The opening round of the Drennan Super League Northern Division on the river Tees resulted in a bream explosion on the lower reaches at Bowesfield, writes JEFF HERBERT.

The inclusion of extra pegs below Hawthorne bend had competitors thinking they were in Ireland!

Dave Walker under Newman Scott Red had a bite first put in on the pole and never looked back. Working at 12 metres in 10ft depth good skimmers fed mainly to double red maggot. At the whistle a delighted Dave put 19 pristine conditioned Tees skimmers onto the scales for an historic 28.10.0.

Next in the frame came Colin Huggins of Cleveland Angling Centre who finished just behind. Fishing 4 pegs from the winner he found a better stamp totalling 17 for 27.11.0 on similar tactics from Dunelm's Paul Todd who relied on the feeder producing 20 for 24.5.0.

A few bigger bream of 6.11.0 and 5.2.0 were landed but the match which everybody will be talking about for a long time saw quality skimmers galore and ten double figured nets.

Other individuals: Dave Bell (North Ormesby Institute) 20.6.0; Peter Close (Darlington Angling Centre) 19.11.0; Andy Sinclair (Dick Clegg Metro) 18.0.0.

Cleveland Angling Centre and Newman Scott Blue were inseparable on 56 points from third Dunelm 48, fourth Dick Clegg Metro 47, fifth Big Waters 43, sixth Newman Scott Red & Darlington Angling Centre 41, eighth North Ormesby Institute & Northallerton Angling Centre 40 and tenth Yarm AA 32.

Match fishing got underway on the River Ure but low clear conditions restricted sport during the Ripon Piscatorials Garbutt Cup. The event proved a scratching affair by this venue's normally high standards and chub boosted nets.

It was left to local Nick Wallinger to show the rest the way home lifting the trophy with 13.2.0 from a peg on the Sharow Bank below the new bypass bridge.

Switching between stickfloat feeder and bomb on red maggot Nick coaxed out seven chub along with a few dace and grayling from the shallow gravel run off.

Marsh Tackle's Kevin Moore followed. Working a swim above Barn Island resulted in a mixed net to include three chub an eel and dace and grayling for 11.14.0 all falling to waggler and sweetcorn approach.

Best of the rest: Steve Aldridge (Aireborough) 7.8.0; Keith Mottram (Aireborough) 5.8.0.

On the Woodland complex at Carlton Miniott Saturday's sell out open witnessed incredible sport on Partridge and Skylark Lakes as every seven peg section required over 25.0.0 for a 'brown envelope'.

It was tight at the top and continued right through the pecking order.

Steve Fearnley of Team Normark emerged the winner bagging 44.2.0. On Skylark's 10 Steve was into carp from the off catching on paste at both five and six metres pulling out mirror carp up to 6.0.0.

Pushing him all the way Map Elton's Dave Gill recorded 42.6.0. It was almost an action replay off Skylark's peg five weighing in all carp close in on the pole.

The midweeker on the island filled lakes of Dragonfly, Mallard and Swallow saw competitors battling for every extra bite.

Map Elton's Lindon Roberts eventually disposed of the rest with 38.14.0.

Long pole tactics and meat tight to the island off Mallard 14 located plenty of carp biggest a common of 6.0.0 along with a sprinkling of tench.

Runner up Paul Jones literally had his back to the winner. Fishing Swallow 7 pole and meat brought plenty of small carp up to 4.8.0 for 38.9.0 from Ian Brayshaw 38.1.0.

At the Oaks Lakes Sessay Team Oaks Rab Ogilvy continues his domination on Maple Lake taking Sunday's Open with plenty to spare.

Drawing peg 24 Rab cupped corn over the bottom of the far ledge and then proceeded to pick up quality carp on the pole at ten metres for 37.4.0.

Harrogate's John Brain alternated near and farside on pole and pellet to return 29.12.0 off peg 32.

Oaks Thursday Evening Open Maple Lake: 1st N. Johnson (Map Elton) 36.13.0. All carp off peg 13 on pole paste & corn over pellets. 2nd A Hampson (Normark) 36.4.0. 3rd P. Starbuck (Diawa Goldthorpe) 36.3.0.

Other results - Carpvale (Wednesday) Open Moor Monkton: 1st G. Watson (Leeds) 31.8.0. 2nd J. Clarke (Leeds) 30.10.0; 3rd M. Laverick (York) 30.1.0.

Yarm Open Lower Tees Bowesfield: 1st B. Blythe (Newman Scott) 4.7.0. 2nd P. Nixon (Newman Scott) 3.8.0. 3rd D. Smiddy (Newman Scott) 2.12.0.

Harrogate & Claro Open Lingerfield Gravels: 1st Paul Bennell (Leeds) 8.3.0 - 2 bream to groundbait & red maggot off the Yacht club bank. 2nd Graham Cooper (Leeds) 2.10.0. 3rd Neil Milstead (Harrogate & Claro) 2.5.0.

Trout News

Masham's Leighton Reservoir fishing well 70 trout over 3.0.0. G Stephenson (Thornaby) and I. McQuillan (Stockton) took rainbows of 8.0.0 apiece.

A warm westerly breeze resulting in lots of fish falling to dry flies - bibio, black & peacock, muddlers & Dawsons olive the pick. 142 rods totalled 340 trout.

Fixtures - Tomorrow: *Woodland Lakes Open - ring 01845 526110.

Sunday: *Darlington BT Annual Cup Willowgarth & Snipe Ponds. *Bradford No. 1 AA Centenary & Abu Trophies R. Nidd Cowthorpe. *Thornaby AA July Cup Bowesfield. *Ripon Piscatorials Simpson Cup R. Ure Hutton Beck to Barn Island. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake.