Huge prize on offer for anglers

And there is a qualifier here in Milton Keynes on September 24 – though the final a month later is a little further away on the Staffs & Worcester canal at Wolverhampton.

With 15 qualifiers across Britain including ones in Wales, Scotland and even Ireland, the potential is there for a £15,000 prize fund in a sell-out series

Outside MK the next nearest 50 peg heat in the Angling Trust and Canal River Trust-run series is on the Aylesbury Arm, July 30.

Last year’s inaugural series saw more than 600 anglers taking part across England, but such has been the interest that this year’s has been expanded to take in the rest of Britain.

To book, or find out more, call 0115 9061301 or visit www.anglingtrust.net

>> In the here and now, Osprey travelled out to Pidley Lake and found the carp in feeding mood as Tony McGregor won with 134lb, way ahead of Ian Millin on 78lb and Ed Blane 68lb.

>> Cooped up in hospital for weeks, Martin Tilley couldn’t wait to get back on the city’s banks. And when he did he had a screaming run from the 17-8 mirror pictured. Paul Merton had a similar sized Furzton common.

>> Bradwell Lake has been flooded out a lot of late, but John Lewis AC’s Pete Seidler (reporting through Willards) hit on a couple of fishable spells to bag-up on roach to 1-3 while tench and bream anglers struggled.

>> It was all roach and perch in Towcester’s Wappenham Water match as George Cooke netted 11-8, Mick Goodridge 9lb and John Balhatchett 8-13. The latter had already won the club vets’ midweek on the canal at Heyford with 7lb followed by Chris Howard 4-8 and Graham Martin 2-2.

>> MK’s golden peg do found DATS’ Cosgrove cut in slow form. Paul Chapman won with 3lb, Colin Chart had a 2-3 perch and Steve Wright 0-7-8.

>> The Vets had done little better there midweek as Martin Cunniffe caught 2-12, Pete Whatley 1-13 and Austin Maddock 1-8.

>> Fixtures: April 17, Mill Pond, Husborne Crawley open, 07854 649279; May 1 John Harvey Memorial open Black Horse Pit, 07748 505024 evenings only; May 13-15, Carpin for Heroes charity series Linford Lakes, contact Great Linford Tackle 01908 690969.