The Stillwater scene took centre stage once again as the region's rivers suffered severe flooding.

The Woodland Lake's complex at Carlton Miniott near Thirsk delivered sensational sport producing 70lb+ winning weights during both Saturday and Sunday's event, writes JEFF HERBERT.

Saturday's Open attracted an impressive 78 rods split between Curlew Kestrel Partridge Skylark and Wagtail and the match was won with a huge bag of carp for 79.5.0.

Man of the match Alan Mendes made no mistake after pulling out Partridge peg 9 the real form area at present. The B.A.S man located quality fish up to 5.0.0 on the pole at 12 metres swapping between corn and maggot to net 25 samples. On the next but one peg 7 Newman Scott's Peter Nixon fished the same to plunder a super carp net of 53.9.0 for runner up spot.

Then on Sunday in the Preston Innovations Teams of 3 at Woodlands Stokesley's Phil Noble led a high scoring 2nd round amassing 75.8.0. Fishing Dragonfly 10 Phil attacked the corner of the island at 16 metres collecting 59 carp the best a ghostie of 6.0.0 adding a lone barbel all to corn. Swallow Lake's peg 8 another corner hotspot came up trumps for Map Elton's Roger Holmes producing 62.7.0. Pushing pole and corn out to 15 metres brought a mixture of tench barbel and lots of carp but pick of his net was a mirror of 7.0.0.

Keenets Elton won on the day scoring 14 points and gaining passage into the prestigious final with round one winners Goolies ahead overall.

Teams on the day: 1. Keenets Elton 14 pts 2. Goolies 18 3. Age Concern 25. League to Date: 1. Goolies 3 pts 2. Keenets Elton 6 3. Tying Stokesley & Odd Balls on 12.

At the Oaks Sessay on Sunday Hirst Tackle's Andy Hampson stormed ahead of the 61 entry recording a small carp catch of 42.14.0 off Maple Lake. Sat on peg 1 Andy fished the pole and maggot down the side tempting fish up to 3.0.0.

Meanwhile runner up Dave Allman of New Phoenix went across on the long pole off peg 22 and into the deeper centre channel in search of sport and returned a net of 30.4.0.

Oaks Sessay Open (Thursday) Maple Lake (37 rods) 1 R Singh (Map Elton) 38.1.0 All carp to pole & corn at 8 metres off peg 21 2 R Ogilvy (Team Oaks) 27.9.0 3 P Cowan (Team Oaks) 24.8.0.

Matches-on-the-Swale, Ouse and Wharfe were off as levels made fishing impossible. The main event locally the NYSD Federation Thompson Memorial on the Tees saw a strong field of 68 competitors despite the weather. The Tees had over 8 foot in on Saturday but come Sunday the Over Dinsdale match length had quickly dropped to just 2 foot above normal.

Dunelm's John Hay managed to winkle out 4 chub to stay head of the rest. Pegged above Rosehill Gutter on peg 81 feeder down the edge resulted in 3 to cheese and the other to bread for 7.2.0.

The next trio all weighed in 2 chub apiece. Chris Brown of Tioxide on peg 6 at Girsby landed the heaviest 4.10.0 to feeder and bread approach from Eddie Bridon (Darlington AC) 4.1.0 and Robbie Turner (Rise Carr) 4.0.0. The Yarm reaches of the Tees were badly out of sorts and chocolate coloured for the Yarm AA Adams Cup.

Newman Scott's Dave Smiddy tamed difficult conditions on the pole and feeder. Drawing 3 above Eaglescliffe golfcourse roach and chublets fell to worm and maggot with most of his 5.13.0 net coming in the final two hours.

The same approach paid off for Rob Walker of Dunelm who was next in the frame. Working opposite Whitehouse Farm on peg 184 he included a pound plus skimmer in his 2.14.0 total from D Cooper (Darlington Ac) 2.10.0. For Bradford No1's Charity Open the Cowthorpe reaches of the lower Nidd had a massive 6 foot of extra water surging through and the 42 competitors took a vote on whether to fish. A tie resulted so half the field were reimbursed and the rest tried their luck.

Aireborough's Derek Emsley on peg 36 in the hut peg legered lobworm securing a barbel of 5.8.0 and a chub for a creditable 8.11.0. Teamate Keith Mottram was left cursing two lost barbel fishing below the footbridge and a single chub of 4.3.0 to the worm proved enough for second place.

In the Knaresborough Piscatorial Open the Sawmills length below the weir proved the best area despite the floodwater.

It was local man Martin Dodsworth who showed the rest how it was done. Fishing a small maggot feeder he tempted three nice grayling but a couple of 2lb+ surprise barbel boosted his weight to 7.15.0 from Tadcaster's Gary Bullock with all grayling for 5.6.0 changing between stickfloat and bomb down the edge.

TROUT NEWS

Strong winds dictated sinking lines during a testing week for trout anglers on Jubilee Lakes at Redworth. Northallerton's Nigel Clarkson grassed the best rainbow of 12.9.0 to a black zonker from Spennymoor's Colin Botton whose specimen of 11.14.0 accepted a black lure.

Best patterns - black zonkers, montana, viva, cats whisker and orange lures. Rod average 3.2.

FIXTURES: Saturday 16 Feb - River Swale Preservation Society Team Masters Middle Swale - Morton Bridge to Baldersby St James (23 teams of 12); Woodland Lakes Open Tel: 01845 526110. Sunday 17 Feb -Ripon Pisc St Wilfrid's Cup River Ure - Hutton Beck to Barn Island. Tickets from Julian Thompson on 01765 605467. Richmond AS February Trophy - Thorpe Perrow; York WL Round 5 River Ouse - Fulford and Middlethorpe; Darlington BT Combined Cup River Tees - Coniscliffe to Croft; Yarm AA Mike Grainge Memorial Open Lower Tees (140 pegs) - Tickets from Yarm Club on 01642 / 786444); Woodland Lakes Open; Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake; Carpvale Pool Open.