By Kingfisher

THE third round of the Octoplus Standish Autumn League was held last weekend on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Saracen's Head where small roach dominated proceedings.

So too did the leaders of Division One, Springview, who won for the third week in succession and now look to be in an unassailable position at the top.

The team features a number of matchmen from the area.

Hyndburn's Paul Robinson is just one of them and he led the way for Springview last week, with 6-1-0 and sixth place in the individual stakes. Both breadpunch and caster produced roach, though it was the shell that sorted out the six-ounce fish from the smaller samples.

Octoplus Blackburn, contesting Division Two, are most certainly ours. They also were heading their league courtesy of successive wins, but failed in their quest to make it three in a row.

It was close, however, with winners Balcarres totalling 65 penalty points to our lads' 69. Separating them were Blackburn's nearest challengers Wigan, who posted 68.

Roach have taken over from bream as the dominant species in Irish contests these days but that has not diminished the impact of matchmen from this particular part of the UK.

The September festivals have always attracted a good number of anglers from northeast Lancs whose abilities with the 'tip' have stood them in good stead. The pole, even the whip, now often has the edge, but our lads are experts with that as well!

The Monaghan Pairs Competition was held on Lough Mucknow, Castleblaney, where roach weights of 35lbs or so are the order of the day.

Here it most certainly is a pole affair these days, with caster outfishing maggot by some distance.

That is pretty good news for the likes of one of the pairs, Burnley's Barrie Smith and Accrington's Steve Duckworth, who know exactly how to do it.

And they prove it as well, with a win on day two that helped them to an overall second spot with a total of 20 points. They aren't the only ones with the 'nous' though and Bruce Clarke, also from Burnley, teamed up with Ray O'Sullivan to also finish with 20 points. Fortunately for the Smith/ Duckworth combo they didn't have as much weight and were placed third.