MALC PEPPERELL qualified for the big money September final with a polished performance in the fifth round of The Nigel Turner/Thomsons Financial Planning Sunday Series on Lord Romsey's prolific Longbridge Lakes.

Despite all the fish starting to think about spawning weights were still superb with only three anglers failing to take 20lb to the scales and 40lb needed for a top-ten finish.

Drawn on unfancied peg seven, Pepperell fished a combination of worm, band and pellet on the pole to catch steadily throughout and finish with 60lb 13oz of mixed carp, tench and skimmers to book his final place in the first year he has managed to get a place in the series.

Poingdestres' Dave Pool topped a string of big weights from the canal with 54lb 12oz of carp taken on the paste and waggler from peg 38 which shaded Salisbury's Paul Barnard who took 54lb 7oz of carp on the pole and pellet up in the water from peg 39 with Chris Burgess fourth with a 52lb haul of carp on the pole from peg 35.

Others: P Stride (Cormorants) 50lb 12oz, D Sharp 47lb 8oz, D Hambidge (Cormorants) 47lb 5oz.

In the other qualifier on the match lake at Broadlands, Paul Shepherd cruised into the final with an all-carp bag of 52lb 1oz, consisting of fish to 6lb taken on the pole and corn from peg six.

Graham Tappenden (Homestores Sensas) fished pole and caster for 36lb of carp to 4lb on peg 12 and Christchurch angler Geoff Charman was third with 35lb 4oz of carp from peg 20.

Others: Paul Sears (Homestores Sensas) 31lb 3oz, R Kajko (Cormorants) 29lb, I Brittain (Bournemouth Lodge) 28lb 7oz. Points to date: G Charman 79, C Albiston 75, R Kajko 73, G Tappenden 71, M Illingworth 67.

Saturday's Greenridge Farm Open saw Paul White (Eastleigh) take the spoils from Canal One with 34lb 2oz of pole-fished bits and small carp to get the better of Poingdestres skipper Clive Egerton, who weighed in 28lb 8oz of carp from Canal Three.

The Witherington Farm three-day festival saw victory go to in-form angler Paul Barnard, who scored 38 out of 39 points to shade Martin Rogers, with 37 points. Brian Shutler was third with 36 points with Speed Andrews finishing fourth on 33.

Fishing got better and better as the festival went on, Malc Pepperell winning day one on Barnmore with 70lb 12oz from Andy Browne with 66lb 6oz.

On the second day, Salisbury's Shaun Gumbleton took the honours with 104lb 6oz of carp from Barnmore to get the better of Cormorants Steve Rochester, with 82lb 12oz of carp from Cottage Lake.

On the final day Brian Shutler shattered the match record on Barnmore with a massive 196lb 6oz of carp to 10lb taken on the pole and cat meat from Barnmore.

The Toyota midweek open on Stoneham Top Lake saw victory go to Davis Tackle's Mickey Maidment, who took 37lb 14oz from peg 85 on waggler and maggot . His catch included a brace of carp weighing 7lb 10oz and 12lb 9oz.

Homestores Select's Ray Hayward finished second with 35lb 6oz, consisting of a 10lb 10oz carp plus bream on waggler and pellet up in the water. Mick Marsh finished third with 25lb 1oz with Harry Salkeld fourth with 20lb 12oz.

Others: D Jones 13lb 14oz, P Sears 13lb 8oz.

The Evening Open on the Bottom Lake at Stoneham went to Marshall Rolfe Team Toyota all-rounder Dave Higgins, who took 31lb 8oz of skimmers and tench on pole and paste from peg 11. Hansfords' Chalkie White finished second with 24lb 12oz of tench on pole and corn from peg one.

Rich Allen finished third with 24lb 6oz of skimmers and tench.

Others: D Self (Eastleigh) 17lb 7oz, G Naylor (Toyota) 16lb 12oz, M Marsh (Eastleigh) 14lb 13oz.