THE extremely popular Nigel Turner/AWD Wealth Management Series, which has the biggest individual payout of the year on the local circuit with £1,000 to the winner, has announced the dates and venues for the coming season.

Such is the popularity of the series that nobody out of the 60 competitors fishing last year's series have dropped out and the series now has 61 anglers to accommodate.

Organiser Graham Collins has once again secured the hugely popular Longbridge lake, Romsey, for the final but the new match lake at Orchard lakes, Bashley, will be used in the heats.

Once again, the series will consist of eight matches with each angler fishing six out of eight rounds with the winner of each heat and the top ten non-qualifiers in the points system going forward to the grand final.

Each angler's best five results from the six matches will count.

Homestores Select's Marc Illingworth won the title last year for his huge 117-14 haul and will be a top contender again, as will 2003 champion, Poingdestres skipper Clive Egerton. Other past winners Pete Newman and Ray Hayward will be among others fancied with the likes of Graham Tappenden, Chris Albiston and Steve Nadin.

Dates - March 6: Hordle; March 27: Witherington Farm (Topmoor); April 24: Hordle Lakes (Canal, Long, Willow and Bobs); May 15: Witherington (Topmoor); June 12: Orchard Lakes, Bashley; July 3: Orchard Lakes, Bashley; July 31: Witherington (Topmoor); September 4: Witherington (Topmoor); September 25 - Grand Final: Longbridge Lakes.

Entry fees of £20 for the series will be paid at the first match. Entry fees for each match will be £20.00.

The Christchurch Angling Centre's Hordle Series second round went to prolific winner Homestores Sensas Graham Tappenden, who took 13 carp to 7lb from the dam wall on Bobs Lake fishing corn in the margins.

Bob Whackerall finished second with 42lb 11oz of carp to 4lb on corn from the monk peg on tench with Steve Nadin (Wessex Angling) third with six carp, a superb 3lb 8oz perch and bits from the dam on Bobs to weigh in 38lb. Others: L Woodhouse (Carbotech) 32lb, M Dean (Bournemouth Lodge) 31lb 2oz.

Cormorants match at Orchard Lake Bashley saw a mini hurricane destroy six anglers' poles, while Poingdestres Pete Newman lost most of the contents of his tackle box that blew in the lake.

Terry Bramble, pictured, visited the winners' enclosure for the first time for a couple of seasons with a 50lb 10oz bag of small carp taken on the pole and maggot.

Poingdestres skipper Clive Egerton finished second with 36lb 7oz with Pete Ashton third with 28lb 13oz. Others: J Banks 24lb 6oz, D Rickwood 23lb 9oz, M Hills 21lb 13oz.

Witherington Farm's Open on Sellwoods Lake saw victory go to John Gray, who finished comfortably clear of his field with ten carp to 6lb on the lead and corn for 44lb 6oz. Paul Neat (Trowbridge) finished second with 34lb 4oz of carp on the feeder and corn with Pete Smith third with 21lb 6oz.

The Greenridge Farm Open went to Poindestres' Pete Newman, who took 68lb 6oz of carp to 5lb on pole and maggot from the far shelf on peg ten on Canal One to shade Greenridge man in form Mark Brown (63lb 6oz of carp from peg 15 on Canal Two). A minute's silence before the match was held for Greenridge regular Gordon Tedd, who died recently.

AROUND THE LAKES:

The Rookley Park mirror carp record on the day ticket fishery on the Isle of Wight has been shattered by Rosie at 33lb 9oz - up nearly 3lb on its previous best weight. The fish fell to Ben Bradley.

Alan Caulfield continued a good run on the venue with fish of 15lb 7oz, 17lb 12oz and 23lb 10oz.

Legendary Monks Pool on the Island produced two monsters, both over 35lb for the first time, to make it 11 different fish over 35lb. John Holton had both with Pilsbury at 35lb and Louis at 37lb 4oz.

Milton Abbas continues to produce with a string of nice carp with Totton carp ace Lee Hankins continuing his good run with a string of monsters over three night sessions. Hankins took the Long One at a new high of 32lb 6oz, a new thirty with The Peach at 30lb 7oz, plus twenties of 20lb 7oz, 22lb 9oz and 22lb 10oz.

Wellow angler Sean English ended a long carp drought with The Chocolate Leather at an all time high of 25lb 8oz, plus No Name at an all time high of 29lb 2oz.

Greenridge regular Dwayne Seed had a great afternoon pleasure session on peg 15 on Canal Two, landing 38 carp to 5lb on pole and corn for an estimated 100lb plus haul.

At Longbridge, Dave Godwin of Harefield fished peg 41 on waggler and maggot for a superb 80lb-plus mixed bag.

Pike continue to show at Broadlands Lake with Ben Watts of Southampton taking three of 18lb 2oz, 16lb 4oz and 12lb 8oz - and not dad Chris Brown as reported last week.