster 3-12-6 and Steve Furfie 3-6-0.

Overall: John Warburton 112pts, Walker 102, Phil Hawkins 84.

Midweek, Heesom's Pool: Furfie 2-4-2, Arthur Kenney 1-13-2, Paul Lowe 1-9-10.

Meadow Bank's Dave's of Middlewich sweepstake resulted: Graham Massey 6-9-0, Barry Stevens 5-7-8 , Alex Walton 5-5-8 and Steve Lakin 5-0-0.

Weaver Matches Winsford: Today and next Wednesday - Open, draw Marina 9.30am; Sunday - Wharton Cons, Rilshaw Lane; Grove Park, Marina & Red Lion; Northwich: Saturday -Mini-League, 1-50, Crescent & Weir Street; Tuesday - Winsford Vets, Marina & Red Lion.