Floods affected the match angling circuit in more ways than one at the weekend, writes Jeff Herbert..

Saturday's Yarm AA RAFA Open on the Tees and Sunday's Northallerton event on the Swale were cancelled but come Sunday on the lower Tees the third round of the Drennan Northern Division at Bowesfield went ahead with mixed fortunes for the 80 competitors.

League leaders Newman Scott Blue and Red both suffered on a river recovering from floods. The Scotts teams plummeted to 7th & 9th on the day when skimmer bream made for 11 double figured nets.

Yarm AA's Geoff Douglas forged ahead off peg 43 above Thornaby Green bend totalling 15.4.0. Working the pole at 10 metres over groundbait with maggot pinkie and worm ten skimmers and a roach pushed him a pound clear.

Team winners on the day Cleveland Angling Centre saw Steven Bell take second place. Drawn on noted peg 72 below Bassleton Woods a dozen skimmers were located on groundbait feeder and worm for 14.4.0 while Jimmy Messor of Newman Scott Red landed two super Tees bream of 6.11.0 and 6.0.0 only to trail by 3ozs.

Others in the frame: Steve Maitland (Newman Scott Red) 13.9.0; Andy Dargue (Darlington AC Gold) 13.6.0; Scott Lister (Big Waters) 11.8.0.

Top three teams on the day: 1 CAC 57 pts; 2 Yarm AA 50; joint 3 North Ormesby Institute & Darlington AC Gold 47.

League leaders to date: 1 Newman Scott Blue 163 pts; 2 Newman Scott Red 157; 3 Anglers Services Hartlepool 148; 4 CAC 146; 5 Darlington AC Gold 142.

The midweek floods fortunately had peaked and competitors in Sunday's Thornaby AA Stockwell Cup were delighted to see the Croft reaches just two foot above normal and fining off.

Dace and odd roach responded to the extra flow and colour as Thornaby's Bill Leonard put an impressive 20.11.0 onto the scales. On the groynes peg 59 Bill searched the inside crease on stickfloat and maggot and it was all dace apart from two eels and a chub.

The Ringfield at Hurworth produced the next two weights when Darlington's Dave Firth on peg 83 collected dace odd roach and a chub for 11.15.0 adopting the same tactics as the winner.

Best of the rest: Ron Hopkins (Yarm) 11.2.0; Dave Oxley (Darlington) 8.11.0; Mick Broadley (Yarm) 8.0.0.

Dace continue to make a welcome return in catches on the Upper Swale.

Easby's Ray King notched a comfortable victory during Richmond's August Trophy. Fishing between Red House Farm and Broken Brea caravan site Ray edged stickfloat and bronze maggot down the middle tempting 15 quality dace and two good chub for 14.4.0 from Andy Jones (Richmond) 9.7.0 Steve Hoggins (Newcastle) 4.3.0.

Northallerton and District AC are running their next open on Saturday, August 17 on the Swale between Scruton and Far Fairholme 100 pegs. Draw is at 8.30am at the Swaledale Arms Morton.

Tickets available from Kevin Weighell on (01609) 778031.

Carp Scene

It was bright summer sunshine for Saturday's sell out Open at the Woodlands as the many lakes on the complex returned to normal level following two days of torrential rainfall.

Damien Bracken of Trevs Wilmslow topped a terrific contest weighing in a net bulging 86.5.0. On Partridge 17 Damien loose fed casters and caught up in the water on the worm at 13 metres. A few chub and ide supplemented an otherwise all carp net with specimens up to the 8.0.0 mark.

Then a mixed all small fish return secured next best for Dean Smith who also fished shallow accruing 74.12.0 on the pellet at 13 metres off Skylark 21.

Woodland Lakes (Wednesday) 58 rods: 1 R Singh (Map Elton) 68.9.0; 2 J Allerton (Tri Cast Whizzo) 58.11.0; 3 B Sowerby (Knaresborough) 53.9.0.

Maple Lake hit top form when over 45.0.0 of carp was required to win every section during Sunday's 60 peg Oaks Open at Sessay.

For Andy May of Sensas Daves small carp from the off at peg 38. Using pole and maggot tight across and feeding pellets it was action throughout to finish with 71.3.0.

Danny McQuire included a super ghost carp of 10.0.0 in a mostly small carp bag of 66.8.0 from peg 64 as long pole and worm delivered.

Oaks Sessay (Thursday) Maple Lake: 1 D Smith (Map Elton) 61.14.0; 2 R Holmes (Map Elton) 54.12.0; 3 P Taylor (Map Elton) 51.9.0.

Trout News

Masham's Leighton Reservoir continues to fish very well indeed - 90 rainbows over 3.0.0 last week. 154 anglers shared 463 trout. The best specimen of 7.8.0 grassed by a Mr A Harper of Barnoldswick.

Good numbers of trout showing on the top. Black and peacocks, muddlers and Kate McLarens giving best results.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Yarm AA ACA Open (140 pegs) on the Lower Tees. Tickets on 01642/ 786444. *NFA Embassy Disabled National Woodland View - Droitwich Worcs. *Woodland Lakes Open - Tickets on 01845 / 526110.

Sunday: *Idle & Thackley AA Open 45 pegs River Swale at Swainby. Tickets on (01274) 618569. *Drennan Northern Super League (4) Woodland Lakes. *Ripon Piscatorials Bradford Cup River Ure - Barn Island to Bishop Monkton. *Darlington & District Team Championships Tees - Over Dinsdale. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake.