The usually high profile Lower Ure Championships attracted just 30 competitors and the majority struggled to find fish in any numbers.

On the Boroughbridge to Aldborough match length only the winner managed to locate chub whilst the others relied on perch.

Local man Jim Cowgill was delighted to pull out a peg at the bottom of the cricket field, a known chubbing area.

Jim wasted no time and set to work on the stickfloat and caster extracting eight chub and putting the verdict beyond doubt with a runaway 17.10.0.

Next came Darlington's Steve Brennan 5.6.0 followed by Steve Parker of West Park 5.4.0

The pen-ultimate round of the North Central League saw Harrogate win again and they now hold a massive 40 point advantage over nearest rivals Boroughbridge.

Wetherby's Stuart Bullimore took the individual stakes during the fifth fixture on the Nidd around Knaresborough.

Stuart at Chapman's bottom worked the waggler and caster along some farside willows and made contact with three good chub backed by grayling for 12.13.0.

Ripon veteran Sammy Ambler pushed Stuart all the way as stickfloat and maggot accounted for 12.4.0, consisting of all grayling off the Sawmills Length.

Teams on the day: 1 Harrogate 83 pts; 2 Ripon 71; 3 Wetherby 69; 4 Thirsk 61; 5 Boroughbridge 53; Knaresborough 42.

Overall leaders: 1 Harrogate 386; 2 Boroughbridge 346; 3 Ripon 340; 4 Wetherby 330.

In the York and District AA John Smiths Hospital Cup weights were down on a low and clear Ouse at Fulford and those who framed scratched around for small silver fish.

Derek Barker of Acomb Tackle had the most staked on the Palace Bend.

A combination of pole and feeder tactics accounted for small perch and roach all falling to bronze maggot for a hard earned 5.1.0.

It was all perch for Armley Angling's Phil Austin. Drawing above the concrete block on the pumper, pole and chopped worm brought 4.1.0.

Competitors were in for some decent sport on the Coniscliffe to Croft reaches of the Tees in Sunday's DBT AA Charlesworth Cup and in a close run contest every bite counted to sort out the order.

Dave Nicholson of DBT gained the edge putting together a mixed return of 13.0.0.

Drawing peg 55, bomb and stickfloat tactics offering grub and meat off the island at Croft resulted in four good chub, a grayling and a dace.

Meanwhile on peg ten the Hud stream, Darlington's Dave Firth chose to stay with the stickfloat throughout but fed casters maggot and worm tempting two chub then adding a few grayling and tiny dace to boost his score to 12.10.0 from Chris Caygill also a Darlington man on 12.8.0.

The Yarm AA Williams Cup attracted 40 rods to the Lower Tees around Yarm and Harkers farm proved the place to draw for success.

Geoff Douglas of Diawa Cleveland on peg ten used a long pole approach feeding groundbait and working maggot and caster over the top to entice mostly small roach and included fish up to the 10oz mark for 8.15.0.

For Yarm Flynn's Kevin Pybus a different approach, the slider float down the middle off peg 16, paid off as roach came to maggot and caster adding a few chublets for variety for 8.5.0 upstream of Scarfoothill Wood.

Carp Scene

At Woodland Lakes strong winds a feature during the week finally eased off for Saturday's Open split between Partridge and Skylark and the long pole came into play.

Skylark Lake for once dominated and Map Elton's Alan Sharman went out to 12 metres off peg 28 opting for sweetcorn on the hook and rattled out 69.0.0 of small carp.

Wednesday's winner Keith Kotchie clinched second spot rounding off a near perfect week. Fishing inside with pellet he totalled 66.14.0 of carp from peg 11.

Elmtree Social Club Fairfield Builders Trophy. Woodland Lakes - Curlew and Wagtail: 1 Steve Cooper 45.7.0 Carp off Wagtail 13; 2 Paul Stephenson 43.4.0; 3 Keith Jones 36.9.0.

Moorland's Steve Rothery made it two midweek Sessay wins on the trot when he bagged 61.12.0 during Thursday's match at the Oaks.

On Maple's peg 53 Steve was into carp from the off netting samples to 4.0.0.

Catching across on the pole at 13 metres maggot ruled.

Oaks Sunday - Maple Lake: Paul Taylor (Map Elton) 47.6.0 peg 54 small carp to pellet and maggot off peg 54; Neil McFarlane (Spenborough) 45.8.0.

Bob Co Carpvale Winter Series - Cyprio Lake, Moor Monkton: 1 A Gallant 81.0.0; 2 G Boardsley 57.1.0; 3 B Webster 33.8.0

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Woodland Lakes Open (71 pegs) Partridge & Skylark Lakes. Tel. (01845) 526110.

Sunday: Idle & Thackley Open River Swale at Swainby. Tickets on (01274) 618569.

NEWL (2) Woodland Lakes.

Calder League (4).

Ripon Pisc. Tetley Cup (60 pegs) River Ure Norton Conyers.

Durham County Team Champs Middle Tees - Over Dinsdale.

Thornaby AA Centenary Cup River Tees - Croft to Hurworth.

Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake.