Local rod Colin Breckon emerged the first angler to win off Hurworth Burn's West Bank when he topped the Hartlepool and District Cameron Shield staged on the County Durham Reservoir to record 17.0.0 of roach, writes JEFF HERBERT.

Fishing the end peg in the shallows groundbait feeder and maggot cast 25 yds out brought a steady succession of redfins in the 8oz - 1lb bracket.

The waggler came good for runner up Andy Sinclair of Dick Clegg Metro. On the East Bank he attacked the top of the ledge close in, in 6 ft of water.

A little groundbait in between loose feeding maggot accounted for roach to the tune of 15.7.0.

The splendid weather coincided with the Bank holiday weekend and attendances shot up around the regions stillwaters.

Armley's Barbara Jeffries put the lads in their place during the Carpvale Bank Holiday Open at Moor Monkton.

Barbara on peg 18 opted for the pole at 8 metres over chopped worm and landed 8 big bream and small roach to finish with a super bag of 40.4.0. York taxi driver Buck Taylor with 32.10.0 relied on the more 'normal' carp net. Fishing peg four, ten specimens fell to corn and meat on the long pole over to the island side.

Others: S Wilson (Armley) 28.4.0 P Jackson (Darlington AC) 28.0.0.

In the third round of the Abu Spring Series at Carpvale venue expert Armley's Dave Wright established a comfortable winning margin following a poor start to the series.

Dave on form peg 18 brought in a mixture of bream carp and small silver fish for 28.7.0 followed by Steve Bowyer of Simons 2000 who used the same tactics but carp proved the mainstay - six in all - to seal runner up spot with 25.12.0 off peg six.

Meanwhile at the Oaks Fishery Sessay - Thursday's match on Maple Lake finished on a tight note as regular visitors John Allerton and Dave Harris vied for the spoils.

For John of Tri Cast Whizzo 39.13.0 disposed of the opposition. Peg one delivered when pole pellet and corn fished up to 11 metres encouraged the carp - best to 5.0.0.

Rival Diawa Cleveland's Dave Harris on peg 63A caught more carp to corn and pellet but of a smaller stamp and dropped to second place by a mere 13ozs.

A leading weight of 54.5.0 and the top trio sharing over 150lbs of carp made for plenty of action during Friday's extra bank holiday bash at the Oaks.

Map Elton's Paul Taylor on Maple 63 opted for cat meat and pellet on the pole nudging into first placing keeping VDE Goole's Dean Smith at bay whose pole and pellet net came to 53.3.0 from peg 28.

Others in the frame: Gaz Pawlett (Oaks) 52.2.0 John McGarrell (Map Elton) 39.12.0.

Oaks Sunday Open Sessay: 1 Andy Rawson (Wibsey Angling) 30.13.0 Carp to pole and pellet; 2 Dave Harris (Diawa Cleveland) 27.15.0; 3 Rob Minikin (Harrogate Angling Supplies) 26.8.0.

At the Woodlands VDE Goole's Dean Smith made it two wins in as many weeks topping Wednesday big entry of 87 spread around the complex's eight match lakes.

Swallow Lake's peg 14 produced some cracking sport when the long pole approach swapping between corn and meat attracted specimen carp to 8.0.0 paving the way for a big haul of 65.5.0.

Mallard's peg 14 produced the next best for Cudmore's Dave Griffiths who delivered 54.9.0 to the scalesman as carp responded to corn and maggot presented on the shallow ledge.

Best of the rest: D Gill (Map Elton) 44.4.0 4 P Eastwood (Tri Cast) 38.14.0.

Newman Scott's Peter Nixon headed a very competitive contest during Saturday's Open on Curlew Kestrel Partridge Skylark and Wagtail Lakes when a rise in temperature produced consistent returns in this 88 pegger.

Peter pulled out end peg 1 on Partridge and utilised long pole along the boards tempting carp up to 6.0.0 on corn and maggot for 44.7.0.

Map Elton's Keith Kotchie had a mixture of small mirrors commons and ghosties for 37.1.0 all to the pole and corn tactics at 11 metres from Skylark 29.

Woodlands (Sunday) Open (52 rods): 1 John McGarrell (Map Elton) 57.7.0 Small carp off Mallard 18; 2 Paul Newman (Quaker Tackle) 49.9.0; 3 Mark Longhirst (Elton Tackle) 48.9.0.

Fixtures

Tomorrow: *Woodland Lakes Open (71 pegs) - Tickets from Alan Gregory tel: 01845 526110.

Sunday: *Darlington Brown Trout AA Trout Cup River Tees Coniscliffe. *Woodland Lakes Open. *Teesside League Round 2 on Maple Lake Sessay. *Oaks Sessay Open Poplars Lake. *Abu Spring Series Round 4 Carpvale Fishery. *Shotton & District AC Series (2) Shotton Pond