FOR the second week in succession, ice proved to be a formidable barrier for canal anglers to overcome.

With two or more inches to break through before a line could be wetted, it is not surprising to note that pleasure anglers were nowhere to be found. Matchmen, on the other hand, are a different matter and they are prepared to endure almost anything just to wet a line.

Twenty two of them turned up at Eanam Wharf (Blackburn) to take part in an Open organised by Hyndburn & Blackburn AA.

They each had to spend some time and a considerable amount of effort to prepare their swims, and were unanimous at the end of the match that they should not have bothered.

That includes the winner Tony Healey (Ted Carter's Manley) who, like the others weighed in, could find only the tiniest roach willing to feed. He used the finest tackle he had and the smallest breadpunch, to tempt 0-13-3.

The runner-up, Fisherman's Way angler Walt Gregson, was quite a number of fish behind with 0-12-4.

Pilsworth has hardly been in sparkling form of late and, like me, you wouldn't expect much from a match held under similarly cold conditions. Like me then, you would be wrong.

Unbelievably carp fed, along with bream, chub and roach for the winner of Sunday's match.

The winner, Lee Addy (Drennan N/W) used sweetcorn to take a nice bag of fish from peg one which totalled 23-10-0.

He could reach the side wall with 15 metres of pole and found the fish right up against it.

The runners-up bag of 9-13-0 was more like the Pilsworth we know, as was the 8-14-0 needed for third

Darwen's Dave Connell (Ted Carter's Southport) used bloodworm to take 3-1-0 of perch from another ice encrusted venue, the Bridgewater Canal, to easily win the Lostock Tackle Box Open.

He had well over a pound in hand on second placed Graham Kennerley, presenting his bait into the deeper water at eight metres.

The Leeds-Liverpool Canal has to drop no less than 10 locks between Wigan Pier and New Springs.

Boaters might think they are a bit of a pain in the neck, but they do ensure that the stretch rarely freezes over and it is an ideal winter venue for Wigan AA matches.

There are usually a few competitors from our area, who fare pretty well in general. Not last week though, but the excellent weights might serve as an encouragement to others.

The winner, Tex Stothers (Dream Angling) took 7-9-8 of decent roach on breadpunch from peg 74 on the fourth lock pound. He fished at ten metres, feeding small amounts of liquidised bread at regular intervals to keep the four to six ounce fish coming.

There was a string of decent backing weights led by the 5-8-0 of Bickershaw's Brian Whitehead.

Anglers targeting commercial fisheries during the freeze had to be lucky to catch as well, with many returning home disappointed. The result of just one match from Bradshaw Hall tells the story just fine.

It was fished by some of the very best anglers on Lodge Four.

The winner Kerry Kirkwood (Tri-Cast Highfield) cupped in joker and, using bloodworm on the hook, proceeded to take a few roach and a couple of skimmers for a weight of just 6-4-0 and that was three pounds clear of anyone else.

So it must have been better away from the stillwaters you would have thought, and you would be right.

The Ribble's chub fed well, as they always do in these cold conditions, to feature in catches over 40lbs from the lower river. Barbel were not as keen, but I reckon that will change this weekend.

They, unlike the chub, need the water temperature to be a bit higher than it was last weekend and it most certainly will be. Legered paste, fished over a bed of hemp and pellets will no doubt do the trick, with Balderstone possibly producing yet another double .

The canals have been free from ice since Tuesday, the latest, and there could be some very good action to be had from many stretches this weekend.

Bread will, undoubtedly, provide you with most bites, but I reckon the bigger specimens could show in force and caster will certainly sort them out.