Colin Golding was in top fishing form following an unexpected four-week spell in hospital.

The former England star, pictured right, clinched an emphatic victory in the Midweek Bathampton AA Disabled and Over-55s Midweek Match with a catch of carp that weighed more than the rest of the field put together

He poled soft pellet hard on the deck at 10 metres centre off peg 62 on the North Bank of Withy Pool, and included the best fish of the match – a whopping 12-4-0 common – in a 10-carp catch weighing 68-8-0.

He said: "I started catching from my first put-in, but during the six-hour match the only definite bite I had was when I hooked into the 12 pounder. The bites were very shy. I weighted the float down to a dot and I struck at every tiny movement, but still missed more fish I hooked."

The runner-up was Bob Feltham with a four-carp catch weighing 13-7-0, taken from peg 60 with pole and soft pellet.

Bob Warren topped the silverfish list at peg 71 and included a 4-2-0 tench in an 8-2-0 mixed bag.

Result, overall: 1, Colin Golding (Carps AC) 68-6-0, peg 62; 2, Bob Feltham (Carps AC) 13-7-0, peg 60; 3, Martin Alexander 12-7-0, peg 67; 4, John Wilde 9-4-0, peg 48; 5, Pete Philips 8-8-0, peg 47; Bob Warren 8-2-0, peg 69.

Silverfish: 1,Bob Warren 8-2-0; 2, Bill Ferris (Alcove AC) 3-12-0, peg 68.