LEA Clarke won the latest Newton Anglers' Association Sunday Open Sweepstake at the Sankey St Helens Canal.

He reeled in a net of fish weighing 5lbs 13ozs 5drms.

John Ormershire finished second with 4-14-0 and Brian Bishop came third with 4-6-15.

The event was held on the canal's lower pound stretch where the azolla weed problem has been tackled.

A lot of the weed has been cleared and anglers have been enjoying good sport in the main.

Small carp have been taking fickle bites but they have been biting along with tench, bream, roach and rudd.

Sport has also improved on the canal's upper pound stretch. Large bream and tench have been showing and plenty of silver fish have been taken on maggots, squats, pinkies and casters.

Day tickets are available for both of these stretches. They can be bought on the banks and are priced £3 for adults and £1 for juniors.

Silver fish have been running rife on the Yew Tree Reservoir at Haydock Cross while maggots and casters on the drop have accounted for good bags of roach and rudd.

Carp have been back on the prowl for baits on the bottom and on the surface and the odd tench and big bream have been showing to red casters and worms.

The Vulcan Reservoir has been fishing to its potential with plenty of small silver fish being the order of the day.

Floats have been going under at regular intervals and quality bream and big perch have been cropping up in anglers' nets.

The fisheries at Haydock Park Farm have also been producing some good action.

Good catches of roach and perch have been reported at the lagoon with maggots, pinkies and casters all doing the trick.

The Sankey Brook at Clayton House Farm has continued to produce chub, roach, dace, perch and gudgeon.

The best action has been enjoyed at the peg where Newton Brook flows in.

The Moat House Farm Fishery at Gorsey Lane, Burtonwood, has been fishing well for carp to 10lbs.

Chub, barbel, roach, golden tench and rudd have also been showing and the best baits have been pellets, sweetcorn, red maggots, casters, punched bread and meat.

New permanent pegs have been put in at the venue and day tickets, costing £5 for adults and £3 for concessions, can be obtained via Terry on 07703 254673.

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.