Heatwave conditions coupled with a low summer river resulted in the worst ever turnout of just 44 for the River Swale Preservation Society George Winney Memorial Upper Swale Championship pegged between Easby Abbey and Great Langton, writes Jeff Herbert.
In-form Pat Adams was delighted to get his name on the prestigious trophy bagging an impressive 29.1.0 on the day. The Tek Neek Trabucco angler drawn just above the wires on the Ferryhill Stretch at Catterick worked the waggler and maggot into midriver putting together over 10.0.0 of dace before going across to farside cover on the caster and locating six good chub to put the verdict beyond doubt.
Teammate Ken Close second in the last Upper Championship once again had to settle for next best weighing in 26.6.0 from Great Langton.
The shallow far bank willow glide held chub and Ken expertly extracted nine to floatfished wasp grub.
Sunday's big event the NYSD Federation Sockburn Cup attracted 80 rods to the middle Tees at Over Dinsdale and Gerry Bowes of Anglers Services Hartlepool headed up 14 double figured nets recording 25.5.0.
On the run in to Bowl Hole corner waggler fishing caster across brought small chub up to 2.0.0 a lone perch a couple of surprise skimmer bream over 1.8.0 apiece and a small barbel. Then a switch to bomb and meat provided the bonus specimen of the match slipping the landing net under a super Tees barbel of 6.14.0 following a lively tussle.
Meanwhile Darlington AC's Peter Nesbitt on the streams below Middleton One Row Village picked up dace roach and chublets on waggler and caster tactics for a second place net of 22.2.0.
In the teams of eight Darlington and District Red coasted to victory by ten clear points accruing 67 from Darlington WMC 57.
The rarely match fished Sockburn section of the Tees disappointingly failed to deliver for most in Thornaby AA's Robinson Memorial and other than the leading two vying for top spot on 17lbs plus; weights then dropped dramatically.
Darlington's Dave Oxley drawn opposite Beverley Gutter gained the edge thanks to a 10.0.0 pike. Catching dace and chub on the waggler and maggot the welcome predator snatched a dace but was successfully landed to seal the honours with 17.11.0.
Four swims downstream on the Horseshoe bend Mick Watson also Darlington swapped between maggot and caster hookbaits on a stickfloat rig to tempt mostly dace and a sprinkling of roach to the tune of 17.3.0 ahead of Dave Boynes (Darlington) 7.8.0.
Perch dominated on a sun baked Tees around Yarm and the Harkers Farm length again proved the place to draw.
Cleveland Angling Centre's Dave Harris led a low but competitive scoresheet returning 7.7.0. Fishing peg 16 the pole at eight metres over the shelf utilising maggot and chopped worm resulted in mainly perch plus a few roach.
Stockton's John Webb finished ahead of a string of 6lbs+ nets taking 6.9.0 at the scales from peg seven.
John went all out for perch feeding chopped worm and held off CIU National Champion Barry Smith by a mere oz.
The overall crown went to Mr Consistent Dave Smiddy of Newman Scott scoring a tremendous 203 points out of a possible 224.
Overall: 1 D Smiddy (Newman Scott) 203; 2 N Johnson (Map Elton) 199; 3 K Golightly (Newman Scott) 193.
Chub again decided the main action during Ripon's Navigation Cup on the River Ure with Aireborough Anglers taking four of the top five places.
Paul Wood heaved 31.2.0 onto the scales for victory. Fishing on the top of the Bell Bank shallows opposite Sharow stickfloat and caster totalled 17 samples at steady intervals throughout.
Steve Aldridge upstream of the North Bridge cabins fished identical tactics to the winner across to farside willows and netted nine chub and a barbel of 6.0.0 to finish with 27.12.0.
Other result - Bradford City AA Boroughbridge Gala River Ure at Brampton: 1 P Nicholson (Yarm) 5.10.0; 2 D Graham (Dunelm) 4.8.8; 3 D Watson (Darlington) 4.8.0.
A trio of heavyweight carp sealed the verdict during Darlington's Burgess Memorial split between three of the association's stillwaters Lane Fox, Snipe and Willowgarth Ponds.
The winner came from Willowgarth. Darlington's Anthony Alderson tempted two commons the best 11.0.0 and a mirror on the waggler and meat for 26.14.0.
Runner-up Vernon Lakin at Lane Fox Pond swapped around caster maggot worm and corn on the pole to land 14 bream for 20.6.0.
Fixtures
Tomorrow: *Yarm AA RAFA Open (140 pegs) Lower Tees. Tickets on 01642 786444. *Woodland Lakes Open Tickets on 01845 526110.
Sunday: *Thornaby AA M Stockwell Cup River Tees at Croft to Hurworth. *Northallerton & DAC John Grainger Trophy River Swale at Scruton. *Drennan Northern Super League (3) Lower Tees at Bowesfield. *Haughton WMC Tees Over Dinsdale. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake
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