The practice match for the final round of the Oxford Winter League saw 30 anglers lining the towpath on a half-frozen Oxford Canal.

Following heavy overnight frosts, many of the pegs were frozen while those in the town were ice free. This, coupled with a gin-clear canal, meant most anglers wanted to draw in the town. However, it was the frozen Wolvercote sections that fished best while the ice-free town was exceptionally hard, with one section won with a single fish!

Leading the way was Drennan Oxford’s Martin Phipps with an excellent 16lb 9oz catch from the allotments at Wolvercote. He fished at eight metres for a net of skimmers and roach on bloodworm over joker feed.

Sensas A4’s Stuart Keable was also on the allotments and managed 10lb 12oz of mostly skimmers on punched bread. Just behind was his team mate Mark Harrington with 10lb 6oz of perch and skimmers on chopped worm and caster from the St Edwards School section. Drennan Oxford’s Tommy Boyce took fourth place with 10lb 2oz.