ANGLING: THREE match records were smashed this week, writes JOHN STUBBS.

Two new Meadow Bank marks were set, but the big, big news came at Winsford Bottom Flash where Weaverham-based Stuart Brown (Vale Royal Angling) weighed in 79lb 8oz of bream and skim-mers, a match record for the water. Feeder, maggot and hook bait was the winning method off peg 33 and there were enough fish in what was a feeding frenzy to satisfy everyone.

The occasion was the Crewe Carp and Match series and placed were: Mark Rigby 68-2-0, Alan Edge (Stoke) 67-2-0, Kevin Ashurst (Leigh) 65-8-0, Wayne Mason 54-14-0, Phil Murphy 46-8-0.

John Sudlow broke the Meadow Bank 3½-hour match record on Thursday with a 17-2-0 haul that included a tench and bream to 4lb. Timmy Wright 4-14-0, second, and Adrian Latham 1-4-0 were mere also-rans.

But Wright was the one celebrating on Saturday when he pulled 35-5-8 from peg 21 to set a new five-hour match record.

Brent Pierpoint was second with a 12-1-8, which would normally have been good enough to win a match.

Terry Kettle had 9-10-0 but was a winner elsewhere. He won the Rudheath Bowling Green new series opener with 36-3-0 from John Sudlow 32-7-0, Kenny Taylor 30-4-0 and Brian Hawkins 19-14-0 - good weights considering the match was fished in high winds and rain.

Kettle was a winner again at the Farmers Arms Sunday match landing 14-4-0 to the 12-4-0 pulled by both Taylor and Bill Bull.

Northwich AA Open was contested by 35 rods and won by Ian Mellor (Birkenhead) who used feeder off peg 59 to take 28-14-0 worth of skimmers, beating Rod Fraser (Team Trafford) 16-6-0, Ray Rigby (Ted Carter, Southport) 15-10-0 and John Woodrow (Rod & Reel) 12-2-0.

Sunday's Barnton-Frodsham AC Open on the Weaver at Anderton was for the John Burdett Memorial Trophy and raised £122 for St Luke's Hospice.

The River was back to its early-season good form and Peter Knight ran out the winner of this annual event with 14-7-8. Having drawn peg 49, Peter opted for groundbait feeder cast to the far bank with big maggot as hook bait, and he succeeded in landing six bream up to the 3lb mark.

Second was Ronny Durr, peg 40, with 11-10-0 consisting of three bream, plus roach tempted by maggot and pinkie presented on the pole at 10 metres. Chris Hargadon was also in the money with his all-roach net of 11-3-0 taken at four metres from peg 42.

Thorn Cup second round, Weaver, Anderton: Phil Hawkins 12-12-0, Calvin Tagg 7-2-0, Trevor Jones 6-10-0.

Wednesday series second round, Weaver, Anderton: 1 Peter Robinson 11-11-0, Arthur Kennedy 9-10-0, Barry Own 9-8-0. Juniors, early-season series, Weaver, Anderton: 8/12s Stephen Finney 0-6-0, Karl Bellis 0-4-0; 13/16s Danny Griffiths 4-5-8, Danny Ashbrook 2-5-8, Craig Lightburn 1-15-0.

Other results Northwich Sunday Open: Simon Wilkinson (Dave's of Middlewich) 25-15-0, Derek Bibby (Warrington) 12-9-0, Steve Walton (Dave's) 10-5-0, Gary Webster (Trafford) 9-14-0.

Dave's of Middlewich Sparrow Grove Series: Ian Moulton 9-8-0, Roy Young 6-9-0, Frank Tilley 6-2-0, Russ Bebbington 5-12-0.

Winsford Veterans, National: Alan Birch-all 5-8-0, Ian Shaw 5-0-0, Brian Bill 4-0-0, Ted Isherwood 3-8-0.

D Anglers, New Bridge Pool: Eric Gillett/Mike Adamson 6-6-0, John Dickens 5-10-0, Bob Foster 3-4-0.