Woodland Lakes at Carlton Miniott, near Thirsk hit top form during Saturday's Open staged on Skylark and Partridge Lakes, writes JEFF HERBERT.

Perfect conditions warm and overcast resulted in a staggering 1,550lbs of fish and 40.0.0 required for tenth position.

Keenets North West star John Chapman notched his second win in consecutive weeks storming ahead of the sell out field bagging a super haul of 64.8.0.

On Skylark Lake's peg 20, a good draw, John was two hours into the match and going nowhere with just 4 fish in the keepnet.

Working with pole and meat at 11 metres John's swim suddenly came to life and apart from a few tench it was all carp in a frantic late burst right up to the whistle. Highlight proved a mirror nudging 8.0.0.

Runner-up and best weight off Partridge Castleford's Malcolm Bailey who recorded 47.2.0. The short approach off peg eight feeding pellets and using mainly paste on the hook brought all carp at five and six metres.

Others in the frame: Peter Close (Darlington Angling Centre) 45.7.0; Ian Bowman (Maver Barnsley Blacks) 44.14.0; Paul McBrinn (Normark) 43.3.0.

Woodland Lakes midweeker (46 rods): 1st M Jackson (Wansbeck & Cramlington) 40.10.0, peg 3 Swallow carp pole meat & Paste; 2nd R. Ross (Riccall AC) 39.13.0; 3rd N. Lloyd (Grove Park Liverpool) 39.11.0.

In the Yarm AA ACA Open on the lower Tees at Yarm and Bowesfield Darren Campbell hooked the matches only bream and at 6.8.0 it put him firmly in the driving seat.

Staked on Bowesfield's peg 70 the Cleveland Angling Centre man introduced four balls of groundbait at 13 metres then poled it throughout.

The welcome specimen fell to worm and red maggot while squatt added a mixture of roach and perch for 9.3.0 at the conclusion.

Saturday's winner Yarm's Scott Douglas just missed out on a weekend double.

Drawing upstream of Nellies Beck on peg 92 he found all roach on the eight metre pole and red maggot for 8.6.0 edging out Derek Reaney of Newman Scott a mere one ounce adrift.

Yarm - Saturday's Open, River Tees Yarm: 1. S. Douglas (Yarm) 6.11.0; 2. P. Nesbitt (Darlington Angling Centre) 5.4.0; 3. D. Smiddy (Newman Scott) 4.7.0.

A few big carp showed to make the scoresheet look respectable during the Darlington Brown Trout Burgess Memorial spread between Willowgarth, Lane Fox and Snipe Lane Ponds but for most it was a long difficult day.

A mirror and common carp of similar size elevated Fred Simpson of Darlington into top spot. Drawing on Willowgarth behind the island floatfished meat then corn tamed the match clinching duo which took the scales to 15.5.0.

Fellow Darlington rod Bob Batty made his only bit count landing a common of 8.4.0 to ledgered meat from Lane Fox Pond.

At the Oaks Lakes Sessay hot news is the red hot form peg 62 on the match lake Maple which just keeps on producing the winners.

Tri Cast Calders Steve Crossley was the latest delighted angler to pull out the magic number and the winning trend continued with a prime carp bag of 52.9.0.

The deadly tactic the 16 metre pole down the nearside into the corner delivered carp to 4.0.0.

Mr Consistent Mark Calvert of Newman Scott followed. Sat on peg 22 ledgering chopped worm into the channel and across accounted for small carp to the tune of 33.0.0.

Teams were in action for the North Central League. In round three Lingerfield Gravels proved a hard nut to crack even the venue's specimen carp failed to respond as competitors searched for bites.

Individually Dave Higgins of Claro Yorkshire Team surprised the rest winning with a chub brace on the feeder and maggot for 7.0.0 off peg 33 on the rifle range.

The same area also produced for Wetherby's Nick Sutton when groundbait feeder and red maggot attracted a lone bream of 4.6.0.

Thirsk headed a very low points day scoring 52 and at the halfway stage Knaresborough Piscatorials lead the table on 160 points.

League to date: 1st Knaresborough Piscatorials 160 pts; 2nd Claro Y. Tea 149; 3rd Ripon 142; 4th Thirsk 115; 5th Boroughbridge Musketeers 97; 6th Wetherby 81.

Then on the Aire and Calder Canal Round 4 of the North Central League went ahead as the scheduled River Wharfe at Wetherby was still out of bounds due to foot-and-mouth restrictions.

Claro Yorkshire Tea's Martin Dodsworth forged ahead netting 7.4.0. On peg 271 at Beavers Bridge - the match length's end peg on the day - pole & pinkie at seven metres tempted lots of small roach up to 6ozs for an enjoyable session.

Keith Lamb of Ripon certainly played it differently. A big lobworm on the bomb cast to the farside located perch and Keith took specimens to 1.0.0 finishing off with 5.3.0.

Claro jumped ahead overall as Knaresborough crashed to a disastrous 5th on the day.

Placings to date: 1st Claro Y Tea 220 pts; 2nd Knaresborough Piscatorials 216; 3rd Ripon Piscatorials 196; 4th Thirsk 180; 5th Boroughbridge Musketeers 171; 6th Wetherby 153.

Trout News

Leighton Reservoir giving rainbows to 8.0.0 and 70 fish over 3.0.0 last week. 153 visitors landed 455 trout.

Best flies damsel, muddlers and Dawsons olive.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Yarm AASummer Series (5) Lower Tees at Bowesfield. *Woodland Lakes Open - Tickets from Alan Gregory on 01845 526110

Sunday: *Thornaby AA P Robinson Memorial Trophy River Tees Bowesfield. *Ripon Pisc. Navigation Cup R Ure. *Durham City AC Open (100 pegs) River Wear. Tickets 0191 / 3784050. *Tadcaster APA Open R. Wharfe at Smaws Ings (70 pegs).