Fish Tales

Fished on the Swale between the Gatenby, Holme and Ainderby stretches the catch was literally unexpected because of a low August river level.

It was 40 minutes into the match before I got started as my youngster's pleasure session further downstream took priority. However, the short match was sensational as stickfloat and double red maggot from my swim at Ainderby located the chub. I found constant feeding on caster, hemp and maggot kept the swim alive and 28 chub and a single gudgeon rounded off a perfect day.

At any other time teammate Mick Hare would have been home and dry with 33.5.0 but 13 chub to far bank bomb and meat tactics upstream of Holme Lane only managed to salvage runner-up spot followed by Don McAllister (Bentley AC) 30.4.0; Chris Smith (York) 18.15.0.

The Middle Tees at Over Dinsdale continues to delight anglers and the recent good form attracted 82 competitors to the banks for the North York South Durham Federation Norman Dunne Memorial.

The match delivered 12 double figured nets and Rise Carr's Terry Longstaffe weighed in 30.6.0 to comfortably hold off the rest.

In the streams above Bells Wood Terry edged the Crowquill Avon through swapping between caster and meat to tempt quality chub, dace and perch.

Gainford's Peter Nicholson on Bowl Hole Corner went across to cover on the waggler and collected 10-0-0 of perch before chub boosted his final score 18.4.0 all responding to worm caster and corn on the hook.

Others: 3 Ian Lumb (Turners Tackle) 17.10.0; 4 Alan Hird (Darlington) 16.1.0; jt 5 Peter Close (Team Shimano Quaker) & John Hay (Durham) 15.12.0.

Yarm AA's Bank Holiday Monday Open in aid of the ACA resulted in a close run contest with small fish the order of the day from a Tees lacking in flow.

Drawn on peg 150 upstream of the Levenmouth, Newman Scott's Alan Lepatourel opted for the pole over the shelf picking up roach dace chublets and perch with maggot pinkie worm and caster all working at times for a winning 10.6.0.

Just missing out off peg 136, teammate Ronnie Wilkinson on Fisheries Bend fished squatt at 9 metres and caught small dace and roach steadily all day but finished an agonising 3ozs short.

In the second round of the North Central League, Boroughbridge took full advantage of their home tie on the Lower Ure to consolidate their lead at the top of the table and also scooped individual honours when Les Caygill netted a runaway 19.10.0.

Chub were the mainstay from his peg on the bottom of the cricket field length below the town bridge. Waggler and caster tactics across to far bank willows brought seven chub and a sprinkling of roach to add variety.

Meanwhile for Knaresborough's Phil Johnson all perch came for 9.11.0. Pole and worm over chopped worm on the sewage outflow peg brought specimens to 2.0.0.

Top three teams on the day: 1 B'bridge 81; 2 Harrogate 76; 3 Ripon 70.

Overall: 1 Boroughbridge 161; 2 Harrogate 149; 3 Wetherby 130; 4 Ripon 127; 5 Knaresborough 113; 6 Thirsk 106.

Newman Scott's Dave Smiddy won the surprisingly low entry Yarm AA Geoff Monck Memorial on their Halnaby Fishery.

Dave pegged just past the tree on peg 13 caught skimmer bream but a bonus carp of 8.0.0 made all the difference. Groundbait feeder with worm maggot and caster added a single perch on the pole to push in front with 20.5.0.

Fellow rod Tony Leeming almost opposite on peg 41 stayed with the groundbait feeder using the same baits to take 13 skimmers totalling 18.4.0 from Steve Maitland (Shotton AC match Group) 18.2.0 and Phil Arnold (Newman Scott) 15.14.0.

Thornaby AA members note that the new pond at Gilling West is now open.

Junior section

Youngsters certainly got amongst the fish during the first Kamasan Elton sponsored open on Woodland's Kestrel Lake.

The four-hour match saw 11-year-old May Potter of Leeds return a great carp bag of 55.9.0 to pole with caster and worm from peg 12 and also rubbed salt into the lads' wounds when she included a huge 14.0.0 carp.

Others: Luke Heffernan (Leeds) 50.2.0; Scott Clark (Thirsk) 44.6.0; Andrew Herbert (Middlesbrough) 37.4.0.

Over on the Lower Tees the youngsters had to work a lot harder for bites during the Annual Thornaby Town Council Match. Danny Ovendon finished with plenty to spare on 11.8.0 as groundbait feeder and worm attracted skimmer bream from the Bobby's field length from Phil Oram 3.8.0 and Lewis Hall 2.10.0.

Carp Scene

Dean Smith topping the ton is now becoming an accepted score on the prolific Woodland Lakes and the talented carp crusader cruised past the magical figure yet again during Wednesday's Open taking a magnificent 118.8.0.

The Tek Neek Trabucco Elton regular pulled out peg 30 on Skylark and took approx. 30.0.0 of carp inside on pellet. Then for the remainder went out to 15 metres on meat up in the water over loose fed casters.

Weights were exceptional and Drennan North West's John Chapman needed 99.3.0 to clinch second place. In corner peg 18 on Partridge Lake it was more of a mixed bag catching tight to the boards on meat and best fish a common of 6.0.0.

Saturday's match - Partridge & Skylark (66 pegs): 1 Dave Harris, Diawa Cleveland, 78.8.0; 2 Brian Sowerby, Knaresborough, 77.4.0; 3 John McGarrell, Map Elton, 63.14.0.

Then at the Oaks Sessay on Thursday, Dean Smith notched up his second win in two days storming ahead of the field with 71.6.0 during their match on Maple Lake.

Dean was in a confident mood and took small carp up to 2.0.0 working the pellet on the far side ledge at 13 metres off peg five.

Best of the rest: John Allerton took a level 57.0.0. The Tri Cast Whizzo ace on peg 27 went across at 13 metres finding nothing bigger than small carp up to the pound mark on pellet and maggot.

The rest of the competitors didn't stand a chance during Sunday's Oaks Open when once again Dean zoomed to the top of score sheet catching 72.8.0.

Tactics changed slightly for the carp ace as the caster ruled. Pole fishing at 12m across off peg 59 it was mostly small carp but a few bonus samples weighed in at 4.0.0.

Trout News

Sport has improved at Leighton Reservoir with the onset of cooler windy weather. A big rainbow of 14.3.0 fell to an orange gold head for Keighley's John Regan. While Ken Storr of Guisborough grassed a 14 pounder, which accepted a cat's whisker. 143 rods - 334 trout. Best lures Dawson's olive bibio and viva.

Tunstall: Daddy longlegs and hoppers most productive. No big fish taken - reservoir offering a rod average of 2.5 fish. Highlights 8 fish bag limits for John Ratcliffe and Alan Hooper of Consett.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Bradford No1 AA Charity Rosebowl River Calder. *NFA Disabled National Championships Makins Fishery, Wolvey, Leicester. *Woodland Lakes Open (71 pegs) - Tickets on 01845 / 526110. *Thornaby Town Open Lower Tees at Bassleton.

Sunday: *Idle & Thackley Open River Swale at Swainby - Tickets on 01274 / 618569. *Drennan Super League (5) Tees Yarm. *Ripon Piscatorials Alma Cup River Ure (80 pegs) - Barn Island to Bishop Monkton. *Busters AC Tees, Over Dinsdale. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake.