TALENTED towpath ace Rob Francis won the Worcester and District United Anglers’ Association Winter League’s penultimate round.

The Alan’s Tackle competitor took one chub along with smaller samples on worm offered across the canal.

He then targeted the centre channel of peg 45, adding a few roach and hybrids to give him an unbeatable total of 10lbs 13oz.

Runner-up was Phoenix’s Alan Baldwin with an all-perch weight of 5-6-12 on caster and worm from peg 41 at Perdiswell.

Third was Bill Biddle, a team-mate of the winner, whose 4-5 net came from a peg on the Blanquettes section.

Top team on the day were Alan’s Tackle with 12 points ahead of Barnards Green (13) and Greenman (14).

The league after five rounds puts Alan’s Tackle narrowly in front with 80 points in front of Barnards Green (81) and Swan Gold (86).

With the River Avon fining down, catches on the latest Eckington club contest were good.

Like all the leading contenders, winner Bharat Patel used an open-end feeder and groundbait set-up on peg four, near the famous stump, to put half-a-dozen bream onto the scales going 29-4.

Runner-up from the adjacent peg five was Dean Barlow, who took one fish less for his 20-8 total.

Third place went to Brett Young with three bream and a few skimmers from peg 10 going 18-10.

Fourth was Dave Wallace’s peg 19 skimmer and roach net of 9-13.

Derek Stephens (Brewers) won the second Whitehall silver fish contest of the winter with around 70 tiny roach of 6-2 taken on maggot from peg four.

Mick Watling (Whitehall) came second on peg 19 where, despite hooking carp, he managed to put 4-8 of roach and skimmers onto the scales.

He beat club owner Mike Hope’s 3-4 from peg one with Adrian Hebberts (Electrodrives) taking the final fourth prize with 3-0.

Richard Webster held off the challenge of Dave Wilkes to win the second of Malvern Anglers’ winter league matches at Fishponds, Colwall.

He managed 11-9 with Wilkes recording 11-0, Ian Goddard registering 9-12 and Dave Whittaker catching 8-5.

Woodland View, Tuesday Deans pool: 1 J Mayatt 54-5, 2 J Stone 51-4, 3 P Bishop 49-5; Saturday, Deans pool: 1 R Edmunds 55-0, 2 D Jordan 49-0, 3 G Kirkham 42-0; Sunday winter league third round: 1 P Bishop 75-4, 2 C Hopps 64-14, 3 P Edmonds 62-12.

Moorlands Farm, Saturday winter pairs: 1 C Pace 75-0, 2 N Groves 73-11; pairs: 1 N Groves/L Richards, 2 M Watson/C Pace; Sunday open: 1 W Mellings 104-9, 2 P Little 85-3, 3 M Henshall 59-9.