John signs off Sunnybanks Bait league with a classy win to take the title ...

TriCast Calder's John Holdsworth added the icing on the cake as he won the final match and the league in the 2018 Sunybank Baits sponsored series, writes Tim Worsnop.

Matches, which are organised by Carl Rowley began back at the start of summer and have continued every week since - culminating in this week’s finale at Sykehouse Fishery near Doncaster.

John used his vast experience to beat 20 others from Match lake peg 13 to catch carp to 6lbs down the margins and at 7 metres for 81lbs 1oz.

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Runner-up was paste specialist Andy Lumb (Lowhills AC) who went for a more explosive approach catch just four big carp for for 54lbs 3oz from peg 30 on stock lake.

Peter Thurlow (TriCast Calder) was third with 51lbs 7oz. Warren Mcleavy TriCast Calder had 50lbs 11oz for fourth and another TriCast man Graham Bateman was fifth with 49lbs 10oz.

Following the match the anglers decamped to the Shepherds Arms at Cowcliffe, Huddersfield - a pub/restaurant run by Carl Rowley for the presentation.

There was a highly competitive match taking place closer to home this week as 21 anglers lined up along the Battyeford canal near Cooper Bridge on Wednesday.

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And despire the recent cold weather there was a very tight main frame. The only problem was you needed to be at the boatyard end of the canal otherwise the going was tough.

Top performer on the day was Maver NW’s Alan Crook who was just in the boatyard.

He managed to catch two of the stretch’s bigger perch and roach to six ounces on bread and casters on his way to a winning 9lbs 13oz.

Tom Barlow (Dynamite/Browning Ossett) was runner up from a peg on the boats. He opted to fish bread and pinkies to keep the fish coming but ran out short with 9lbs 3oz.

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Matrix Halifax’s Dave Chadwick took third with another net of small roach for a level 9lbs.

Weights dropped off a little then to Chadwick’s team mate Pete Riley who put 6lbs 8oz on the scales with another Halifax man Richard Thorne edging out Keith Marshall (TriCast calder) for fifth with 5lbs 14oz to 5lbs 13oz. Both won their respective sections.I had Sunday off and having poked my toe out of the door I’m glad I did as fisheries were hit with the first serious frost of the season.

This Sunday I’m heading over to sunny Wigan with my Matrix Halifax team for a six match series - the largest winter league series in the country at over 100 pegs. I’ve linked up with some lads over there who had passed on some very handy tips.