Angling

Northumbrian Water is restricting all public access to its sites until further notice.

After consultation with the Environment Agency the opening of the fishing season on Kielder Water and the reservoirs at Derwent, Fontburn, Grassholme, Hury, Blackton and Scaling Dam has now been postponed until Thursday, April 12. This date may be subject to further change dependent on future directives.

Masham's popular Leighton Reservoir is also closed along with Bellflask Tanfield and Lockwood Beck Fisheries.

Commercial fisheries well away from livestock farms remain open and attendances are growing as anglers seek a day's fishing.

The Woodland complex at Carlton Miniott attracted rods in numbers at the weekend and in Saturday's Open venue expert John Allerton notched up yet another 'Woodland' success recording 18.2.0.

Hard frosts checked sport and John had to pull out all the stops swapping between bomb and waggler on single maggot to extract all small carp from Partridge Lake's peg 24.

Mark Tompling was sent reeling into second place on 13.11.0 after losing six hefty fish.

The RAFA Leeming regular sat on Skylark's peg nine and was left with five carp to waggler fished maggot but included a big one of 6.0.0.

Others: Phil Smith (Dick Clegg Metro) 12.5.0 and Ray Singh (Elton Tackle) 8.12.0.

On Sunday competitors were faced with a severe frost and as a result the match was spread over five lakes - Dragonfly, Mallard, Partridge, Skylark and Partridge - in areas which escaped the ice.

The feature lakes with islands produced the best action highlighted by some big mirror carp up to 12.8.0.

Gordon Poole of Leeds proved too hot for the rest hauling out a tremendous bag of 59.8.0.

Pulling out Swallow Lake's peg eight single maggot on the pole worked at 13 metres brought 24 carp - his biggest a mirror of 7.0.0 - to sweep the board at the weigh in.

The runner-up came from Dragonfly 21. Robin Pickles of KL Tackle located quality carp eight in all on the 16 metre pole & maggot for 23.9.0 from Dave Smiddy (Newman Scott) 13.6.0 and John Parkinson (Darlington Angling Centre) 9.8.0.

Results - Woodland's midweeker - Partridge & Skylark: 1st Mick Barwick (Elton Tackle) 21.10.0; 2nd Peter Jones (Map Elton) 18.2.0; 3rd Derek Thompson (Ripon) 16.14.0; 4th John Allerton (Tri-Cast Elton) 15.2.0.

Arctic conditions prevailed at Wheldrake's Raker Lakes Open on Sunday. Set on Horseshoe Lake anglers had to smash the ice in order to compete.

Eddie Preston of Leeds drew the fancied peg 21 and duly delivered 18.8.0

The 13 metre pole & single maggot presented down the ledge attracted six carp but surprisingly a perch of 3.6.0 made up the rest of his catch.

Best of the rest: Steve Hodson (RSPS) 7.14.0; tying John Haw (Acomb Tackle) & Les Swain (Leeds) 6.1.0.

At the Oaks Fishery on Poplars Lake Sessay Headingley Angling Centre's Mick Herrington needed only 6.2.0 to dispose of the opposition.

Pushing tight to the island from peg 46, five carp came to the pole and maggot his best fish of 5.0.0 proving crucial.

In total contrast Rab Ogalvey of the Oaks managed 12 but fell well short totalling 4.15.0.

The new 65 peg match only Maple Lake opens this weekend at Sessay with the 1st round of the Teesside League.

Jubilee Trout Lakes at Redworth Darlington are staying open as the fishery rear their own fish and there are no animals on site.

Alan Corps of Wingate landed the heaviest rainbow of 11.11.0 last week to a black buzzer.

Cats whisker and bloodworm also proving successful as the venue boasted a 2.5 rod average