Snow water pushed the Ure up by 18 inches during Ripon Piscatorials first Open of 2004 on Sunday and big weights were not expected but all that was soon to change.

Ripon member Steve Beckwith hammered out an unbelievable 91.8.0 during an extraordinary session and left the other 72 anglers speechless.

Fishing in the Willowgarth upstream of the North Bridge, Steve feeder fished maggot on the edge of the flow in mid river and the action was instant as he pulled out chub after chub including ones to 4.8.0 to finish with 29 beauties in the net backed by a lone grayling.

Though Steve just missed out on the magic ton when five chub slipped away

nevertheless he rounded off an unforgettable day.

Bentley Angling Centre's Steve Evans just two pegs upstream put together 18.12.0 enough for second place as six chub fell to feeder fished bread and wasp grub.

Yarm's Mick Broadley celebrated his third big win of the Winter season on the Tees lifting the Yarm AA Frank Flynn Memorial staged on the lower reaches.

Extra water checked weights and put the bream off the feed but when Mick, known by all for his stickfloat expertise, pulled out peg 137 on Fisheries Bend, he was always going to be dangerous.

Alternating two lines on the stickfloat with maggot and now and again caster, 5 chub and 20 dace obliged totalling 11.0.0.

Next teammate Tony Broder opted for the feeder approach three-quarters across and picked up five chub on the bread and then added two more on the maggot for a catch of 8.1.0.

A fancied draw in the Darlington & District Pairs Open at Over Dinsdale put Darlington's Martin Chapman firmly on the road to success.

Fishing off the end peg in the Greenfield, Martin tempted five chub making up 15.6.0 at the scales.

Going down the middle on bread in conjunction with liquidised bread and the feeder proved a cracking combination.

Runner up Rob Stubbs on the Girsby Bend also found the feeder and bread effective pulling out three chub for 7.12.0.

Ian Hamer in third spot on 6.7.0 lifted the Pairs Trophy with Mark Lowery accruing 53 points.

A badly effected Ouse carrying 2ft above the norm greeted the 90 anglers during the third round of the York Winter League between Fulford and Middlethorpe.

Acomb Tackle's Rob Morris got to grips with the conditions and weighed in 7.2.0 to beat the impressive field.

Pegged in the bridge field groundbait feeder tamed two bream; one on bread and the other to worm adding a few small roach to boost his return.

Barlby Village Stores are riding high in the league and won on the day boasting three men in the top six led by runner up Tony Golton whose groundbait feeder and maggot attack accounted for two skimmer bream and roach from the end peg on the Palace Bend for 5.3.0.

Top three teams on the day: 1 Barlby Village Stores 13.10.0; 2 Acomb Tackle 9.10.0; 3 Cochranes 9.2.8.

League to date: 1 Barlby Village Stores 40 pts; 2 Waterline Wibsey 38; 3 Acomb Tackle 37; 4 South Bank 36; 5 Cochranes 35; 6 Anglers World York 31.

The nearby River Swale was carrying floodwater but tiny tributary Cod Beck was in perfect winter trim for the Thirsk Xmas Match and RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Steve Taylor made the most of it.

Electing to fish the pole with heavy elastic brought dividends. Twelve similar sized chub all responded to maggot from the bottom of the Richmond Farm stretch and registered 13.14.0 at the scales.

Local Phil Sellers was relegated to second position. Stickfloat and maggot delivered ten chub along with a grayling and dace off the Thirsk Town section for 9.15.0.

Others: J Curry (Thirsk) 9.3.0 K Whincup (Knaresborough) 9.0.0.

Richmond AS New Year Trophy Upper Swale - Broken Brea: 1 Peter Gamblin (Darlington) 4.13.0 - 9 grayling stickfloat and maggot; 2 Mike Collins (Richmond) 4.4.0; 3 Graham Atkinson (Darlington) 3.6.0.

Carp Scene

Severe frosts resulted in three cancelled matches at the Woodland Lakes complex Carlton Miniott last week but Sunday's match at the Oaks Sessay went ahead as normal and 60 hopefuls turned up in search of sport on their old favourite Maple Lake.

First Middy Team Dons regular Ian Exley pulled out peg 42. Ian took the long pole across and offering maggot he recorded 30.2.0 of small 'pastie' sized carp.

Mark Carling followed but had some bigger carp to 3.0.0. Fishing off peg 57 to the island, tactics-wise it was more of the same for 25.10.0 from John Allerton of Tri Cast Whizzo on 20.3.0.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: Woodland Lakes Open, Carlton Miniott, Thirsk - Tickets on (01845) 526110.

Sunday: Bradford No1 AA Dudley Hill Cup River Nidd Cowthorpe - Tickets on (01274) 571175.

Darlington & District Open River Tees at Over Dinsdale.

Yorkshire WL Round 6 River Ouse.

Oaks Sessay Open at Cedar Pool.

Woodland Lakes Open.