Temperatures plummeted to -5 for the fourth round of the River Wear Winter League fished on a low, clear river.

Sport was difficult to find but Matty Prudhoe of Team Reel Sport proved the exception, blowing the opposition away, hauling out a super bag of 18.6.0, writes JEFF HERBERT.

Pulling out the end peg at Chester Moor where far side willows are noted for chub, Matty safely despatched five samples into the landing net, alternating bread and cheese on the bomb. Turners Tackle Red were top team on the day filling the next two places spearheaded by Graham Skirrey who landed three flounders on lobworm for 1.12.0.

Teams on the day: 1st Turners Tackle Red 20 points, 2nd ROF Birtley 19, 3rd Big Waters 17.

League: 1st Dick Clegg Metro 136 point, 2nd Turners Tackle Red 122, 3rd Sunderland 118, 4th Turners Tackle Blue 112, 5th Turners Tackle Black, 6th Big Waters 97.

The Tees attracted many of the region's match anglers to its banks with Thornaby, the NYSD Federation and Yarm AA all staging events.

Martin Chapman of DBT made it two Over Dinsdale victories on the trot, lifting the NYSD Federation Thompson Memorial Trophy recording 12.8.0.

Chub were the key to success and Martin tempted seven in all from below Middleton Village on peg 72 to feeder and bread.

Bomb and bread worked a treat for runner-up Darlington's Dave Whitehouse who like the winner relied on chub picking up five down the middle for 9.12.0.

Rod rings iced up all day during the Thornaby AA's Robert Buttery Memorial and as expected only chub and the odd grayling fed on an Artic-like Tees between Croft and Hurworth.

Thornaby's Paul Stainsby enjoyed a winning return to the match scene, finishing well in front on 12.12.0. Tackling peg 46 in the willows on the cage feeder and bread over to cover accounted for seven chub at intervals.

Weights then dipped and best of the rest came from Andy Simpson of Darlington with 5.14.0 of chub on feeder and bread.

On the lower reaches, plenty of small fish fed during Yarm's January Open despite ice in the margins and every fish counted during a very competitive match.

Hot spot once again was the infamous Fisheries Bend and Brian Percival of MNS was comfortably ahead of a tight pack on 12.9.0.

Searching mid-river on the feeder and maggot from peg 144 it was mainly chublets apart from some small dace.

Meanwhile, teammate Barry Smith on the adjoining peg located a few bits on the pole and maggot. Then, switching to the feeder, he was rewarded with plenty of chublets making for 9.11.0 at the weigh-in, just holding off Chris Gowling of Darlington AC on 9.9.0.

On the Ouse, the unfancied sections above York at Poppleton delivered the main action during the penultimate fixture of the Yorkshire Winter League.

However, freezing conditions checked weights but amazingly there was a tie on adjoining pegs.

Craig Turbitt of Faps Bradford and Andy Hampson of Normark were on the first two pegs below the Big Willow opposite Church Farm. Fishing wand and light bomb rigs with maggot on the edge of the slack, the pair caught roach in the 1-8oz bracket for an inseperable 6.3.8 at the conclusion.

Hirst Tackle pipped Faps by a single point and with Anglers World suffering a bad day it now looks like a 2 horse race for the title, in a fortnight.

Top teams on the day: 1st Hirst Tackle 97 pts; 2nd Faps Bradford 96; 3rd Armley 87.

League: 1st Hirst Tackle 40 pts; 2nd Faps Bradford 37; 3rd Anglers World 34; 4th Armley 33; 5th Marsh Tackle; 6th Normark 27.

Round-up: Knaresborough Piscatorials Open River Nidd: 1st P. Werrett Leeds 14.3.0 chub & dace on legered wasp grub, 2nd K. Lamb Ripon 12.15.0, 3rd G. Burnham A1 Garage Doors 12.9.0.

Tadcaster APA Open River Wharfe at Smaws Ings: 1st S. Lister Big Waters 5.10.8 - 45 small dace waggler fishing maggot, 2nd N. Milstead Tadcaster 4.15.8, 3rd P. Cousins Leeds 4.9.8.

Ferryhill and District Grayling Cup on the Swale at Catterick: 1st J. Blades 12.1.0 - 8 grayling to stickfloat maggot and worm, 2nd S. Blades 7.4.0, 3. J. Brewer 6.1.0.

Idle and Thackley Open Swale at Swainby: 1st S. McArdle Brotherton 12.12.0, 2nd N. Hunter Idle 7.14.0, 3rd J. Trenham Phoenix 4.14.0.

Thirsk Ac Open Cod Beck: 1st M. Thompson Easingwold 8.15.8, 2nd K. Weighell RSPS 8.9.8, P. Adams RSPS 7.12.0.

Fixtures - Tomorrow: *Woodland Lakes Open Tickets on 01845 526110.

Sunday: *Yarm AA Extra Match Lower Tees around Yarm. *Ripon Pisc. Open R. Ure 80 pegs. Tickets on 01765 605467. *DBT AA Grayling Shield Tees and Swale. *Black Ox AC Bedale Beck Leeming. *York WL (3) Ouse Fulford and Middlethorpe. *Idle and Thackley AA Open 45 pegs R. Swale at Swainby. Tickets 01274 618569. *Wetherby and DAC Open 60 pegs River Wharfe. Tickets on 01937 581733. *Woodland Lakes Open