BILLY Bishop and Mick Burke were the star performers in the latest Newton Anglers' Association matches to be held on the upper pound stretch of the Sankey St Helens Canal.

Bishop won a 22-strong Sunday Open Sweepstake using a caster and long pole method on peg 84.

He had an all silver fish catch weighing 3lbs 8ozs 0drms.

Bishop also used pole tactics. He was victorious on peg 42 in an 18-strong Over 60s and Disabled Sweepstake with an all roach catch weighing 4-11-5.

The association's next match will be another Sunday Open Sweepstake. The draw will be made at 10am at Muckies car park. Contact Mark Van Den Hoek for more information on 223685.

On the pleasure angling scene, sport on the canal's upper pound stretch has remained patchy.

Plenty of silver fish have been taken on maggot and caster and some quality bream and tench have started to show.

The lower pound stretch has been fishing quite well for silver fish along with small common and mirror carp.

The odd good tench and bream have also been showing and the best baits have been caster, maggot, corn and punch bread.

Day tickets are available on both of these sections. They are priced £3 for adults and £1 for juniors.

The members' only section at Penkford Bridge has been producing large numbers of roach.

Tench and brownies have also been running rife along with common, mirror and koi carp.

The Vulcan Reservoir has accounted for some excellent catches of small bream and roach.

A few good perch and bream have also been reported with maggot, caster and punch bread all scoring well.

The Yew Tree Reservoir at Haydock has returned to form with some hefty catches of roach recorded.

Hemp, caster, maggot and punch bread have been the best baits while plenty of double figure carp have been biting both on the top and on the bottom.

At Haydock Park Farm, the lagoon has been providing good sport with roach and perch being taken on maggot and caster.

Action has been poor at Cow Hey Dam but some big bream and a double figure mirror carp have been caught on this lovely water with plenty of potential.

Anyone wishing to join the association or pay their subscriptions should go along to the Houghton Arms pub in Earlestown at 8pm on Tuesdays. New senior members should bring with them two passport-sized photographs for their identification passes.

Results: Sunday Open Sweepstake: 1, Billy Bishop, peg 84, 3-8-0; 2, Mick Rogers, peg 100, 3-4-6; 3, John Ormershire, peg 90, 3-3-13; 4, Garry Manion, peg 92, 3-1-13. Over 60s and Disabled Sweepstake: 1, Mick Burke, peg 42; 2, Dougie Thom, peg 41, 4-0-9; 3, Geoff Brooks, peg 40, 3-12-10; 4, Ray Bowden, peg 30, 2-8-0.