A flurry of matches for members of Petworth & Bognor Angling Club kicked off with the two-leg Moss Cup.
The first leg was held on the Rother at Fittleworth, which, despite the river looking ideal, failed to produce the expected result with newcomer Richard Leduc winning with 2lb 4oz.
A week later at Shopham Bridge, things started to improve with t
he chub showing in most swims.
The winner with 4lb 12oz was Steve Speller. Leduc was second with 4lb 5oz and Vince Herringshaw, fishing opposite the feeder swim, third with 4lb.
The final match at Coutershaw was to determine the winner between Leduc and Speller, who were level on points.
But Steve Simmonds went on to win the match, weighing in with 6lb 7oz in hot conditions.
Simmonds, with the others, fished the tench pond and a variety of roach, rudd, perch and crucian carp, all on the whip, gave him a close win over Herringshaw with 6lb 6oz, with Keith Hughes third with 3lb 15oz.
The Millard Cup first leg at the two-pond Bethwins venue took place in kind weather conditions.
The bottom pond failed to produce the carp that could be spotted but Rab Butler had a decent perch and won with 5lb 10oz.
Kevin Leighfield had 2lb 12oz with Herringshaw third with 1lb 6oz, but the top pond was much better as carp and tench were caught and Simmonds, fishing three metres on the whip, used chopped worm and maggot as feeder and also had perch, going on to win with 17lb 6oz.
Hughes was runner-up (10lb 7oz) and Dick Shrub managed a tench and a
couple of perch and was third with 10oz.
Leisure anglers are finding brivers and ponds in need of some serious rainfall. The weather during the day has kept the fish off the feed, but in the cooler evenings they tend to start feeding.
All stretches of the Rother, and in particular Fittleworth, are prime
examples with good evening catches of dace, roach and chub, while barbel have been caught not only from Coultershaw but other stretches of the Rother.
John Wilson hooked but sadly lost what he was certain was a large barbel at Fittleworth, and two smaller barbel were caught at the lower end of Coates, close to where it joins the mill at Fittleworth.
For more information on the club and competitions, visit the website
www.sussexangling.co.uk
