It was the final round of the North East Winter League fished on the Tees at Yarm on Sunday.

Diawa Cleveland became the new title holders rounding off the series in fine style with a winning team performance on the day and then finishing champions with a magnificant 12 point score overall from nearest rivals Shimano Quaker on 18.

In the individual stakes Yarm Flynn's Mick Broadley enjoyed his second victory of the series when he returned 15.8.0 more than enough to stay comfortably ahead.

On peg 39 at Wards Lane, Mick worked two lines on the stickfloat and maggot collecting all small dace to win the Derek Thompson Memorial Trophy, which was fished alongside the winter league, in remembrance of the tragic death of Derek during last season's final.

Joint runners up were Newman Scott rods Phil Arnold and Dave Smiddy who both had 11.15.0 apiece.

Phil on the peg below the winner, netted dace and two small chub to pole and maggot while Dave above Nellis beck replied with all dace with more of the same tactics.

Top teams on the day: 1 Diawa Cleveland 83 pts; 2 Yarm Flynns 76; 3 Shimano Quaker 68 & jt 4th Newman Scott and Dick Clegg Metro 67.

Overall placings: 1 Diawa Cleveland 12 pts; 2 Shimano Quaker 18; 3 Newman Scott 21; jt 4th Yarm Flynns and Shotton 31; 6 Dick Clegg Metro 34; 7 Billingham Tackle Box 41; 8 Stokesley 44; jt 9th Northallerton & Quaker Tackle 51; 11 Dunelm 60.

Christmas is fast approaching and the festive spirit is already spilling over onto the river banks with many of the region's clubs staging their Xmas Cheer Fur & Feather Matches.

Specimen chub figured on the middle Swale during Idle & Thackley's Xmas bash and man of the match Brotherton's Simon McArdle put 6 onto the scales for an impressive bag of 25.7.0.

Drawing in the willows upstream of Maunby Ironbridge, Simon tempted all his fish on the bomb and cheese from under nearside cover.

For Stockton's John Milligan the magic wasp grub on the feeder came up trumps resulting in five chub totalling 16.7.0 from above Kirby Grove Island.

RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Ray King pushed firmly out in front during the Richmond AS Xmas event on the Upper Swale weighing in 25.2.0.

Opting for waggler and maggot below Red House Farm at Easby he caught 6 chub and included a super one of 5.7.0 to leave Darlington's Graham Jones trailing well behind with 7.9.0 of grayling.

Further downstream at Scruton, Northallerton and District's Fur and Feather proved a close affair.

Darlington's Mick Bedford floatfished caster and maggot opposite Bramper Farm to tame seven chub for a level 18.0.0 while Club Chairman Rex Dale swapped between bread and wasp grub landing 6 for 17.14.0.

However big surprise of the day came when Darlington's Tom Atkinson landed a common carp of 4.8.0 in his otherwise chub and grayling net for 16.8.0.

A combination of chub and grayling provided plenty of sport during Darlington's Xmas Cheer on the Tees between Coniscliffe to Croft.

Scene of the main action centred around the Orchard run off above the Skernemouth when Darlington's Dave Firth amassed 19.14.0 as the feeder and bread over to far bank willows produced eight chub.

In contrast Middlesbrough's Dave Alderson had all grayling taken below the A1 Bridge at Coniscliffe. Stickfloat and maggot accounted for 20 in all for 12.13.0 followed by Steve Chantry of Quaker Tackle 10.9.0 and George Longstaffe of Darlington 10.4.0.

Stockton AA Fur & Feather Tees at Worsall - Tony Thorpe 8.14.0 chub on the feeder and bread.

Carp Scene

Quality fish were the order of the day for Sunday's winner at the Woodland Lakes when Merlin Baits man Phil Shepherd weighed in carp to 6.0.0. Phil drew the popular Kestrel Lake and found a groundbait feeder and corn attack down the middle off peg nine most effective and at the scales registered 44.10.0.

Northallerton's Gary Smith in second place had to work a lot harder for his net and lost out by just 1.0.0. Sticking to the maggot feeder off Partridge 29 Gary located carp upto 3.0.0 for 43.10.0

Wednesday - Curlew Kestrel Partridge Skylark & Wagtail (62 rods): 1 G Jowett (Mason Arms) 38.13.0 all carp off Wagtail 6 on pole & double maggot; 2 S Medd (Billingham Tackle Box) 37.11.0; 3 S Abbott (Harsley) 31.2.0.

Saturday - Curlew Kestrel Partridge Skylark & Wagtail (44 rods): 1 D Taylor (Diawa Goldthorpe) 30.14.0 15 carp + bits off Kestrel 33 to blockend feeder and maggot; 2 C Owen (Wilton AC) 25.11.; 3 G Smith (Northallerton AC) 24.10.0.

It was nail-biting stuff at the Oaks Sessay on Sunday when one ounce split the leading duo.

Tri Cast Whizzo's John Allerton just nicked in netting 30.9.0.

Fishing on peg six on Cedar Pool, John used maggot over pellets at 13 metres taking all carp to the one pound mark and holding off Saturday's Woodlands winner Daryl Taylor whose 30.8.0 consisted of a better stamp of carp.

Oaks Thursday - Cedar Pool: 1 S Rothery (Map Elton) 37.0.0 - carp to pole & maggot at 12 metres; 2 G Thackeray (HAS) 32.15.0; 3 M Sykes, West Park 30.0.0.

Trout News

Redworth's Jubilee Lake has built a reputation for big rainbows and Evenwood's Paul Hull certainly knows how to catch them. On his latest visit a 14.13.0 specimen made it 25 double figured trout from the venue in 2003.

Heaviest rainbow last week was a super fish of 17.13.0 taken by Richmond's Alan Kay on a black buzzer. Rod average 3.6.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Woodland Lakes Open (71 pegs) Tickets on 01845 / 526110.

Sunday: Yarm Fur & Feather Lower Tees.

Bradford No1 AA Daily Mirror Cup River Nidd - Cowthorpe.

Ripon Piscatorials Bramley Trophy Xmas Match River Ure - Barn Island to Bishop Monkton.

Thornaby AA Xmas Cheer Cup River Tees - Croft to Hurworth.

Black Ox AA Fur & Feather Rosebowl Bedale Beck.

York & District AA Fur & Feather Ouse - Fulford.

Oaks Sessay Cedar Pool.

Woodland Lakes.