Angling: Tough going for anglers in Riverfest qualifiers

Leeds specialist angler Jon Clark with an Ouse floodwater double figure barbel taken at the weekend. Rumour has it that they are born on this river at 4lb.

The event to be held on the notoriously fickle River Ouse and Ure around Aldwark Bridge and Hunters Lodge showed its mean side, as anglers made the trip expecting a hard to impossible day.

With most major roads and farm tracks under deep water, just getting over the flood banks was going to be an achievement for the 40 competitors expected and thoughts were it would be more likely to run a fish over in a car than actually catch one with rod and line.

With river monitoring stations showing the levels about to drop from raging muddy torrent to just seven feet of sludge above normal summer levels, organisers gave the green light for go.

Anglers World team boss Stan Haigh of Tadcaster put his years of flood water fishing at the venue to good use, to win easily with a very respectable conditions-based 7-02. Drawn on fancied peg 224 of the famous Bungalows section at Hunters Lodge he pole feeder fished in just 10 feet of water to take a solid bream and a number of small roach to take his place in this year’s final.

Liverpool’s Ian Courtney made the damp trip over the Pennines worthwhile as his three roach and an eel weighing just 2-03 was enough to win the second zone at Aldwark and give him his place in the final.

Story of the day was to the nearly men who after hearing on the grapevine that Wakefield’s Bob Brown had admitted to catching a 2lb barbel, and knowing the legend that no such creature exists on the Ouse as they are born at 5lb, changed tactics as this was the weight they would need to beat.

Needless to say honest Bob’s barbel weighed an ounce over two pounds and a number of anglers could have qualified if they had just persevered and kept catching the odd tiny bleak.

The final to be held on the River Severn at Shrewsbury on November 2-3 has a prize pot of £50,000 and a winner’s purse of £14,000 going down to £1,500 for 10th and £250 for winning a section of six.

The finalists target species will be barbel, I wonder if they are born bigger than two pounds on the Severn.

With all the region’s rivers suffering at the same time, the big Yorkshire Winter League had to change venues from a very Zambezi-like River Calder to the safer towpath banks of the adjacent Aire and Calder Navigation at Altofts.

Winner on the day was Barnsley star Tony Peel who had a surprise nine bream catch that topped the scales at 48lb with the added bonus of a single monster slab approaching 9lb.

Poachers should be aware that the Angling Trust’s VBS (Voluntary Bailiffs Scheme) and North Yorkshire’s rural police team are out on the banks looking for licence and permit dodgers.

On its first visit to the Leeds fishery at Topcliffe on Swale an angler was caught and is now facing prosecution, be warned.

Results

Angling Trust, Riverfest Qualifier, River Ouse: 1, S Haigh 7-02; 2, D Pollitt 2-07; 3, I Courtney 2-03; 4, K Weighell 2-02; 5, B Brown 2-01; Qualifiers: S Haigh & I Courtney.

White Horse AC, Rising Sun, Aldwark: 1, J Craven 60-04; 2, G Raper 42-00; 3, P Robinson 37-00; 4, J Sykes 34-08.

Bobco Tackle, Yorkshire Winter League, Calder, Altofts: 1, Tony Peel, Barnsley 48-04; 2, Tom Gausden, Anglers World Holidays, 17-06; 3, Keith Hobson, Barnsley 12-07; 4, Trevor Hewitt, Tackle2U 11-11; 5, Stuart Raynor, Nottingham 10-04; 6, Andy Hampson, Mirfield 9-14.

Oaks at Sessay, Ash/Beech: 1, L Sylvester 277-14; 2, M Buttle 186-04; 3, B Poole 177-13; 4, A Bennett 145-04; 5, C Hall 144-13.

