Pete Powe clinched a 52-10-0 victory despite making a bad start in the Saints Away Day match, fished on Withy Pool at Hunstrete.

The club's PR officer poled paste over a micro and 4mm pellet feed, which he cupped-in at nine metres centre off peg 61 on the straight bank and got broke up by a good-sized carp on his first put-in

He said: "As soon as it was hooked, it ran off towards the middle of the lake and just kept going. The rig I was using wasn't up to the job and, within 30 seconds, the pole elastic came pinging back, minus the end tackle.

"It took me a while to re-tackle and I estimate the loss of the fish cost me at least 10lb in weight and a good half-hour's fishing."

However, within minutes of restarting, Powe began to catch quality carp and by the half-way mark had taken a narrow lead.

He continued: "From where I was sat, the only person I could see catching more fish than me was Andy Wilson at point peg 48 and, right up until the weigh-in, I figured he had won the match."

Second place fell to the experienced Mark Bailey, who included the heaviest fish of the match in a four-carp catch of 49-11-0.

The former Avon Angling team member alternated between feeder tactics and a pellet waggler, with an 8mm banded pellet, and caught his first carp after only 10 minutes.

Despite making a good start, fish were few and far between at peg 53, and the biggest fish of the match – a whopping 18-8-0 common carp came while he was fishing for silverfish with a light rig and tiny size-22 hook.

He said: "The fish fought deep and hard and it was long time before it came anywhere near the surface. Had it been any bigger it would not have fitted into the landing net."

Andy Wilson was third, alternating between a 10-metre pole and a waggler with soft pellet to tempt 48-11-0 of quality carp.

His first fish, a four-pound common, which came on the 20-minute mark, was quickly followed by another of similar size and he looked to be in the lead until the carp came on feed for Powe on the opposite bank. Tom Bailey finished fourth at peg 47.

Results, overall: 1, Pete Powe 52-10-0, peg 61; 2, Mark Bailey 49-11-0, peg 53; 3, Andy Wilson 48-11-0, peg 48; 4, Tom Bailey 42-14-0, peg 47; 5, Rodney Buss 15-6-0, peg 54.

Meanwhile, Brian Shanks made it two wins on the trot with a 67-13-0 victory in the Bristol PSV AC match, fished on Match Lake at Landsend Fisheries, Wedmore.

He long-poled banded pellet into the island margins off Match 19 on the lower bank and weighed-in 57-10-0 of carp, plus 10-3-0 of skimmers, tench, roach, chub and ide.

Result, overall: 1, Brian Shanks 67-13-0, peg 19; 2, Paul Elmes 60-14-0, peg 18; 3, Simon Belcham 57-10-0, peg 13; 4, Darren North 56-15-0, peg 9; 5, Paul Reed 45-3-0, peg 16; 6, Ryan Jordan 40-4-0, peg 24. Silverfish: Neil Mercer 15-0-0; 2, Brian Shanks 10-3-0, peg 19; 3, Simon Belcham 9-10-0, peg 13; 4, Paul Elmes 8-10-0, peg 18; 5, Steve Burgess 8-7-0.