SALISBURY and District match secretary Paul Barnard put his vast experience of Tony Beeny's Witherington Farm Complex to good use by scoring a runaway win in round three of Nigel Turner/Thompson's Financial Planning Sunday Series.

With a nasty crosswind blowing, Barnard was pegged out of the wind on peg 13 on the outer circuit on Topmoor and landed a superb 81lb 2oz of small carp to finish over 20lb clear of his field. Fishing at 12 metres on the pole over cupped pellet, Barnard caught from the start and kept the fish coming by switching hookbaits to end up with 65 carp, booking his place in the big-money final on Longbridge in September.

Bob Wackerill fished cat meat at seven metres and took a bigger stamp of carp to 6lb in his second-place weight of 60lb 15oz with 90 per cent of his catch in the last two hours. Wackerill was on peg 3 on the outer circuit.

Cormorants Rick Kajko won his section on the inner circuit to book his place in the final, finishing third overall with 56lb 12oz of pole-caught carp to 3lb from peg 75.

Marshall Rolfe Team Toyota's Gary Naylor finished fourth with 53lb 15oz of carp to 8lb caught on paste and cat food on the pole, most falling in the last three hours.

Others: Ray Hayward (Homestores) 45lb 6oz, R Yeo (Cormorants Team Sillybait) 42lb 13oz, C Egerton (Poingdestre's) and Wendy Halliday (Wimbourne) 40lb. Series points after three rounds: M Illingworth 67, R Hayward 64, N Tappin 61, G Charman 56, R Kajko 52, N Fitzgerald G Naylor and G Tappenden all on 47.

The Fountain Pub held a match on Barnmoor Lake at Witherington Farm where Martin Flack scored a runaway victory with a massive 107lb 10oz of carp to 10lb, taken on method feeder and maggot fished tight to the Island. Runner-up Matt Metcalf fished pole and worm and included carp to 12lb in his catch from peg three, with Salisbury's Frank Gimbleton a remote third with 28lb 8oz.

The Thursday night evening series match on Stoneham saw in-form Homestore Sensas' G Tappenden score his third consecutive victory in a week. Drawing peg 1 on the Bottom Lake, Tappenden won with 49lb 9oz - a 12lb carp plus skimmers, tench and crucians on the pole and corn fished tight to the island.

Teammate Paul Sears was second with a mixed 24lb 14oz bag from peg seven, with son Adam third with three carp plus bits for 19lb 1oz.

Others: C White 17lb 3oz, M Kenny 17lb, D Self 15lb 8oz.

Eastleigh and District AC must be applauded in their attempt to encourage bigger turnouts for club matches on Stoneham. Entry to matches is free and the club donate £75 to the winner, £50 to second and £25 to third. The club also sponsor a league points table, the winner receiving £300, second £200, third £100.

Individual sponsors are donating £100 section payouts for each round with Homestores sponsoring two rounds, Stoneham Park, Wessex Angling and The Castle Inn at Lulworth sponsoring the others. Adults bringing a junior will be pegged next to each other. The concept of the idea is to encourage club members and especially juniors to have a go free of any pools. The first match is Sunday at Stoneham with a 8.30am draw and fishing 10am to 3pm.

Cup holders need to be at their best

Eastleigh AC, winners of the 2002 Reel Care Cup, face formidable opposition in this year's third round on Longbridge (July 6) and will have to be at their very best to progress to the final.

They face Homestores, spearheaded by G Tappenden, the mighty Poingdestres' Match Group, Avon Angling, West Country Raiders, Sillybait Original and Sillybait Black. Add to the equation Ray Hayward and Marc Illingworth teaming up with Steve Hunt and Nick the Greek fishing under the Reel Care banner and you have seven teams of nine all worthy of a final place.

Team Estatt and Eastleigh Tightlines complete the line-up but look outclassed.

In May 11's first round, things look somewhat easier and the heat has a very fair look about it. Salisbury's Barney's Blacks and the Lodgemens from Bournemouth look to hold obvious chances while Davis Tackle's team of veterans can still perform at the highest level. Cormorants D, Sillybait Red, SAS, Allans Marine, Chichester and Ringwood make up the round.

In the second round on June 22, Cormorants, Team Sillybait, and Carbotec Select stand out, with Dynamite Baits the biggest dangers - along with Cormorants B.

Others taking part are Wessex, Dorset Raiders, Godfrey's Misfits, Allans Marine B and Wessex B.

Nine-year-old Daniel Pool, son of Poingdestre's Match Group's Dave Pool from Bishop's Waltham caught his biggest-ever fish when landing a 15lb barracuda aboard Mark Simmonds Grand Slam II on a trawled ballyhoo. Not to be outdone 12-year-old brother Adam took a 35lb tarpon on a float-fished mullet live bait from Grand Slam 1 Simmonds's inshore boat. Dad Dave had to be content with bringing up the rear with ladyfish and snappers.