MANY of the top anglers at Longbridge on Sunday found conditions difficult to cope with.

The 2004 grand final of the Nigel Turner Sunday Series sponsored by Thomson's Wealth Management at Lord Romsey's prolific fishery on the Broadlands Estate near Romsey saw several bumper weights continue to justify the venue's high reputation.

But the more shaded pegs fished well below par after several days and nights of colder weather.

Match conditions were dry & very breezy on the day, with most anglers struggling to catch from rippled water, and most fish coming from the unshaded calm-water pegs.

Regular Fishomania finalist Marc Illingworth (Homestores), pictured above, was the only angler to make the method feeder work in the opening hour of the match, taking six carp from open water on peg 28 to establish a lead that was never to be caught.

He bagged a further 15 carp on shallow waggler/sprayed pellet during the remaining five hours to finish with 117lb 14oz - a worthy winner of the £1,000 first prize.

Second, on canal peg 34, Chris Albiston (Bournemough Fishing Lodge) took 108lb 12oz worth £450. He caught steadily throughout, taking a remarkable 57lb of tench and skimmers, plus 12 carp, on pole and worm thjreequarters across the canal, and kept spectators and Illingworth on tenterhooks until the end.

Longbridge old hand Steve Rochester (Cormorants Sillybait) was third (£250) with 7lb 11oz from the canal end peg 42, fishing waggler and pellet tight into the narrow end. Fourth, on the golden peg 21, Simon Hambidge (Dynamite Baits) produced a grandstand finish with a 71lb total worth £150, comprising 20lb of tench and skimmers plus five large carp to 15lb 8oz on long pole and worm, caught late in the match.

Three-time previous series winner Ray Hayward (Homestores) managed 58lb 2oz for fifth place, worth £80, from peg 23.

Section winners: peg 36 Paul Barnard (Salisbury & District AC) 51lb 13oz, Peg 15 Lee Woodhouse (Carbotech) 27lb 7oz, Peg 30 Steve Hunt (Eastleigh Mosella) 35lb 10oz, Peg 29 Pete Newman (Poingdestres) 43lb 9oz.

Points table: 1 Steve Nadin (Wessex Angling) £250, 2 Dave Selft (Eastleigh Mosella) £150, 3 Chris Albiston (Bournemouth Fishing Lodge) £100.

The 60 participants in the series will be relieved that the golden peg was not won in the final and the prize of £326 is to be carried forward to the next series, starting next March.

Cormorants AC look set to retain the Kings Toyota Club Challenge at Witherington on Saturday against Eastleigh Mosella, whom they narrowly beat in last year's final.

Past winners TVAC and Reelcare Cup winners Ringwood Megabait complete the line-up but on paper it looks a straightforward head-to-head between Cormorants and Mosella.

Anglers from each of the four clubs have fished eight qualifying matches throughout the season, the winners from each heat representing their team in the team challenge, while there is also an individual event.

Witherington has been in top form in recent weeks with Barnmoor, Sellwood and Cottage Lakes all producing bumper bags of carp and, if they show in numbers on the day, the winning weight should be 100lb plus.

Cormorants have strength in depth with the likes of Dave Pool, Pete Newman, Simon Hambidge and Garry Wright lining up and they will be red-hot favourites to land the title again.

Eastleigh Mosellas include prolific open winner Graham Tappenden and Dave Self, who's had a great season along with top juniors Adam Sears and Richie Self, and they will give their all. TVAC, headed by Dave Parvin, Kev Downer, Davey Jones and Alan Hillman, will have to be at their best to inspire a TVAC victory, while Ringwood are just impossible to predict after tremendous wins in the Van Den Eynde Sup Cup and Reel Care Cup in recent years on the plus side, while a below-average performance is just as likely.

The sponsors are providing peg fees for the day, trophies and breakfast for the 32 competitors and it should be a great final.

TVAC's match verses Salisbury at Witherington was also a Toyota Qualifier, with Salisbury taking the top three places all from Barnsmoor Lake. Ian Goodfellow took a massive bag of carp at 134lb 1oz on the waggler and pellet to beat Malcom Pepperell with 115lb 10oz also carp on the waggler and pellet.

Mark Blake took third place with 98lb 11oz, fourth was Andy Palmer (TVAC) with 94lb 8oz from Sellwood Lake, fifth Dave Parvin (TVAC) with 87lb from Cottage Lake, and sixth Cliff Carbis (TVAC) 72lb 6oz from Sellwood Lake. Carbis qualified for the Toyota final.

Dwayne Seed won in the Thursday Evening Series on Greenridge with 60lb 11oz from peg 20 on canal two, using floating pellet in the margins, to shade Mick Kenny (57lb 10oz of carp from peg 16 on canal two), with Pete Newman third with 50lb 14oz from peg 18 on canal two. Others: Kev Hatcher 36lb 12oz, Dave Self 35lb 5oz, Mark Turnbull 32lb 5oz.

The Saturday Open on Greenridge Farm saw Mick Kenny again in fine form, fishing on peg 12 on canal two to win with 71lb 9oz of carp on maggot fished in the margins. Pete Newman was second with 57lb 14oz from peg 17 on canal two, Dave Parvin third with 54lb 14oz from peg 16 on canal two. Others: Dwayne Seed 46lb 8oz, Colin Stark 34lb 14oz, Bob Bentley 26lb 2oz.

Chalkie White (Eastleigh Mosella) won the Teams of Four match on Witherington Farm with carp weighing 102lb 12oz from Cottage Lake, taken on maggot, to win by more than 20lb from teammate Adam Sears (Eastleigh Mosella) on Snake Lake with 82lb. Malcom Pepperell (Barneys Blacks) was third with 73lb 12oz and Simon Hambidge (Dynamite Baits) fourth with 51lb 8oz. Cormorants Dynamite Baits had 35 points, Eastleigh Mosella Old Boys 31 and Withies Select 29.

Cormorants fished a match on Orchard Lake Bashley with some good weights taken. Phil Stride ran out a clear winner with 84lb 8oz of carp with a few chub on maggot over pellet to beat Richard Yeo with 71lb 4oz. Others: Kev Moulton 59lb 8oz, Dave Rickwood 56lb, John Banks 40lb 11oz and Kaz Podsadowski 35lb 8oz.