Angling update

DAVE Brierley must have been well pleased with first place in the Bradshaw open.

He boasted a cracking 27lb of roach and skimmers on the long pole and maggot at various depths.

And Brierley made it a win double in the Wednesday match on the same venue.

He had another silverfish catch — he tipped the scales at 29lb 10oz — which was way too good for second-placed Steve Hall, who also attracted silverfish on maggot.

STEVE Wild tore the rest of the field apart in the Cranberry AC match on Blundells Fisheries’ Oak Pool.

He had an 11lb mixed net on long pole, caster and maggot for first place.

Jim Wild, who was some way adrift in second place, returned a sliver fish net of 3lb 12oz on long and short pole with caster, maggot and pellet.

Third-best Tony Lees returned a level 2lb on maggot, and he was followed by Derek Hudson’s pinkie and maggot tempted bag of 1lb 12oz.

I ENJOY my day trips on the canals in the North West.

The Rochdale, Huddersfield and Macclesfield canals are among my favourites.

Albert Morris, a good friend of Brierley’s, has organised matches for as long as I can remember.

He tends to switch events from canal to canal so as to not overfish any particular stretch and it has proved a successful recipe as weights are usually good.

Morris arranged a match on the High Lane length of the Macclesfield Canal and, despite freezing conditions, weights were good.

Graham Howe took top honours when he weighed in 4lb 13oz of skimmers, roach and perch on bread punch and caster across.

Tameside rod Eon Wilson was second with another silverfish net of 4lb 3oz 8drams on bread punch.

Ashton angler Brian Meadows had a 4lb 2oz net for third place. He enticed a 2lb bream and some roach and perch on caster and bread.

NEXT year’s Freshwater World Championships will take place on one of Holland’s many canals.

The Dutch organisers are keeping the venue close to their chest, but one thing is for sure, bream and roach will be the main targets.

Some of my family originate from Holland and I have visited the country several times.

I’ve always enjoyed exceptional fishing, with bream and roach, which make up the majority of species, falling for long pole and tip methods.

Although they are called canals, they are in fact huge deep waterways which are used y ocean-going barges

When I last fished in Holland, a wash from one of these barges measured about three feet, I kid you not!

Although taking a back seat to England, Italy and France in recent years, I still count Holland as one of the favourite destinations for canal fishing — and I haven’t met a shy Dutchman yet!.