ANGLING: Russell lands huge haul to claim victory

And that meant needing well over 100lb to make the top four in Sunday’s Meadowlands’ individual spring league second round.

Neil Russell had almost twice that – 193-7 to be precise – for top spot. Stuart Pulsar 124-5 followed by Reuben Samson on 122-15. Dean Young leads the league on three points.

WHITE Hart Flore didn’t do so bad on Tofts, either, as Dave Cleaver won with 91llb ahead of Pete Scott 77-8 and Mick Howkins 77lb.

The club’s old geezers had done even better midweek as Tom Griffiths netted 150lb, Glen Tilson 82-12 and John Tee 73-13.

FINEDON, Shearsby Valley, Nigel Roberts 73-2, Bill Boyne 48-8, Barry Lawrence 30-14.

BISHOPS Bowl: Sunday’s pairs final, Shaun Smart 71-1, Dave Gibbs 53-4, Chris Campling 52-11 – series top pair Smart and Kev Green with 355-4; Sat. open Rob Bassnett 85-12, Dave Smart 68-8, Greg Satchell 44lb.

GLEBE, Dog Lane: Dave Haddon 41-10, Russ Lay, 35-2, Martin Shaul 23-7.

CASTLE Ashby opens: midweek, Brickyard, Chris Camplin 42-12, Ron Bull 26-8, Frank Pizamenti 22-12; Sat, Brickyard, Courtney Hewlett 26-4, Chris Garret 26lb, Pizamenti 22-12; Sun., Grendon, Hewlett 39-14, Bob Reed 18-14, Keith Garrett 15-8.

WILLOWBROOK open: Bill Underwood 20-4 (mostly roach) Paul Brand 15-4, Rob Heely 14-14.

FLORE & Brockhall, Barby Mill: Rob Rawlins (while flying his pigs, LoL) 19lb, Steve Smith 16lb, Terry Smith 13lb.

TOWCESTER Vets, club cut, Castlethorpe: Graham Martin 17-8, Kevin Nightingale 14-4, Tosh Saunders 10-8.

CASTLE spring league, Canons: Jeff Rice 14-12, Ben Bell 12-1, Bob Spencer 11-4.

ABINGTON AC, park lake, Chris Howe memorial: Alan Lee 10-7, Vince Battams 10-5, Andy Weatherley 5-14.

TOWCESTER, Silver Lake: Tony Hirst 2-13, Barry Eales 1-12. A carper had a 14-pounder.

IT’s rod licence renewal time. The EA has already apologised for the (now seemingly traditional) delay in sending them out to those who applied early...

THE Angling Trust – fronting all forms of angling in England and Wales – has shed three people following a £110,000 a year cut in the money it gets from Sport England.

Previously employing 59 full and part-timers, it has made one full-timer redundant and not renewed two other’s fixed-term contracts, while restructuring its crucial efforts to get more people into the sport.

The trust is now looking for additional funding, as anglers obviously don’t cough up enough to support their own national body...

AGMs: Nene, Monday 19.30, Yeoman of England, Wootton; Castle, Tuesday, 20.00 Far Cotton WMC.

FIXTURES: also MKAA canal spring league teams-of-four opener, 01234 713144.