CYRIL Guest and Eddie Cook won the latest Newton Anglers' Association matches to be held on the upper pound stretch of the Sankey St Helens Canal.

Guest blew away the opposition in a 20-strong Sunday open sweepstake with an exceptional net of bream and silver fish weighing 22lbs 5ozs 0drms.

Cook was also a comfortable winner.

His bag of tench and roach pulled the scales down to 5-6-4 in an over 60s and disabled sweepstake.

The association's next event will be a Disabled Lift Services Ltd sweepstake.

The series consists of four matches and there will be £800 in prize money paid out in each match providing they are sell outs.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact Mark on 223685.

The improved match weights recorded in the latest events indicate that the tight shoals have dispersed on the upper pound stretch.

The water has returned to top form with carp, silver fish, perch, tench and bream to 4lbs all making their presence felt.

Maggot, casters, bread, corn and worm have been the best baits.

The canal's lower pound stretch has also been fishing well following the latest introduction of chub, carp and tench.

Bream, roach, rudd and perch are all being caught on this section but azolla weed has continued to cause problems.

The association has been trying to remove the weed every week but it has proved to be a difficult battle.

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 fishing exceptionally well.

Sport has been magical with between 50 and 80 large roach being taken per sessions.

Brownies, tench, bream, koi, king carp and large goldfish have also been making an appearance.

The Yew Tree and Vulcan Reservoirs have been fishing well for silver fish, tench and carp.

The Yew Tree water has been producing double figure common and mirror carps with some exceeding the 20lbs mark while small bream and roach have been running rife at the Vulcan venue.

Some anglers have been taking more than 100 fish in single sessions and the best baits have been maggot, casters and punch bread.

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, Cyril Guest, peg 47, long pole and caster method, 22-5-0; 2, Ray Shorrocks, peg 55, long pole and caster method, 15-7-3; 3, Ray Bowden, peg 37, long pole method, 11-10-0. Section winners: Paul Isherwood, peg 39, 10-7-9; Craig Ritchie, peg 51, 10-15-8. Over 60s and Disabled Sweepstake: 1, Eddie Cook, 5-6-4; 2, Sid Tarbuck, 3-5-0; 3, Dougie Thom, 3-4-9; 4, Wally Powell, 2-1-10.