MALVERN Anglers gathered on the banks of the Severn for their Newtown Shield match on the first match of the new river season.

Dull, cloudy weather conditions with a touch of colour in the river suggested prospects were good.

It was a good day for a few lucky anglers who found bream feeding in their pegs.

Leading the way in the last downstream peg of the water, river fishing specialist Dennis Flanagan tempted several bream to 5lb and smaller skimmer beam with swim feeder and maggots bait for a winning 34lb 5oz.

A few pegs upstream, Chris Loveridge used similar tactics to net another bag of bream weighing 23-11 for second.

Halfway between the two, Richard Webster also found a few to weigh in 16-9 including the best specimen bream of the day of 6-9.

In an unfancied peg by the car park, Ian Goddard performed well for 15-4.

Graham Rees managed 5-13, Pete Roberts 4-1, Frank Edwards 1-10, Dick Oakley 1-0, Steve Warren 0-15 and Martin Elston 0-12.