Persistence pays off for Sam on the Ouse

FACED with a racing river big fish man Sam Willis came within an ace of walking away from the Ouse.

But instead he settled on a slightly less flooded swim and give it his best shot.

And what a call that turned out to be...though it hardly seemed like it when he lost his first fish in a snag on a Newport length.

Fearing he was in for a miserable blank, but reluctant to quit, he persevered and ended up landing three barbel – TWO of them doubles at 10-1 and 12-9.

Not bad on the upper river where, for most, one barbel is a cause for real celebration!

Reflecting on the turn of events, he said: "I nearly walked away when I turned up and saw how bad the river really was, but what an evening it turned out to be."

Gary Teer had a low double when 'going-local' for a morning after a planned Trent trip fell through.

MAVER MK (Matchgroup) hit the ground running in the Angling Trust winter league opener at Castle Ashby, joint top on points but third on a count-back.

NEWPORT pits carp provided a real Oktoberfest for Mike Winning. With levels falling he had eight fish up to 29-4 – a leather which was a new PB. He said: "It will be a while before I have a session like that again."

Fishing Mount Farm Chris Hamilton had two 27s – a mirror and a common. Gary Weeks had a 21-8 on Furzton and Jake Taylor an 18lb PB from Tear Drops.

CHUB-stalkers Mark Fisher and Ben Francis have been getting nice fish from the Ouse – one around Wolverton and the other at Olney.

AS the floods subsided Chris Odoni and his young son mounted their own fish-rescue, 'bandy-net' style, flipping stranded tiddlers back from footpath pools. Great job lads.

MK Vets, Canons Ashby: John Robison 16-1, Martin Cunniffe 12-2, Rob Gibson 11-15.

NENE/Towcester, canal Bugbrooke (mainly perch): Rob Pottinger 10-3, Bas Eaton 5-14, Bob Eales 4-15.

MK 'golden peg', Stony Main: Don King 9-5, Mark Hayne 7-7, Bob Gale 6-6 – next one Oct. 25, 01234 713144.

TOWCESTER Vets, canal, Heyford: Les Goodridge 8-1, Les Ramsden 6-5, Paul Minney 5-2-8.

CALVERT, Itter's Pit: John (still-on-a-roll) Robison 5-10, John Weatherall 2-9, Bruce Harvey/Barry Witteridge both 2-4.