The River Tees was chocolate stained and flowing hard following torrential overnight rain for the Tees Championships around Yarm, writes Jeff Herbert.

The nearby River Leven was almost over its banks and competitors drawn below the confluence had their work cut out.

Ken Golightly ensured his name went on the coveted trophy bagging the day's only double figured catch of 10.8.0 from a field of 68.

Pulling out the venue's current record peg, 153, two above the Levenmouth, the Newman Scott member set to work on the groundbait feeder and worm across and weighed in an assorted bag of 4 skimmer bream 2 chublets 6 roach and a dace.

Second place Shimano Quaker Match Group's Andy Dargue replied with 9.12.0. Fishing 141 above the concrete jetty a mid river approach on groundbait feeder and worm resulted in two skimmers backed by several roach.

Other individuals: Darren Campbell (CAC) 9.7.0; Chris Hawkes (CAC) 5.15.0.

Teams of four: 1 Gumps Gateaux 15.7.0; 2 Shimano Quaker Match Group Blue 14.1.0.

Moving onto the Swale the upper reaches were just a foot above normal when Darlington's Dave Nicholson hammered home a tremendous chub haul of 40.1.0 to annihilate the opposition during the Darlington Brown Trout Les Ryde Memorial.

Staked upstream of Ellerton on the Blue Board swim Dave netted ten prime specimens, the biggest a whopper of 5.7.0 as seven fell to bread and three to wasp grub packing liquidised bread into the feeder.

After that 16.9.0 secured runner up spot for Darlington's Charlie Hodgson who also opted for feeder and bread approach totalling five chub from peg two at Brompton.

The Ripon Piscatorials Open was moved off the streams to below Hewick Bridge with the Ure nearly 3ft up. Roach showed from several areas but chub decided the outcome.

Graham Skirrey of Turners Tackle weighed in 4 quality fish off peg 5A in Bishop Monkton's bridging site field.

Feeder and worm tempted the first chub from the far side. Then switching to a float down the middle using both maggot and grub brought the other three plus a sprinkling of dace to boost his net to 15.2.0.

Local man Alistair Atkinson followed off the diving board peg in Foxtons field putting together 10.2.0 of chub dace and roach to stickfloat and maggot from Paul Wood of Aireborough on 9.12.0.

Other results - Tadcaster Open River Wharfe around Smaws Ings: 1 Bernard Nevison (Glen) 14.4.0 - A carp of 6.14.0, a bream of 6.8.0 & 2 eels to feeder & worm; 2 Scott Lister (Big Waters) 7.10.0; 3 Paul Brown (Tadcaster) 6.0.0.

Northallerton & District Grayling Cup River Swale at Scruton: 1 Craig Whalley (Northallerton) 4.0.0. 12 fish stickfloat & maggot; 2 Cliff Robson (Appleton Wiske) 3.12.0; 3 Keith Atkinson (Darlington) 3.2.0.

Carp Scene

Octoplus Saints Geoff Holland enjoyed his trip over the Pennines recording a runaway victory of 64.3.0 during Woodland Lakes match on Sunday.

Pulling out peg seven on Skylark, a corn attack at 14 metres got the fish interested and quality carp to the tune of 8.0.0 put Geoff well on his way to success.

Curlew Two produced the runner up when Saturday's winner Sensas Garbolino rod Kevin Hill adopted the feeder and maggot bringing in small carp alongside the aerator for 42.6.0.

Saturday's result: Partridge Skylark Curlew Wagtail & Kestrel (98 pegs): 1 Kevin Hill (Sensas Garbolino) Partridge 7 45.4.0 Mainly carp to pole and maggot; 2 John Kenning (Snaith) 38.3.0; 3 Dave Harris Diawa Cleveland, 26.2.0.

Wednesday's match: Partridge Skylark Curlew Wagtail & Kestrel (54 pegs): Jt 1 Keith Mitchell, Selby & Steve Raper, Hirst Tackle, 35.3.0. All carp pole & corn; 3 Lee Barratt, Team Mosella, 35.2.0.

Map Elton's Ian Smith forged ahead at the Oaks Sessay on Sunday bagging 48.8.0 of carp off Maple Lake's peg 57. Ian went out towards the island at 13 metres delivering samples to 4.0.0 all on the maggot.

It was a different story for Stef Armitage of Team Glum who lost several fish. Stef took the maggot and corn out to the middle off peg 47 and tamed carp to 5.0.0 for 33.14.0.

Oaks Thursday: 1 Mark Coyne (Map Elton) 34.4.0 - all small carp off peg 23 to pole & maggot; 2 Ray Singh (Map Elton) 32.12.0; 3 John Kenning (Snaith) 24.4.0.

Jubilee Lakes

A good variety of fly patterns working well at Redworth's Jubilee Lakes, cats whisker and lime and white bunny leech tops while dark coloured patterns such as vivas and pheasant tail nymphs also proving effective.

Best session of the week went to Darlington's Michael Stobie who grassed the biggest rainbow of the week a super specimen of 13.3.0, which accepted a cat's whisker along with another fish of 7.10.0. Others included a fish of 12.1.0 landed by Lee Haslem of Stokesley and one of 11.3.0 taken by Ken Thompson of Fencehouses.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Woodland Lakes Open - Tickets on 01845 / 526110.

Sunday: *Idle & Thackley AA Open River Swale Swainby - Tickets on 01274/618569. *Thornaby AA Presidents Cup River Tees - Croft to Hurworth. *Black Ox AC Bedale Beck Leeming. *North East Winter League River Tees Yarm - Round five. *Harrowgate Hill WMC Tees Over Dinsdale. *Richmond AS November Trophy Upper Swale Gt Langton. *Knaresborough Piscatorials River Nidd Championships - Tickets on 01423/880262. *Bradford City AA Sykes Cup (60 pegs) River Ure Brampton - Tickets on 01423/547537. *Yorkshire WL (3) River Ouse Linton & Hunters Lodge. *Woodland Lakes Open. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake.