Aireborough's Nick Smith topped the biggest river turnout of the weekend 61 rods during the Knaresborough Piscatorials Dick Whitehouse Memorial Trophy on the River Nidd recording 9.2.0.

At the bottom of the Sawmills length at Scotton, Nick legered bread off peg 70 and collected three early chub. Then a barren spell prompted a change to stickfloat and maggot and success followed six crucial grayling to ensure his name on the trophy.

Meanwhile on the same stretch Durham's John Hay drew peg 51 and alternated between stickfloat and bomb with red maggot landing grayling and one chub for 8.12.0.

Single specimen fish decided the leading six with the exception of the winner during the Idle and Thackley Open on the Swale fished around Swainby.

The venue was 2.5 foot up but dropping fast and Thornaby's Graham Ellison sat on peg 67 below Kirby Grove Gutter and tempted 3 quality chub on feeder and bread for a match clinching 13.0.0.

Highlight a big late season barbel of 9.4.0 elevated Idle's Charlie Hardaker into second place as he made the most of his only bite on the bomb and cheese off peg 61 as the rest all located big chub.

Others: S Glass (Darlington) 5.6.0 S McArdle (Brotherton) 5.3.0 S Evans (Brotherton) 4.14.0 & P Tinkler (Darlington) 4.10.0.

The Lower Tees was flowing but cold water temperatures restricted variety and mainly chublets fed in the Yarm AA Prince Charles Trophy.

Mark Walker of CAC on the speed sign swim downstream of the Shorde won by a clear pound. Searching midriver on groundbait feeder and chopped worm eight chublets and a sprinkling of small roach and dace totalled 7.2.0.

For Yarm Flynn's Alan Wilcox, three above the Levenmouth, identical tactics produced 6.2.0 to split the CAC teamates as Derek Parrington weighed in 5.5.0.

The Ouse was running 2ft above normal level for the latest Marsh Tackle Winter League series and the first two into the frame both landed welcome bream.

Steve Raper of Hirst Tackle on the famous 220-bungalow peg at Hunters Lodged worked the groundbait feeder and caster with red maggot on the hook locating a 7.0.0 bream backed by roach for 11lbs.

Then Armley's Mick Doyle at Linton on peg 247 secured a smaller bream along with roach for 5.14.0.

Tadcaster APA Open River Wharfe at Smaws Ings: 1 A Wilks (Tadcaster) 8.7.0 Mostly dace plus a few grayling all to stickfloat & maggot; 2 C Burton (Anglers World) 4.12.0; 3 T Gausden (Anglers World) 4.9.0.

Chilling winds saw Wednesday's Woodland Lakes Open decided on the feeder. George Grundy fished a steady match to leave the other competitors comfortably behind returning 39.8.0.

The Thorne anglers on Skylark nine cast the feeder and maggot just short of the middle netting plenty of carp and a few barbel.

It proved the opposite for Diawa Goldthorpe's Daryl Taylor who caught mainly barbel with just odd carp on the maggot off Kestrel 34 for a runner's up bag of 22.4.0.

Continuing with the theme of cold winds and dropping water temperatures Saturday's big field of 75 anglers at the Woodlands complex faced the same conditions and once again it was a patient approach on the tip.

Spread around all the match lakes the majority opted to keep off the feed and fish for bites on the bomb and maggot. Map Elton's Dean Smith on Swallow 15 gave the best display taking 26.14.0 of small carp.

Over on Curlew 22 Phil Sellars of Elton Tackle adopted the same method and edged into next best with another carp net of 21.12.0.

Woodland Lakes Sunday (62 rods): 1 D Pimlott (Elton Tackle) 27.2.0 Kestrel 28 - Carp including a super common of 12.0.0; 2 I Grimshaw (Elton Tackle) 24.3.0; 3 D Watham (Leeds Loonies) 21.4.0.

At the Oaks Tri Cast Whizzo regular John Allerton notched another carp success leading a disappointing entry of 30 on Sunday.

Small carp best to 2.0.0 came to the maggot presented at 13m on the pole from peg 7 for 26.10.0.

Local Chris Hargreaves caught a better stamp with fish to 4.0.0 from the island ledge on maggot but at the scales slipped into 2nd place with 23.8.0.

Oaks Sessay (Thursday) Maple Lake: 1 J Clarke (Bob Co) 18.12.0 - Peg 1 All carp on the pole maggot and corn at 13 metres; 2 K Garside (Shadwell) 15.13.0; 3 J Allerton (Tri Cast Whizzo) 15.7.0.

Jubilee Lakes Redworth - Visitors hindered by strong winds but some anglers doing very well. Trout very high in the water. White goldhead or leadhead patterns such as the zonker, cat's whisker etc doing well on floating or intermediate lines.

Biggest specimens of the week five doubles - best ones grassed by Willington's Terry Ross and Ashington's Greg Johnson who both weighed in fish of 12.8.0 on a green zonker and orange cactus cluster respectively.

Tomorrow, Ferryhill & District AC are holding a Grayling match on their Catterick waters on the Upper Swale. Meet at Swale Lane at 9am. Fishing at 10am. Further details contact Geoff Brewer on 01642 / 645370.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Middlesbrough AC Watson Trophy River Swale - Gatenby to Baldersby. Tickets (01642) 899288. *Woodland Lakes Open. Tickets on (01845) 526110.

Sunday: *Ripon Piscatorials Open River Ure. Tickets (01765) 605467. *Richmond AS Singleton Cup Upper Swale - Great Langton. *York WL River Ouse (5) - Fulford and Middlethorpe. *Thirsk AC Open Cod Beck. *Northallerton & DAC Thompson Cup River Swale - Scruton & Morton. *Thornaby AA Ernie Reynolds Memorial River Tees - Croft to Hurworth. *Woodland Lakes Open.

*Oaks Sessay Open on Maple Lake.