Middlesbrough AC's Xmas event on the Middle Swale proved a 'real cracker' delivering 20 double figured bags on a day when 34 of the 50 competitors weighed in a total of 354.11.0 of fish, writes Jeff Herbert.

RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Ian Robinson fished a perfect match pegged opposite Thackeray Culvert on the Maunby length. Casting a maggot feeder tight to farside willows 7 bites resulted in 7 chub for a match clinching 23.6.0.

Bentley Angling Centre man Steve Evans in hot pursuit took 21.13.0 off the Gatenby section. Working the stickfloat and bronze maggot tirelessly through his swim 7 chub and 3 grayling obliged for a runner up net. Others: Paul Werrett (Bentley AC) 17.4.0 Dave Mills (Marsh Tackle) 16.11.0 & Terry Morgan (Marsh Tackle) 15.12.0.

Then on Sunday Thirsk AC's Fur & Feather on a rising Swale ruled out a repeat of the previous day's big weights and anglers in the frame caught early on before conditions deteriorated. First came Darlington's Rob Stubbs who found legered cheese the key to success. Pegged in the 2nd field below Skipton Bridge he tempted 5 chub making for an impressive 14.14.0 from only other double weight Thirsk's Chris Clarke legering bread from Salmon Hall to locate 7 smaller samples for 12.3.0.

Idle & Thackley Xmas Cheer River Swale Swainby 1 Simon McArdle (Brotherton) 16.0.0 - 5 chub to bomb and lobworm approach. 2 Roy Underwood (Chester le Street) 5.4.0.

Chublets provided the mainstay of 11 double figured nets during Yarm AA's Fur & Feather on the Lower Tees and Newman Scott's Derek Fox led a very competitive scoresheet.

Drawing on the noted Fisheries Bend peg 136, Derek started off on the long rod and maggot. Catching only odd fish prompted a switch to the feeder and bread kick starting the bites to take all chublets - best 8ozs - for 13.1.0.

For local tackle dealer Peter Rambow Snr he didn't fancy his chances off peg 130 but was surprised to finish in second place. Utilising the slider float with bread and maggot down the middle collected 12.11.0.

Dirty water entering the match length from the Skerne above Croft road bridge killed sport as pegs 1 - 27 all blanked during the Thornaby AA Festival Cup.

RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Ken Close on peg 28 alongside the big island magically winkled out 2 chub for 5.2.0 casting bomb and bread into a slack.

In contract Darlington's Mick Clitheroe had lots of tiny dace and 2 grayling for 4.15.0. Mick on peg 69 the stump hole towards Hurworth caught down the edge on stickfloat and maggot tactics.

The Barn Island downstream to Bishop Monkton stretch on the Ure was carrying 9" of extra water at the onset of the Ripon Piscatorials Bramley Trophy Xmas Match and the venue rose another 6" throughout.

The top pair both lost a chub apiece and battled it out for success. Knaresborough's Richard Sowerby got the verdict returning 24.12.0. On peg 11A the bridging site length Richard suffered a blank opening hour on the maggot feeder down the middle. Then swapping between single red maggot and caster on the hook 6 chub finally came in bursts.

Bentley AC's Steve Evans second on the Swale on Saturday finished bridesmaid once again. Steve above the diving board island on peg 67 also brought out six chub but slipped to next best with 20.12.0 to feeder wasp grub and caster from Keith Hunt of Ripon 10.6.0.

Wibsey anglers starred on an out of sorts Ouse below York filling the top 3 places and team honours for the 4th round of the Yorkshire Winter League.

Pulling out the end peg on the Palace Ings stretch Wayne Shillito chucked a small groundbait feeder into midriver varying red maggot worm and caster on the hook collecting skimmers roach and hybrids for 9.2.0.

Meanwhile teamate Bob Foster off peg 1 at Fulford picked up 2 decent bream backed by a sprinkling of small roach to feeder and maggot for 8.6.0. Top 3 teams on the day: 1 Wibsey 62 pts 2 AWH York 61 3 Hirst Tackle A 54

League to date: 1 AWH York 6 pts; 2 Wibsey 8; 3 Hirst Tackle A 10; Hirst Tackle B 17; Armley 19 and Marsh Tackle 23.

CARP SCENE

Records tumbled during Woodland's Xmas special with a sensational 126 rods covering the 8 match lakes and rounded off in grand style when Dean Smith added 3.0.0 to the match best heaving a colossal 124lbs of carp onto the scales.

The Map Elton star on Dragonfly's peg 15 was into sport all day. Taking the pole to 16 metres across to the island the ever so consistent corn did the damage taming specimens up to 8.0.0 during an arm aching 5 hours.

Three pegs away on 12, Andy Geldart of Diawa Goldthorpe also extracted plenty of carp when the deadly long pole corn and island combination secured another bulging net for 78.1.0.

Weights then dropped sharply and the maggot feeder accounted for 23.1.0 off Wagtail 14 for Elton Tackle's Ivan Fletcher.

Woodland Lakes (Sat) all match lakes (69 pegs) 1 I Thompson (Elton Tackle) 67.13.0; 2 D Taylor (Diawa Goldthorpe) 45.0.0; 3 M Vanderkamp (Sensas Garbolino) 36.4.0.

A clash with the big Woodland Xmas match restricted Sunday's Oaks turnout to 40 and the carp were also fewer in numbers.

Team Glum's Stef Armitage kept up his run notching another Maple Lake victory. Stef on the deeper channel off peg 3, hooked carp up to 3.0.0 on pole and maggot at 8 metres for 21.7.0 from local Andy Purvis 15.10.0.

Oaks (Thurs) Maple Lake 1 M Barwick (Selby) 9.0.0; 2 E Clarke (Spenborough) 5.15.0; 3 R Holmes (Map Elton) 5.14.0.

FIXTURES - Saturday 21 December - *Northallerton & District Open (100 pegs) River Swale Scruton to Far Fairholme. Tickets on 01609 / 778031; *Woodland Lakes Open.

Sunday 22 December - *Yarm AA Huck Memorial Lower Tees Yarm; *Bradford City AA Xmas Cheer & Geoff Scollick Trophy River Ure, Brampton (60 pegs). Tickets on 01423 / 547537; *Yorkshire WL (5) Ouse Fulford & Middlethorpe; *Woodland Lakes Open; *Oaks Sessay Open (Maple Lake); *Black Ox AC Bedale Beck Leeming.