ANGLING: VICTORY just eluded the Fishermen's Tackle team in the final match of the Heronbrook Fishery Spring League.

They shared first place and had to settle for the runners-up spot in the league, six points behind the leaders, to collect a prize of £430.

Top weighers were Phil Henry with 37-8-0 of carp, Steve Carrier 36-8-0 and Colin Cooke 29lbs.

Rod 'N' Reel were fourth and finished the league in seventh place. Their leaders were Carl Fletcher with 48-8-0 of carp, Lee Saville 26-8-0 and John Woodrow 20lbs.

Top of the three Chester Tackle Locker teams competing was the 1664 team, finishing 11th on the day and 12th overall. Top was Les Picken, who was fifth individual with 47lbs of carp, backed up by Dave Griffiths with 17-8-0 and Shaun Sandham with 8-12-0.

The Sidekicks team finished 17th and 15th overall through Alan Spencer's 25lbs of carp, Danny McLoughlan with 21-4-0 and Adrian Paddock 14-8-0.

Brian Saunders cruised home in the Manley AC match at the Manley back pool with 12-4-0 of carp, crucians, roach and perch, well ahead of John Bristow's 4lbs of perch and roach and Barry Higgins's 3-14-0 of tench and perch.

Chester Police Flyfishers cast their lines at Dearnford Hall trout fishery at Whitchurch, where Dave Hughes won the four-fish contest with 7-13-14, ahead of Jim Fryer 7-1-8 and Graham German 7-1-0. Top fish was a 6-2-6 rainbow taken by guest Dave Huxley.

Ray Iball ended the Tarvin Sands AC match in first place with a carp-based 24-6-0, ahead of Shaun Sandham's 23-4-0 mixture and Mark Greasley's 22-8-0 of carp.

Brian Williams took the honours in the Salt -ney Social AC match at the Cheshire Fishery at Tattenhall with 5-14-0 of roach. Dean Postles was next with 5-8-0 of carp and roach with Andy Williams third, taking 4-8-0 of roach.

The Lloyd's Meadow Fishery open match went to Bert Roberts with 83-8-0 of carp up to 4lbs. John Woodrow had 55lbs of carp and Shaun Sandham took 39-6-0.

Phil Cross led the field at the end of the Willaston AC match on the SU Canal at Waverton with a skimmers-based 1-15-7. Peter Cooke had 1-13-8 and James Hughes 1-8-4.

FISHERIES NEWS Meadow: Mark Rothwell fished a montana to take a 5-6-0 rainbow and Bill Jones, of Ellesmere Port, coaxed a 3lbs rainbow to a buzzer.

Burton Mere: Ellick Peters, of Chester, lured 300lbs of carp from the beech pool; Craig Jones, of Neston, lifted a 24lbs catfish and a 15-8-0 common carp to a boilie; brother Gary lured a 16-8-0 mirror carp to a sauce boilie; John Carr, of Parkgate, tempted a 21lbs catfish and a 16lbs leather carp to a sauce boilie; and Tom Carr, of Parkgate, bagged a 26-6-0 catfish to a similar bait.

Grove: Twelve-year-old Jason Williams, of Ellesmere Port, lured a 14lbs mirror carp and a 13lbs common carp to halibut pellet; 14-year-old Ryan Broster, of Ellesmere Port, coaxed mirrors of 14lbs, 9lbs, 5lbs and 4lbs and a 4lbs grass carp to double halibut pellet, and brother Daniel, 16, tempted an 18-4-0 common carp to luncheon meat.

Tree Tops: Michael Ennion, of Chester, fished a yellow fritz on the dipper's pool to take a 31-14-0 rainbow.

Cheshire: Dan Wilkinson, of Chester, netted 70lbs of carp up to 5lbs to luncheon meat or pellet, and John Woodrow, Chester, bagged 55lbs of carp to soft-hook pellet in a three-hour session.

Forest Hill: Wirral's Ryan Martin tempted a 3-10-0 rainbow to a blackbird's fancy.

Dearnford Hall: John Cassidy, of Ellesmere Port, coaxed the top fish of the week, a 12-1-0 rainbow to a crunchet, and Steven Hughes, of Saighton, fished a hare's ear shuttlecock CDC emerger to take a 7-11-0 brownie.

Llandegla: Eric Lowther, of Wirral, lured a 10-12-0 rainbow to a cat's whisker.

Lake Hill: Fred Dutton, of Chester, landed the top fish of the week, an 8-12-0 rainbow, to a worm.