A fortnight of low levels quickly changed following overnight rain to a 2ft flood and Northallerton & District's end of season 'hoped for bonanza' was never going to happen.

Staged between Scruton to Far Fairholme on the River Swale, Brotherton's Simon McArdle beat the 61 entry taming 2 quality chub totalling 9.7.0 in the Condor Cup.

Pegged on the ICI pool Simon cast the feeder and wasp grub over into a far side slack.

It was down to one big barbel of 8.11.0 for Durham's Dave Watson who had to accept 2nd place when another lost barbel could have saved the day. Fishing on the straight below the Shark's fin at Fairholme both takes came from the bomb and meat down the middle.

Others in the frame: Jim Taylor (RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco) 5.10.0 & Steve Hoggins (Newcastle) 5.4.0.

A coloured Tees encouraged a few bream to feed in the Yarm AA Harry Wilson Memorial. Flynn's Alan Wilcox on Fisheries Bend, peg 135, located 3 bream to feeder and worm before adding 3 dace to maggot down the middle for a winning 9.8.0. Runner up RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco's Gerry Bowes brought out a super Tees bream, which at the scales weighed 6.12.0. Sat on peg 172, fishing the feeder with worm and maggot, like the winner, a few dace boosted his score to finish with 8.8.0.

For the Thornaby AA Jack Aston Open an influx of dirty water raised the Tees by 2 ft and only 10 competitors managed to produce from an out of sorts Croft match length. Darlington's Dave Hanson pulled peg 39 out of the bag, one above the Pybus Hole, and winkled out 2 chub for 3.3.0 enough to win on the day. Searching the nearside crease on the bomb the match-clinching duo fell to cheese paste.

Fellow Darlington rod Barry Stephenson on the peg above returned a single chub of 2.12.0 on the feeder and bread approach.

Odd bream on a flooded Ouse proved the mainstay during the York and District AA Tadcaster Tower Rosebowl at Fulford. Selby's Wayne Shillito opposite Donkey woods sandbed attacked the midriver line utilising groundbait feeder packed with casters. Opting for worm on the hook 3 bream obliged the best 6.0.0 making for a decisive 14.8.0.

Then Tony Stevenson of Anglers World using identical tactics on the Palace Ings bend netted 2 bream and 2 skimmers for 10.1.0.

On the River Nidd only four took fish to the scales in the Bradford No1 AA Charity Sweepstake however, Bradford's Billy Smith's prayers were answered when he slipped the net under a huge pike of 15.0.0 caught above the gauging station on legered lobworm.

Other Results: Boroughbridge & District Rivercare Open River Ure. 1 C Adcock (Boroughbridge) 6.6.0 2 chub bomb maggot and cheese. 2 S Hodson (RSPS Tek Neek Trabucco) 4.6.0 3 K Adcock (Boroughbridge) 4.3.0. Thirsk Open Cod Beck 1 A Norfolk (Thirsk) 5.8.0 3 chub to legered lobworm. 2 R Sowerby (Knaresborough) 2.12.0. 3 A Hindell (Thirsk) 1.14.0. Bradford City Open River Ure Brampton 1 S McCoy (Bradford) 5.0.0. Single chub feeder & maggot. 2 R Brooksbank (Bradford) 1.14.0.

CARP SCENE

Map Elton's 'carp king' Mark Coyne blitzed corner peg 19 on Mallard Lake and heaved out 58.7.0 of carp to more than double his nearest competitor during Saturday's slot at the Woodland Lakes complex. A combination of pole and corn between 16 to 17 metres and then on the tip with bomb and corn extracted lots of small fish - best 4.0.0 on his way to a classic finish.

Sensas Dave's Andy May gave a good performance off Wagtail 9, a peg that hasn't really delivered all winter. Alternating corn and maggot on the pole Andy enjoyed a mixed net when bream carp tench roach rudd all made up 28.11.0. Woodlands - Sunday Open (74 rods) 8 match lakes 1 M Longhurst (Elton Tackle) 33.13.0. 2 K Golightly (Map Elton) 26.1.0 3 D Hayes (Castleford) 25.9.0. Woodlands - Wed - Dragonfly Kestrel Mallard Skylark & Swallow (61 rods) 1 A Stock (Wilton AC) 36.14.0. 2 B Guy (East End Park) 29.13.0. 3 D Cooper (Shimano Quaker) 19.7.0. Kev Armitage settled the result on the Oaks Sessay match lake Maple putting together 17lbs of carp on Sunday. Pole over to the island and towards the aerator off peg 65 resulted in samples to 2.0.0 on corn and maggot. Oaks Mick Herrington hung onto runner up spot by a pound. Pegged on 31 tactics wise it was more of the same but Mick was into fish down the middle as well as across to the island for 14.4.0. Jubilee Lakes Redworth nr Darlington Tel: 01388 772611 Fishing steady at this time of the year and cats whiskers once again the best pattern along with orange or black fritz and bloodworm. Best specimens of the week went to John Walker jnr of Bishop Auckland whose two rainbows weighed in at a super 14.13.0 and 14.5.0 both falling to a black fritz.

Fixtures: Saturday 8 March - *RSPS Mike Winney Memorial River Swale - Gatenby to Baldersby - Tickets on 01642 / 899288. *Woodland Lakes Open - Tel: 01845 / 526110. Sunday 9 March - *Black Ox AC Albert Lawson Trophy Bedale Beck Leeming. *Billingham SAC Over Dinsdale on the Tees. *Tadcaster APA Open River Wharfe Smaws Ings. Tickets 01937 / 832972. *York WL River Ouse Fulford & Middlethorpe. *Leeds DASA Open River Ouse Hunters Lodge. *Idle & Thackley Open Swale Swainby. Tickets 01274 / 618569. *DBT AA Despatch Cup River Swale. *Thirsk AC Pairs Open River Swale Skipton to Baldersby St James. *Yarm AA March Open Lower Tees. *AT WL Northern Semi Final (2) Shropshire Union Canal representing the North East Winter League R/up Cleveland Angling Centre. *Oaks Sessay Open Maple Lake. *Woodland Lakes Open.