FISHING: ROD N' REEL'S Mike Flanaghan has reached the Fishermania final and has a chance of scooping the £25,000 jackpot after finishing first in last week's qualifier on the River Trent, Nottingham.

A catch of 9400 grams of hybrids and skimmers put him through.

The Willaston AC match squad made a promising start to Sunday's opening match in the Crewe & District Summer League on the Shropshire Union canal at Wardle.

The team finished sixth out of 14 teams with top points earners, Jamie Hughes with 5-0-2 of bream and bits, Tony Churchill with a mixed 3-11-2 and Phill Cross on 1-6-12.

Rivacre AC's trip to the Meadowland Fishery at Coventry on Saturday was rewarded with good weights as Ian Lloyd took all carp to sweet-corn for 58-8-0, Jason Connah had 56-8-0 of carp and Dougie Walsh took 35-0-0 of the same.

The good weights led Rivacre to arrange an impromptu match at the same venue on the next day with Ian Lloyd again on top with 73-8-0, Pete Walsh had 42-8-0 of carp and Steve Rochelle took 21-8-0 of carp.

Guy Silvester took top spot in Caldy AS's match on the Shropshire Union canal at Calveley with a catch of skim-mers and bits for 5-14-0 while Paul Robinson had 5-4-0, including a 2-8-0 bream, and Brian Fogg took a bream-based 3-1-0.

Brian Wadsworth took first place in the Ellesmere Port British Legion AC match on the Home Farm Fishery at Alsager with a catch of carp weighing 15-0-0, including a 5-0-0 koi.

Tom Hardy was up front in the Neston Match Anglers contest on the Badgers Rake Fishery as he took a 10-4-0 roach and perch mix to edge out Billy Mason with 6-10-0 and Ted Evans on 6-2-0.

Gary Davies was top rod when the Phoenix SAC fished out of Amlych in Anglesey, landing 7-0-0 of cord while John Sherlock had a 6-0-0 cod and James Middleton took a 5-0-0 cod.

A brace of carp weighing 12-0-0 gave Geoff Selby the bulk of his winning 20-8-0 in last Wednesday's match on Lobol AC's Priory pool.

Harry McWha had a mixed 17-8-0 while Ian Courtney had a 7-1-0 roach and tench mix.

In the club's Sunday match on the Long Island pool at Hampton Springs Fishery, Damian Wilcocks took 32-4-0 of carp and tench, Kevin Cooke had similar for 26-4-0 and Harry McWha took a mixed 24-2-0.

Rob Denny of the Censas match squad was up front in Sunday's open match on the Hampton Springs Fishery, taking carp, barbel and crucians for 84-10-0 on the rock pool.

Ellesmere Port members scooped the honours in Sunday's Manley AC match on the Manley Springs Fishery with Mark Davies taking small carp to 9-11-0, Peter Cooper bagging 5-8-0 of carp and John Bristow, 3-10-0.

Dave Burkes of Ellesmere Port struck lucky last week on the Burton Mere Fishery, taking four carp between 15-0-0 and 20-0 to a halibut boilie.

Meanwhile, Lee Kennedy, also of Ellesmere Port, lured a 19-5-0 common carp to a sauce boilie.

Willaston AC are holding an open match on Sunday on the Shropshire Union at Tatten-hall, drawing at the Golden Nook at 8.30am with entry £10. There is a ban on blood-worm and joker and to book your place call Phil Cross on 0151 513 2473.