WITH a favourable weather forecast at last, and carp seemingly ready to feed, prospects for the next few days appear to be very good indeed.

For some, like those at Copthorne last Saturday for example, it really cannot get a lot better yet for others, especially those who were on the canal, it can hardly get worse.

Whichever category you fit into, however, I am sure you can settle into your peg this weekend with extra confidence.

Copthorne will surely attract some serious attention, having produced a string of excellent weights last weekend, especially Saturday when the match was won with almost a ton and backing weights were impressive, to say the least.

Sandy Barker, well known Ted Carter Preston matchman, headed the list with 98-4-0 of carp to 10lbs, taken on pole/pellet & catmeat from peg 27.

That was far too rich for the nearest challenger, Richard Crabtree (whose dad was a decent angler I seem to recall) with 49-10-0.

That was a nice mixed net, taken on pellet of roach, skimmers and carp, but it wasn't so far clear of the third 42-8-0.

There was another weight over thirty pounds and plenty weighed in over 20lbs in a very decent match indeed.

Hyndburn's Arthur Hargreaves was the runner-up in the following day's event at the same venue, though weights were somewhat depressed.

He needed his mixed bag to weigh just 27-0-0, less than half the 55-0-0 that the winner weighed in. That net was, again, made up entirely of decent carp that fell for the (stinky) catmeat.

Brookside carp have not, yet, figured prominently in matchweights and anglers have been delighted that the policy of stocking a mixed bag has continued. That you can confidently expect net that contain few decent carp to exceed 30lbs is fantastic and it is no wonder the water is popular.

That will change soon, for sure, but even if it does not the skimmers, tench, roach, perch and small carp will certainly keep you well occupied.

Catmeat will surely start to produce the goods here soon, but caster and maggot would certainly be my starting gambit at the moment.