Decathlon Angler of the Month.

Mick Woods from Dudley, is the winner of this months Decathlon Angler of the Month award, for his efforts during the cold winter months arranging pike matches at Patshull Park in aid of the helicopter medical service, the County Air Ambulance.

All the donations and sponsorships were finally collected in last week and presented to Keith Hodson, an administrator of the County Air Ambulance Trust.

Mick and the other pike anglers from all around the Black Country took everything the winter elements could throw at them while chipping in with their hard earned cash at each match, the final total being an exceptional £800.

All Mick has to do to claim his Geologic reel is to take a copy of this newspaper in to the Decathlon Sports and Leisure Megastore, at the Merry Hill Centre.

The Glorious 16th.

The Rivers are open once more, the new season having opened on the glorious 16th of June, the vegetation and wildlife are both lush and abundant after their three month long break, without anglers on the banks.

The first month of the new river season sees our moving waterways at their very natural best, with anglers often the first to set foot along the secluded pathways and trails, that lead down to the riverside.

It's also worth remembering that river angling club members will have been out during the closed season months tidying, repairing, clearing and re-building, paths, gates and bankside walkways and we can do our bit by taking any litter we find away and dispose of it properly, lets keep the riverbank as it is now in these first few months of the new season.

Curiosity Caught The Cat.

Stourbridge based big fish angler, Stuart Benbow, is a regular on the Eric's Pool at Kidderminster's Shatterford Fishery.

Stuart is determined to bring to the bank the venues record cat, a six feet long beast caught last year at 54-4-0.

His latest session at the fishery wasn't going to plan though, Stuart was fishing small meat and fish baits at various depths around the deeper right bank section, of Eric's Pool at the fishery.

Curious to test a theory about how large a bait these huge mouthed catfish might be tempted on, Stuart rigged up with a large hookbait, half a tin of luncheon meat!

Within 30 minutes he had a screaming run and netted a superb 35-5-0 specimen cat, he added he will be back next week with a holdall full of luncheon meat to last him a weekend long stay!Just a couple of places left on the Parents and Juniors night fish in at Shatterford on July 21st ring: 01299 861597 Fishery Form.

Hunnington Fishery Halesowen: Lots of tench and crucians on Kingfisher Pool pellet and corn best baits.07787 845098 Shatterford Fishery Kidderminster: Cats to 32lb last week big baits scoring, spicy boilies for the carp.

01299 861597 Solhampton Fishery Stourport: Valley Pool match record broken last week with 332lbs! 01299 828074.

River Avon: Hampton Ferry, car park pegs for bream, breadpunch and hemp for roach near the town parks.

River Severn: Day ticket stretches at Coalport, Bridgnorth and Bewdley will give barbel to large halibut pellets.

River Teme: Rove along the river, keep mobile, fish the deeper runs with boilies meat or halibut pellet hookbaits.

Canals: Hempseed and tares for roach along the far bank, casters corn or worm for carp along bankside cover and boats.