Absent Crawley club anglers tend to come rushing back for the Christmas Cup.

That was the case this time with match angler Roy Steele, who took home the silverware. Steele won the five hour match at Tilgate with one bream on the feeder and bits for 6lb 6oz. He also lost a tench estimated at 5lb. His prize was £60.

Second in the field of 21 was regular attender Lenny Wells, who had 6lb 2oz of small roach on the waggler. Lenny, who won £30, said: "Pike were about but luckily I didn't get taken by one of them."

Steve Jones had a bream on the tip and bits for 5lb 4oz, Gary Towland 4lb 6oz and Ron Elms 4lb.

The River Lod at Lockfold had fined down only a few days after being over the road and Fernhurst were able to hold their Christmas Cup, won by John Dudman with 5lb 7oz of roach (best 14oz). Paul James had 3lb 7oz, Gordon Remnant 2lb 1 1/2oz and Steve French 2lb 0 1/2oz.

The four round series for the Copthorne Christmas Cup saw Paul Brinkhurst take overall first prize on 19lb 14oz from Paul Whitefield 19lb 9oz and Mick Siggs 18lb 7oz. Whitfield won the last round at Rowfant Mill with a 5lb 5oz mixed bag. Brinkhurst had 3lb 15oz and Don Vallance 3lb 5oz.

Copthorne's competitions secretary Peter Collison said: "That was the lowest aggregate weight for very many years and it is all down to the bad weather."

Quality roach taken on pole and caster gave Dudley Chandler an 8lb 15 1/2oz bag to win the Pulborough Christmas Cup over five hours at Goose Green. His prize was a rod while runner-up Nick Foreshew (4lb 10 3/4oz mixed bag on pinkies) won a reel.

Des Carney took 12lb 10oz of small carp on pole and maggot to win the third and final round of Isfield's Christmas Cup at Cyprus Wood, Buxted.

Alan Phillips had 7lb 9oz of roach and skimmers and the winner's son Kevin Carney 2lb 9oz. Joint overall winners are Bob Sutherland and Des Carney.

Haywards Heath's postponed Christmas Cup because of the silted state of the banks on the River Ouse at The Sloop. It will now be held at the same venue on January 14 (10am).

Before that there is a scheduled match on January 7, also at The Sloop.

Dave Knight collected £100 for his win in the Worthing Piscatorial Society's Christmas Cup at Laybrook. Dave took 7lb of tench, skimmers and roach on pole and maggot.Tink Langham's 5lb 15oz of one tench, hybridgs and skimmers won him £60 and John Stringer had £40 for his 4lb 11oz bag of skimmers.

The sixth and final round of the West Sussex Winter League was switched to Passies lakes where it was hard going. Runaway leaders Passies won the match and the title overall, Fox Arun Match Group were second on the day and overall and Pulborough third in the final placings.

The sixth round match winner was Chris James of Passies with 35lb and then came Pulborough members Nick Foreshew and Barry Ginnaw.

Southern Division of the NFSA fish-of-the-month badges have gone to Kevin Botting of Newhaven Shore with a lesser spotted dogfish of 2lb (83 per cent of specimen size) from the shore and to Bexhill's John Carpenter, who took the boat award with a cod of 18lb 8 1/2oz which was 64.40 per cent.

Even though it was an horrendous night, the hardy ones in the Ultima Hove Lagoon Bait League were determined to fish the final round. They moved from Hove beach to the slightly more sheltered Kingston beach in Shoreham harbour entrance.

Kevin Henshaw found two schoolie bass for 3lb 10oz, Dave Gravett had a bass of 1lb 14oz in his 3lb 4oz, Mike Perfect 2lb 7oz, Steve Wren 8oz and Peter Winder 6oz.

Perfect wins overall on 45 points. Gravett took the fish pools overall with a bass of 1lb 14oz and a flounder of 1lb 11oz.

- Ray Potten