Proud Yarm AA can boast yet another National Champion in their ranks.

Stockton's Barry Smith came from nowhere to win Saturday's NFA Division Three National on Stainforth and Keadby Canal beating the 660 entry to record 18.9.12.

It was a hard match for most and Barry drawn on peg two in D section had just a few pole caught roach and perch in his net with barely an hour remaining.

After seeing an eel caught at the adjoining peg, Barry could never have dreamed a swap to groundbait feeder and worm would bring him a gold medal.

Casting across seven bream to 3.0.0 obliged in what must have seemed the fastest 60 minutes in history for a delighted angler who clinched the £2,511 first prize by a comfortable 4.15.0 margin.

Ironically, Yarm's holder of the record weight in a National Rob Stubbs suffered a blank; such are the fortunes of the match circuit as Yarm missed out on promotion finishing 24th in this 55 team event accruing 346 points.

In round five of the Drennan Super League Northern Division Darlington Angling Centre's Peter Close made it two consecutive victories hammering out a stunning 60.11. 0 of Woodlands carp, adding to the previous week's River Wear chub net.

At Partridge Lake's peg 28 Peter using the 'in vogue' cat meat finished over 20.0.0 clear of the rest. Working the Pole at seven metres highlight proved a mirror carp of 7.0.0.

Newman Scott Blue are absolutely flying at present, winning yet again aided by second place Bill Blythe who put 40.3.0 onto the scales. Partridge 22 delivered 18 carp to 7.0.0 on cat meat at four and five metres.

Top three teams on the Day: 1st Newman Scott Blue 65points; 2nd Newman Scott Red 55, and Darlington Angling Centre 50 points.

League: 1st Newman Scott Blue 318points; 2nd Darlington Angling Centre 259; 3rd Cleveland Angling Centre 255; 4th Newman Scott Red 232; 5th Yarm AA 208; equal 6th Dick Clegg Metro and Dunelm 202.

Strong winds ruled out good float presentation in all but the most sheltered swims on an inhospitable River Ure at Ripon during round six of the North Central League.

Thirsk's Dave Wilson below the North Bridge pump house opted for comfort, utilising bomb and double caster approach and took a sensational 3.0.0 roach along with five chub and three grayling for a memorable 13.8.0.

Claro's Dave Hare was nicely tucked in at the Skellmouth and stickfloat and bronze maggot made for an impressive all dace net of 12.10.0.

Teamwise it couldn't have been tighter just 4 points separating the winning team Thirsk from fifth place Knaresborough who hold a slender three points overall advantage from Claro.

Top three teams on the day: 1st Thirsk 68points; 2nd Wetherby 67; 3rd Ripon 66.

Overall: 1st Knaresborough 336; 2nd Claro 333; 3rd Ripon 332; 4th Boroughbridge 319; 5th Thirsk 312; 6th Wetherby 271.

Match fishing finally returned to the middle Tees when Thornaby AA staged their September Cup back on the usual Croft match length.

Weights were not as big as anticipated as cold water effected sport however the top seven all broke double figures.

Darlington's Dave Firth headed the frame taking 15.9.0 from a swim on the willows length. Fishing a third of the way across on waggler and caster a real bonus presented itself in the form of a 8.13.0 bream backed by a steady succession of dace.

Opposite the second island Brotton's George Pierce edged stickfloat and caster through his shallow swim picking up dace chublets and grayling totalling 13.3.0.

Other results - Woodland Lakes Open (Wednesday) 67 rods, Partridge and Skylark: 1st A Barker (Miracle Baits) 45.10.0; 2nd D. Taylor (Map Elton) 42.1.0; 3rd G. Bowes (Dick Clegg Metro) 39.10.0.

Saturday's Open - Partridge and Skylark Lakes - 60 rods: 1st J. McGarrell (Map Elton) 58.10.0; 2nd L. Roberts (Map Elton) 54.9.0; 3rd S. Wood (Map Elton) 51.6.0.

Oaks Sessay Open (Sunday) Maple Lake - 51 rods: 1st B. Poole (Dam Brighouse) 32.4.0; 2nd P. Cowan (Oaks) 29.8.0; 3rd P. Sharpe (Leeds) 28.10.0.

Carpvale Open (Wednesday) 31 rods, Moor Monkton: 1st M. Laverick (Selby) 57.4.0; 2nd G. Lake (York) 43.4.0; 3rd S. Archer (Leeds) 28.8.0.

Bradford No1 AA Hirst Cup Raskelf Lake: 1st A. Sugden (Bradford) 9.13.0. brace of 3.0.0 tench + small roach on pole and maggot off peg four; 2nd P. Connelly (Bradford) 7.5.0; 3rd G. Westerman (Leeds) 7.1.0.

Leeds Open River Ouse at Aldwark: 1st S. Jeffries (Armley) 6.1.0. including a bream of 5.0.0 plus two perch all to groundbait feeder and caster; 2nd C. Stokes (Armley) 3.10.0; 3rd N. Rance (Darlington Angling Centre) 3.1.0.

Trout News

Leighton Reservoir produced a big rainbow of 13.0.0 last week for Thirsk's Roy Golding. The happy angler tempted the hard fighting specimen on a mallard and claret fly. The venue certainly came up trumps relinquishing others to the tune of 9.8.0 and 9.0.0 in a week of 78 limit bags.

Muddlers, Dawson's olive, all fritz patterns, daddy longlegs and sedges proving deadly. 134 visitors totalled 514 trout.

Fixtures

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

Sunday: *Yarm AA Alan Wells Memorial Lower Tees. *Darlington BT Scottish and Newcastle Trophy R. Tees at Coniscliffe. *Ripon Pisc. River Ure Champs Tickets on 01765 605467. *Thornaby AA Bob Alexander Cup Delegates Tees at Croft. *River Wear Champs (120 pegs) Shincliffe to Chester Moor Tickets on 0191 3784050. *Tadcaster APA Open River Wharfe at Smaws Ings. *Oaks Sessay Open on Maple Lake.