Lambert's perch leads the way

But Alan Lambert did much better than that in Olney's Ouse match: netting five perch for 12-11 – an absolutely stunning catch featuring a 2-13, two at 2-12 and a brace of low 2s!

Second spot went to Neale Shearn with a single perch – a 3-2 cracker – as Mike Farey made third with a 2-5 perch. The rest had little to show for their efforts.

And – in what must rapidly be becoming the worst winter fishing spell so far this century – results were generally worse upstream.

On Stony Main Towcester and Nene's joint match saw Baz Eaton with five perch for 7-12 as Les Goodridge had two and a 4-6 chub for 7-6 with Andy Law on 6-8 of perch. The others shared not a lot.

FIVE lads having an exploratory 'match-style' session on Long Meadow were all drynetted.

BUT the cold-weather malaise wasn't just around MK. Local lad Lee Jones' trip to Ferry Meadows, near Peterborough, ended with him being the only one to catch...and winning with a three ounce roach!

His five minutes of fame and a pools payout apart, that fish gave him a ticket to next month's £12,000 Golden Rod Final. Can he get that lucky then, too?

ON the Ouzel, earlier in the week, Arthur Terrill came good, again, with a 4-5 chub.

DESPITE the weather Lodge is still producing with Alex Buey and Mike Bailley sharing seven carp to 20lb and Andy Warren getting a 15.

CALVERT's sweep on the Ouse at Buckingham went to Austin Maddock 6-2 – Tony Richardson 2-13, Dave Lewis 0-12. Maddock had already won MK Vets' Toombes midweeker with 3-3. Ernie Sattler 2-8, Dave Cantrell 2-4.

PIKERS Mark Grace and Anthony Gunn, reporting through Water's Edge, shared eight to 10lb from Black Horse.

VISIT Canal & River Trust's website (enjoy waterways, angling history, section) for former Leicester Likely Lad John Essex's tale about 'Maggot King' bait breeder Arthur Bryant, born near Buckingham in 1879.

A farm-worker turned entrepreneur he ended up exporting to Europe in the 1920s, won the 1936 'All-England' (national) on the 'Broads – collecting the modern-day equivalent of £170,000 from the bookies – and even pioneered use of maggot-pit 'fumes' as a treatment for tuberculosis!

FIXTURES: Sat., Newport AGM, see club card; Sun., MKAA individual league 01234 713144; Tues, Olney Ouse open and, Feb 24, charity open, 01234240061 for either.