Oaks at Sessay, Cedar: 1, L Hawksworth 153-06; 2, P Brunyee 93-01; 3, G Cordey 90-05; 4, J Paveley 84-12; 5, C Hall 70-08.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Open, Cyprio and Front: 1, Tom Bainbridge 117-06; 2, Ben Fisk 115-09; 3, Lee Smith 100-05; 4, Dave Wright 73-08.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Dave Wright 134-07; 2, Martin Dodsworth 109-12; 3, Paul Carter 86-11.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Open, Match and Front: 1, Lee Smith 108-09; 2, Tom Bainbridge 107-00; 3, Gordon Wright 87-12; 4, Lee Myers 85-15.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Dave Pollitt 117-13; 2, Paul Carter 95-03; 3, Alex Warren 93-07; 4, Mick Addinghall 87-10.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing: 1, Dave Wright 134-04; 2, Lee Bramham 108-09; 3, Steve Holmes 106-4.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing: 1, Andy Middleton 101-10; 2, Jimmy Redmond 85-7; 3. Steve Pearson 59-07.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Lapwing: 1, Dave Wright 78-2; 2, Adrian Broomhead 74-11; 3, Andy Middleton 70-15; 4, Tony Hewson 39-0.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Osprey: 1, Steve Pearson 76-11; 2, Dave Hull 57-13; 3, Mark Wade 49-11; 4, Paul Carter 46-12.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Osprey: 1, Nigel Carr 140-09; 2, Dave Wright 96-05; 3, Dave Bocking 74-15.

Armley AC at Redwood on Redwood: 1, J Hope 44 -1; 2, D Atkinson 37-6; 3, C Greenwood 33-7; 4, D Fish 32-7.

Viking Saturday Open (Hawk): 1 M Jukes 154-5; 2, R Green 98-1; 3, D Oldham 75-11. 4, M Bailey 70-8.

Ferrybridge Power (Viking Hawk): 1, J Derry 62-0; 2, D Stephens 61-8; 3, R Heppingstall 56-4.

Fryston AC (Viking Hawk): 1 S Birch 97-1; 2, G Gill 93-14; 3, I Roebuck 87-0.

Spring Close Old Boys (Viking Deer): 1, D Watson 117-4; 2, V Rook 90-0; 3, D Worsley 89-7; 4, F Buick 86-10.

Match Diary

Saturday

Kippax Park: Saturday Open, Lapwing or Osprey 07967000746.

Poppleton: Saturday Open, pools £15. draw cafe 10am, contact Roger 01904737279.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscars draw 8.30, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 Pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks at Sessay: 50 Pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 Pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Moorfields Farm: 54 Pegs, tickets £16, contact 07710817150.

Fleets Dam: 50 Pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Birkwood Farm: 60 Pegs, tickets £16, contact 01132 80609.

Viking, Saturday Open: Deer pond 24 pegs, £18, 01405785206.

Tollerton Ponds: Open Match all ages, (Kingfisher 20 pegs, Coot 18 pegs, Heron 32 pegs) contact 01347 838115.

Kippax Park: Winter series, Osprey Lake only contact Stan 0796700046.

Sunday

York & District: Open matches, River Ouse, Contact Mick Potter 07890870551.

Leeds & Liverpool: Kirkstall contact Roger Movley 01132 772215.

Listerhills: Leeds & Liverpool Canal contact Eddie Harrison 07518721051.

Woodlands: 72 Pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks at Sessay: 50 Pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 Pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Oak Tree Leisure: 50 Pegs, tickets £15, contact 01347 810686.

Poppleton: Sunday Open 50 Pegs draw 11am Cafe, contact 07425 146677.

York & District: Opens, contact Mick Potter 07890870551.

Monday

Woodlands over-50s: 30 Pegs, tickets £15, contact 01845 520110

Langwith Lakes over-60s: 30 Pegs, tickets £10, contact 01904 431874

Tollerton Ponds over-50s: tickets £16 contact 01347 838115.

Tuesday

Kippax Park: Draw 10am, tickets £10, contact 07967000746.

Wednesday

Leeds & District: Moor Monkton Pools, Draw 10am, contact 07967000746.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscars draw 8.30, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 Pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Fleets Dam: 50 Pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Tollerton Ponds: Open match, all ages, contact 01347 838115.

Thursday

Poppleton Lakes: Thursday evening, draw car park 5pm, pools £11 contact Roger 01904 737279.