The New Year match calendar traditionally opens with the big River Swale Preservation Society Mike Winney Memorial, now in its 12th year, writes JEFF HERBERT.

The Swale between Morton Bridge and Asenby was still carrying 2 feet of extra level due to the prolonged wet weather.

Crofts Bobby Jordan runner up three times finally got his name on the prestigious trophy taming a swollen river and recording 13.14.0.

Pegged 2 above the island at Asenby Bobby kept things tight utilising feeder and wasp grub to pick up 5 chub at hourly intervals and beat the opposition by a tight margin of 4ozs.

Darlington's Barry Stephenson was left cursing 2 lost chub. In Barkers Corner deeps below Morton Bridge chub and grayling came to a combination of wasp grub and maggot on the feeder for 13.10.0.

Talk of the match Darlington's Bob Batty whose 6.3.0 net consisted of 3 huge roach, a species rarely caught on the Swale nowadays and certainly not of such a specimen size.

At the finish the event including raffle raised £230 towards future restocking.

Others: Jim Taylor (RSPS) 10.12.0, Simon McCardle (Brotherton) 10.8.0, Roy Chapman (Darlington) 8.4.0.

Teams of four: 1. Darlington Grubbers 20.8.0, 2. RSPS 17.11.0.

Marsh Tackle's Terry Morgan looks bang on form to lift Yorkshire Water's River Championship. The talented tyke notched his 3rd Ripon Piscatorials Open bagging 17.15.0 and looks firm favourite for the £1000 jackpot.

In the cages at Hewick Bridge he fed heavily with mashed bread in the opening 90 minutes and eventually gained the chub's attention. Bomb and bread tempted 3 while the other 3 fell to waggler and caster.

Next it was a grayling bonanza for Dougie Forkin of Yeadon. Fishing the pump house run off stickfloat and red maggot produced an impressive 30 samples totalling 13.6.0 from Paul Wood Aireborough and Ian Waler Lower Wharfe tying on 8.4.0.

A perfect winter level greeted competitors during the Yarm AA Huck Memorial Trophy on the lower Tees but surprisingly weights were low.

Fisheries bend below the Town bridge proved the hotspot. Darlington's Andy Dargue on peg 135 alternated worm and maggot on the feeder down the middle taking chublets and odd roach but thanks to a chub of 2.0.0. he sealed victory at the scales on 5.4.0.

MNS rods then dominated the scoresheet led by Derek Reaney who adopted identical tactics off peg 131 - 4 above the winner - netting a small silver fish return of 4.10.0 from Bill Blythe 4.7.0 and Barry Smith 4.2.0.

On the Ouse it was icy cold and 3 feet up for the second round of the York Winter League and competitors found it hardgoing with many dry nets.

The match was decided by a perch net of 4.30. weighed in by Peter Johnson of the Railway Institute.

Working peg 60 in the top field at Middlethorpe pole and chopped worm proved spot on locating small fish at intervals.

Team winners on the day Bar Six saw Carl Pringle secure runner up spot thanks to just one fish. Feeder and worm accounted for a priceless bream of 3.13.0 off peg 23.

Top teams on the day: 1. Bar Six 8.8.0. 2. Railway Institute 5.10.8. 3. Acomb Tackle 4.9.0.

Placings: 1. Bar Six 39 pts 2. Acomb Tackle 35 pts 3. Railway Institute 34.

Round up: Woodlands Complex at Carlton Miniott - all matches staged on Skylark Partridge and Kestrel Lakes. Wednesday's open - 62 rods: 1st Keith Norbury Hemsworth 5.7.0; 2nd Bill Blythe MNS 5.1.0; 3rd Kenny Ovendon MNS 4.8.0.

Saturday - 60 rods: 1st T Hammond Wakefield 19.7.0; 2nd D Wooley Wakefield 18.1.0; 3rd C Huddersfield 17.8.0.

Sunday - 45 rods: 1st S Baker Limetree Park 18.14.0; 2nd G Poole Leeds 3.8.0; 3rd D Armitage Hurst Tackle 2.4.0.

Others - Carpvale Open Sunday at Moor Monkton: 1st G. Smith 21.8.0; 2nd A Sparling 14.4.0; 3rd D Wright 12.7.0.

Wetherby and District Open R. Wharfe: 1st G Lewis Otley 4.12.0; 2nd M Bacon Castleford 3.11.0; 3rd D Birdsall Shadwell 2.11.0.

McCain teams of six - Round One on Birkdale Fishery at Terrington: 1st Steve Drayton GB Rods 16.10.0 4 carp biggest 6.0.0; 2nd Ian Umpleby Union 3.13.0; 3rd Terry Thomas GB Blue 3.1.0.

League placings: 1st Ripon Fisheads & Union both on 17 points; 3rd GB Blue 19; 4th DN Angling 24; 5th GB Reds 27; 6th Wolds Warriors 29.

l Ferryham Angling Association has vacancies for new clubs and membership offers nearly three miles of prime fishing on various sections of the River Wear. For further information telephone Bill Curtis on (01325) 320291.

Visitors to Redworth's Jubilee Lakes are still catching plenty of quality rainbow trout despite fluctuating temperatures.

Black buzzers, hares ear and damsel patterns most successful.

Several double figured specimens last week Brian Corkhill from Gateshead grassed the heaviest of 14.1.8 on a damsel. Rods averaging 3.2 fish a session.

Fixtures - tomorrow: Woodland Lakes Open - tickets on 01845 526110.

Sunday: *Yarm AA Teams Fundraiser Open Lower Tees (140 pegs); *Knaresborough Piscatorials Open R. Nidd - Tickets on 01423 880262; *Middlesbrough AC Lower Tees Bowesfield; *Angling Times Yorkshire WL (4) Ouse at Fulford & Middlethorpe; *NYSD Federation Thompson Memorial R. Tees at Over Dinsdale. Tickets on 01325 262082; *R. Wear Winter League (4) at Chester le Street; *Idle & Thackley AA Open (45 pegs) on the Swale at Swainby - Tickets on 01274 618569; *Boroughbridge AC Open (60 pegs) R. Ure. Tickets on 01423 340224; *Tadcaster APA Open (60 pegs) R. Wharfe at Smaws Ings. Tickets on 01937 832972; *Thornaby AA Robert Buttery Memorial R. Tees - Croft to Hurworth; *Woodland Lakes Open