Eastleigh and District Angling Club, having a fabulous year with victories in the Reelcare Cup and the Toyota Clubman Challenge, have now hit the front in the Hants, Wilts and Dorset Winter League.
They did it with a solid performance in second place in the second round of the league on the Kennet and Avon Canal at Marlborough.
After the first round on Eastleigh's still waters, the Pewsey and District newcomers to the league looked the team to beat in this year's contest but they suffered a disaster on the canal, slumping to sixth place on a venue they should have coped with better.
Todber Manor, who won the same fixture last year, won the day with 80 section points out of 100 from Eastleigh, with 70 points, reigning champions Pewsey Avon Angling, third with 61 points, and Dorset Raiders, fourth with 57.
Others: TVAC 56, Pewsey & District 55, Andover 47, Christchurch 46, Downton 33, Ringwood 26.
After finishing second in the first two rounds, Eastleigh now lead the league with four penalty points from Todber with five points and Pewsey Avon Angling with six. Pewsey and District drop back into fourth with seven points.
Others: Dorset Raiders 9, TVAC and Christchurch 14, Andover, Downton and Ringwood 17.
Individually, Barry Clark (Pewsey & District) benefited from a foul-hooked carp that weighed 16lb 8oz plus just over 5lb of bits to win easily with 21lb 15oz off pole and squat.
Nick King (Dorset Raiders), who finished second in the first round, had to settle for runner-up spot again with 8lb 13oz of dace, roach and perch on pole and squat.
Richie Randall (Todber Manor) was third with 7lb 4oz with Steve Pomery (Pewsey Avon Angling) fourth with 6lb 11oz.
Others: M Harvey (Pewsey Avon Angling) 5lb 11oz, S Hunt (Eastleigh) 5lb 4oz. Section winners A R Randall (Todber Manor) 7lb 40z, B M Harvey (Pewsey Avon Angling) 5lb 11oz, C C Carbis (TVAC) 1lb 50z, D N King (Dorset Raiders) 8lb 12oz, E S Hunt (Eastleigh) 5lb 4oz, F J Hiller (Andover) 4lb 6oz, G M Blake (Pewsey and District) 4lb 12oz, H B Dukes (Todber Manor) 3lb 14oz, J D Higgins (Eastleigh) 4lb 14oz, K B Clark (Pewsey and District) 21lb 5oz.
The next round takes place on The Dorset Stour a week on Sunday at Gains Cross, which has produced some unpredictable results in the past.
Hansfords Match Group swept to their second consecutive victory in The Avon Valleys Winter League on the Main Lake and Match Lake at Broadlands by the narrowest of margins, getting the better of Alans Marine by 58 points to 57.
Farnham were right behind in third with 55 points.
Others: Farnborough 50, Twyford 50, Godalming 47, Portsmouth 43, MBK 42, FTMC 34.
Individually, Steve Limburn (Hansfords) took six bream and six carp on the pole and corn on the pole from the match lake for 39lb 8oz to win comfortably from Simon Hunter (Farnham) with 26lb 6oz of carp, also from the match lake, with Merv Chadd (Alans Marine) third with 25lb 5oz of carp from the match lake. Others I Moore (MBK) 25lb 2oz, M Long (Portsmouth) 24lb 7oz, N Boniface (GTMC) 20lb 11oz. Hansfords' Dave Croucher topped the weights on the main lake with 16lb 2oz of skimmers and bream on the feeder.
Cormorants Neil Tappin just missed out on qualifying for The Skol British Championships 12-peg final at Whiteacres by just one point. Tappin finished just one point outside the qualifying places after a tremendous run of section results.
Tappins run continued when he won the Cormorants Club match at Witherington Farm with 17 carp for 41lb 4oz on the pole and cat food from peg 14 on Sellwoods.
Dave Sharp finished second with ten carp for 39lb 7oz from Sellwoods with Cormorants Team Sillybaits Steve Rochester third with 28lb 2oz of carp on the method feeder from Cottage Lake.
Others: S Hambidge (Cormorants Team Sillybait) 24lb 8oz, G Wright (Cormorants) 21lb 6oz.
The Greenridge Farm Open saw Poingdestres' Pete Newman out on his own after taking 36lb 8oz of small carp on the pole and worm from Canal Two to win comfortably from Eastleigh's Mick Marsh with 28lb 4oz, also from Canal Two. Eastleigh match secretary Dave Self was third with 18lb 2oz from Canal One.
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