THE RDAA annual Christmas Open match was held at Froxfield on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Twenty-nine anglers were booked in and the total match weight was 113lbs 15ozs at an average weight of 4lbs 3ozs per angler.

The match was won by RDAA general secretary and TRBLAS representative Alan Hughes, who fished the second peg above Lock 69 on the 'wides' section.

He banked bream to 3lbs and skimmer bream fishing pole tactics, feeding groundbait and pinkie, with pinkie on the hook, to record a weight of 11lbs 15ozs.

Mick Fairey of Reading Fishing Club was second, fishing the first peg below Lock 69 on the A section.

Fairey also banked skimmer bream and bit, fishing a combination of whip and groundbait feeder tactics and casting up towards the lock, feeding groundbait and pinkie, with red maggot and worm on the hook, to record a weight of 11lbs 14ozs.

Third place was shared between Dave Bosher (Reading Fishing Club) and Paul Leek (Pangbourne & Whitchurch A.C.) who both retuned 7lbs 9ozs.

Section weights: A section (Wides and Top of Short Pound) – 59lbs 11ozs; B section (Bottom of Short Pound and Turning Bay) – 26lbs 2ozs; C section (Road Bridge to Broken Bridge) – 29lbs 1oz.

The January 2020 Association match was held also at Froxfield, where 47 anglers competed.

The total match weight was 182bs 3ozs at an average weight of 4lbs 1oz per angler.

The top three teams were TRBLAS with 43lbs 3ozs, Reading Fishing Club with 38lbs 14ozs and Courage with 24lbs 13ozs.

The match was won by Andy Chapman of TRBLAS. Fishing two pegs above Lock 69 on Froxfield A ('Wides') section, he banked skimmer bream to 3lbs along with perch and fishing pole tactics, feeding groundbait and pinkie, with red maggot and worm on the hook he recorded an overall weight of 16lbs.

Mick Donohoe of Kennet Ospreys was second, fishing in the middle of the Turning Bay on Froxfield A Section.

Donohoe banked skimmer bream to 1lb fishing waggler tactics, feeding groundbait and caster, with red maggot on the hook to record a weight of 15lbs 2ozs.

Tony Claridge of Courage was third.

Fishing the 'Gate' peg on Froxfield A ('Wides') section, he banked skimmer bream to 1lb fishing groundbait feeder tactics, feeding groundbait and pinkie, with red maggot and worm on the hook to record a weight of 12lbs 5ozs.

Reading Fishing Club head the Club Championship with 171lbs 3ozs and in second spot are TRBLAS with 153lbs 4ozs.

Terry Littlewood leads the weights table with 52lbs 6ozs and following him is Donohoe with 24lbs 11ozs.

The points table is headed by Donohoe with 44points and tying in second place are Phil Allen and Littlewood on 42 each.

The last match in this series is the February one.

Martin Earl's total of 17lbs 10ozs was enough for him to win the Angling Trust British Pike Championship Qualifiers held on Farnham Flint and Englefield Lagoon.

His best fish weighed 10lbs 4ozs, while Rob Ellis came second with 16lbs 10ozs (best fish 8lbs 10ozs).

Jason Newman came third with a solitary catch weighing 12lbs10ozs.