Angling: pounds 1,500 PRIZE UP FOR GRABS.

Byline: Barry James

A TRIO of small club anglers have come up with a big idea which will give 'average' fishermen the chance to land some serious money.

Darren Stonehouse, Tony Price and James Cartwright are regulars at the Pool House Farm fishery near Fazeley and cheerfully admit that they would probably be out of their depth if competing in major events packed with star names.

So why not stage their own big prize match for pleasure anglers? Well, they will - at a price. It will cost hopefuls pounds 100 to enter the new event at Pool House on August 11 but the hefty entry fee doesn't seem to have deterred would-be winners because by last night only four places were left for the 22-peg match.

This isn't surprising because the man topping the field will walk away with a cheque for pounds 1,500, second and third-placed being worth pounds 300 and pounds 200.

Darren Stonehouse said: 'The peg tickets have gone without us really trying. We could be looking at a series.'

Fosters Tipton squad scored a famous victory when they topped the frame in the second semi-finals of the Weathercall/AT Team Championship or Manchester's Bridgewater canal, home ground for Keenets Northwest, the pre-match favourites. Fosters now join Redditch-based Shakespeare in the finals on the Neme on June 24.

The tons continue to topple at the Moorlands Farm complex at Hartlebury. While Mal Watson's top bag of carp totalling 130-15 on the Meadow was impressive, the new Silverfish pool has produced some terrific catches, including the 70-12-0 haul from Birmingham Airport's Paul Foster.