It was a tremendous accolade for the area that the National Water Industry Coarse Fishing Championships, now in its 25th year, was held on the Lower reaches of the Tees at Bowesfield, writes Jeff Herbert.

Since the introduction of the Barrage in 1994 the fishing has improved dramatically on the Tees and it's now becoming a first class fishery attracting prestigious National events and it's surely only a matter of time before a NFA National or a Home international fixture comes to the North-East. 14 teams of six anglers covered the match at Bowesfield downstream to the A66 Bridge on the Durham bank. Ironically competitors desperately needed extra water for the venue to show it's true potential during this Water Industry event. Nevertheless there were double figures to be had for those fortunate enough to be drawn on skimmers

with Environment Agency North East pair Steve Williamson and Darren Starkey first and second in the individual stakes. Leader Steve weighing in 17.3.0 sat on the shallows A6 below Bassleton Wood bend and waited 30 minutes before the action started. Working groundbait feeder packed with chopped worm and caster down the middle 16 skimmers responded to double red maggot before vanishing as quickly as they arrived. Yorkshire Water lifted the Teams of six Trophy scoring 67 pts well ahead of the other 13 squads headed by Environment Agency Wales on 59 points.

Others: R Hoyle (Yorkshire Water) 13.8.0; G Carter (E.A Anglian) 12.7.0; P Turner (E.A North East) 11.1.0; Teams: 1 Yorkshire Water 67 pts; 2 E.A Wales 59; 3 Thames Water 58; 4 E.A North East 56; 5 Northumbrian Water 55.

There can't be many better venues than the middle Tees at Over Dinsdale, which constantly throws up bumper nets with all sorts of species present. In the Durham County Individual Championships saw Albert Hill's Micky Turner lifted the Durham title ahead of 13 double figured returns taking 22.15.0 despite two foot of extra water. Big surprise came from Micky's tactics and peg, neither fancied from the coloured river. Fishing two below Middleton weir using the pole with caster and maggot he landed a 4.0.0 barbel along with an assortment of dace roach chub grayling and perch. On a day when the leading four jockeyed for positions Peter Bainbridge slipped just 4ozs below the winner to take next best on 22.11.0.

For Peter roach and dace proved the mainstay as stickfloat caster and maggot produced from a swim downstream of the Tollbridge.

The Thornaby AA September Cup on the Tees between Croft and Hurworth

produced an impressive winning weight but generally extra water checked catches with fish put off by the peaty stained river. Thornaby's Bill Lennard kept up his good form with a crushing 18.12.0 victory. On peg 32 along the island side a noted draw when there's extra water in Bill edged the stickfloat and maggot into mid river feeding groundbait with caster and hemp and netted dace throughout supplemented by two 12oz chub. Dave Nicholson of Darlington followed well adrift on 8.8.0. Staked on top of the island side Dave took three chub on bomb and bread from farside cover adding dace down the edge on stickfloat and caster from Cyril Close Shildon 5.13.0. Moving onto the River Ure. For the fourth round of the North Central League Claro gave a super performance to get right back into contention for the title taming an up and coloured river around Ripon.

Main man John Brain drew two below the Skellmouth. Feeder and caster across to farside cover accounted for 3 chub adding dace and grayling on the stickfloat and maggot down the edge for 12.0.0.

Teams on the Day: 1 Claro 80 pts; 2 Boroughbridge 69; 3 Thirsk 63.

League to date: 1 Boroughbridge 280; 2 Claro 279; 3 Ripon 247; 4 Wetherby 246; 5 Knaresborough 241; 6 Thirsk 225.

Richmond AS Mowatt Cup River Swale at Great Langton results: 1 Ray King 19.15.0 4 chub + dace & grayling; 2 Adrian Lee 8.3.0; 3 Bill McKenzie 4.11.0. Bradford No1AA Hirst Cup River Swale Maunby 1 Dave Pitt (Bradford) 7.13.0 2 chub legered cheese paste; 2 Joan Atkinson (Bradford) 4.9.0;

3 Jim Taylor (RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco) 4.5.0

THE Sixth and final round of the Drennan Northern League staged on Woodland Lakes saw superstars Newman Scott Blue retain their title despite a fourth place on the day.

North Ormesby Institute's Mark Coyne followed in 2nd place with 75.10.0 off Mallard Lake's peg 12 taking carp on the long pole and meat which steered his team to victory on the day.

League individual champion Gerry Bowes of Anglers Services Hartlepool

totalled 50 points along with Darlington's Andy Dargue but clinched the verdict on section wins.

Top 3 Teams on the day: 1 North Ormesby Institute 60 pts; jt 2 Darlington Angling Centre Gold & CAC 56 pts; Final Placings: 1 Newman Scott Blue 325; 2 Darlington AC Gold, 312; 3 CAC 303; 4 Newman Scott Red 288; 5 North Ormesby Institute 270; 6 Anglers Services Hartlepool 265.

CARP SCENE

Woodlands record rose to a colossal 121.0.0 when Map Elton's Mark Coyne worked like a Trojan off Partridge Lake's peg 3 during Saturday's Open.

Swapping between 3 & 7 metres with groundbait and luncheon meat paste apart from odd tench it was quality carp all the way with a common of 8.0.0 the pick. Lower Wharfe Angling Centre's Dave Geldart on Partridge 23 used the same bait but at 11 metres locating quality carp in the 5 to 7.0.0 bracket for 94.0.0 at the scales.

In the Woodlands Matchmen 2002 Final the venues top 20 anglers battled it out for £1,000 and a staggering 1157lbs of fish graced the scales, an average of 65.0.0 a man.

Oaks Sessay Open (Thurs): 1 D Smith (Map Elton) 55.5.0; 2 I Exley (Middy Team Dons) 51.11.0; 3 P Taylor (Map Elton) 49.4.0.

Birkenhead's Ray Williams made the long journey worthwhile winning Sunday's Oaks Open on Maple Lake returning a cracking carp net of 71.10.0.

Trout News

Monster rainbow trout emerged from Redworth's Jubilee Lakes as Durham's Paul Richardson grassed a specimen of 21.12.0 to a black buzzer. Andrew Wilson of Whickham opted for a damsel to tempt another rod bender of 19.7.0 both catching their fish not 10 yards apart within an hour of each other.

Copper buzzers doing well along with black buzzers and damsels.

Leighton Reservoir: Hitting great form with 57 limit bag - 170 visitors took

355 fish. C Brown of Thirsk took the best rainbow of 9.0.0 presenting a Dawsons olive near the inlet.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Northallerton & DAC River Swale Scruton at Far Fairholme. Tickets on 01609 / 778031. *Thornaby AA David McGibbon / McCulloch Memorial Junior Match Ascot Pond. *Sat / Sun World Angling Championships River Modego Portugal.

Sunday: River Ure Champs 200 pegs Ripon. Tickets 01765 / 605467. *Yarm AA Alan Wells Memorial Lower Tees. *DBT Scottish and Newcastle Trophy River Tees Coniscliffe at Croft.

*Thornaby AA Bob Alexander elegates Cup River Tees at Croft.

*Black Ox AC Swale Cup River Swale at Far Fairholme *Buster Tees Over Dinsdale *River Wear WL (1).