This week I'm going to give a special tribute on behalf of all the Tees anglers to Darlington's Don McMasters.

Don, now aged 74 years, has just retired after 40 years of sterling work as secretary of Darlington & District and the North York South Durham Angling Federation.

What makes Don extra special is that most of the time I've known him he's willingly given up endless hours attending meetings and running fishing competitions on our beloved middle reaches of the Tees around Dinsdale.

As an organiser myself with the River Swale Preservation Society and Middlesbrough Angling Club I take my hat off to salute a truly real local sporting hero.

Enjoy your well deserved retirement Don. A roach explosion made for some exciting sport at Over Dinsdale when plenty showed during the Darlington & District Individual Championships at the weekend.

For Darlington's Lance Todd drawing above Bowl Hole corner waggler fishing casters located quality roach but a barbel of 7.0.0 and 2 chub to corn and worm intervened for an eventual 24.8.0 at the scales.

Next best Haughton's Ian Hamer netted redfins in the 8 - 12oz bracket on Girsby Bend to waggler and caster but once again bonus fish helped as 2 chub accepted meat on the bomb to settle second place with 15.4.0.

Competitors turned out in numbers 68 for the first of the Yarm AA Summer Series held on the Lower Tees at Yarm.

The river although not flowing much had a tinge of colour and the bream soon responded.

Map Elton's Ken Golightly made for a runaway victory picking up 13 bream at intervals.

A groundbait feeder approach utilising chopped worm resulted in a creditable 31.10.0.

The Tees was 18 inches up for the Thornaby AA Charities Open at Croft to Hurworth as localised downpours affected the level.

Only rod to break the 10lb barrier proved Darlington's Geoff Brewer who recorded 10.14.0.

A farside willow attack on the feeder and worm brought 5 chub and an eel. Two swims below at Clow Beck, fellow Darlington angler Dave Nicholson found the stickfloat and caster edged through the glide produced a mix return of small chub dace and grayling for 8.6.0.

Nearly a foot of extra water meant there were no massive weights during Ripon's opening Garbutt Cup fixture but 17 double figured catches and a winning 27.14.0 made for a very interesting match to start off the season on the River Ure. Hull's Graham Jeffrey just nicked it by ounces.

The Swale rose a foot for the Northallerton and District Open at Scruton and in comparison to opening week, weights were somewhat reduced yet the best bag totalled 32.2.0 for Bentley Angling Centre's Steve Evans.

Carp Scene

Woodland Lakes (Saturday) 70 pegs - Partridge & Skylark Lakes. 1 D Smith (Tek Neek Trabucco Elton) 90.8.0 of all carp on long pole & meat off Partridge 15; 2 S Fearnley (Leeds) 88.10.0; 3 P Sellers (Elton Tackle) 86.3.0.

FIXTURES: Saturday 3 July - *Woodland Lakes Open Carlton Miniott - Tickets on 01845 / 526110. Sunday 4 July - *Idle & Thackley AA Open River Swale - Swainby. Tickets on 01274 / 618569. *Drennan Super League (1) Lower Tees at Yarm. *Northallerton & District AC Club Cup River Swale - Scruton. *Ripon Piscatorials Simpson Cup (80 pegs) River Ure - Hutton Beck to Barn Island. *Richmond AS Langstaffe Memorial Open Upper Swale - Richmond to Langton. Tickets on 01748 / 824791. *Billingham SAC River Tees - Over Dinsdale.