‘Southern’ anglers eye bonnie time on the Clyde

Before the river became popular, travelling partner Paul McBrinn with another Ouse barbel caught from a section once thought to have no chance of producing specimens like this.

Though not exactly a trip down the street – unless you’re from Glasgow – I think the inclusion of the River Clyde around the Woodland Parks of the Cuningar Loop is a brilliant way of bringing the North’s river anglers together.

Little is known of the Clyde as a coarse fishery this side of the border, but all the reports are of something special with some terrific dace catches in early spring and huge roach hauls as they move through to spawn.

It is even rumoured that a bunter barbel of over 17lb was an accidental capture of a local salmon angler. With no coarse fish closed season in Scotland, the results of this match and the practice sessions before it, will be watched with interest and could be the start of a new angling holiday destination for match and pleasure anglers alike.

Officials of Leeds & District’s fisheries management team have, meanwhile, again been first to show a commitment to Yorkshire rivers in agreeing to fund phase two of the Ouse barbel restocking programme it started several years ago. Its undoubted success – proven with catches of large barbel from stretches that records show to have been almost devoid over the last 40 years – have now changed the minds of most of those that claimed stocking would not work.

With nearly 50 years on the banks of the Ouse and Ure, and having good angling pals with even more wrinkles than me, we all agree that the barbel project like the Danish roach programme in the early seventies has been the only definite success story of a system that was in a rapid decline owing to disease and environmental changes.

After explaining its strange policy of not restocking because of predation following the seal debacle on the river Swale, the Environment Agency (EA) now has the platform to put itself back in the rod-licence buyer’s good books after two seasons of dour catches below Topcliffe.

Leeds & District, Bradford City, Swaleside and the Asenby Syndicate have all donated brilliantly to a Swale restocking programme and the connected Ouse project gives all the assurances needed. Come on, EA, get behind your area’s anglers and show them what you’re made of.

Fished through beautiful sunshine and blue skies, the Ouse at Linton turned mean for competitors in both the weekend’s main events with drawbag Andy Hampson taking top spot in the Saturday series with just 15 small roach and a skimmer from bungalows 220. All his fish fell to a tiny bait saver feeder and single maggot.

The next day’s Yorkshire Win-ter League was just as grim with a single bite resulting in a 4lb bream taking the winner’s spot for Anglers World’s, Karl Stevenson. Bradford-based Tackle 2 U retained the team trophy.

Results

Angel Lakes,Open Lookout Saturday: 1, Norman Laing 117-10; 2, Rob Emery 100-08; 3, Ray Laing 96-08.

Angel Lakes, Open Bowes Wednesday: 1, Alan simons 64-08; 2, Andy Proudfoot 59-02; 3, Keith Brown 41-10.

Viking Saturday Open (Deer): 1, R Scott 34-06; 2, T Moran 33-10; 3, M Firth 25-09.

Fryston Winter League (Viking Fox): 1, P Moran 54-07; 2, R Evans 38-07; 3, S Varley 23-12.

Saturday Series, Ouse at Linton: 1, Andy Hampson, Mirfield 4-04; 2, Steve Newns, KL Tackle 3-13; 3, Pete Barron, Tackle 2U 2-15; 4, Keith Hobson, Barnsley 2-11; 5, Phil Austin, Barbly 2-04.

Anglers World, Saturday Series, Ouse at Linton: 1, Eddie Brydon, Maver Dynamite 3-09; 2, Dean Grace, Pontefract 3-03; 3, Ian Bowman, Barnsley 2-10; 4, Keith Hobson, Barnsley 2-10; 5, Arthur Benstead, Pontefract 2-00; 6, Andy Hampson, Mirfield 1-04.

Bobco Tackle, Yorkshire Winter League Ouse at Linton: 1, Karl Stephenson, Anglers World 4-07; 2, Dave Miles, Glen 3-08; 3, Martin Highe, Mirfield 3-04; 4, Tom Gausden Anglers World 2-15; 5, Andy Hampson, Mirfield 2-12; 6, Dennis White, Leeds 2-10; Teams Overall, 1, Tackle 2U 13pts; 2, Anglers World 14 pts; 3, Mirfield 17pts; Overall Individuals, Stan Haigh, Anglers World 38pts; Andy Hampson, Mirfield 37pts; Dennis White, Leeds 37pts (on section count back).

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Roy Worsnop 51-12; 2, Ben Fisk 44-10; 3, Lee Smith 38-08; 4, Dave Wright 32-14.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Steff Armitage 54-02; 2, Nigel Carr 47-10; 3, Steve Mazza 31-09; 4, John Brogden 27-15.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Open, All Pools: 1, Stan Jeffreys 36-03; 2, Gary Miller 24-05; 3, Mick Hare 24-05; 4, Steve Bolton 19-09.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Andy Gallant 56-03; 2, Chris Watson 50-15; 3, Mick Hare 43-06; 4, Adrian Bolton 35-11.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing/Osprey: 1, Tony Hewson 6-05; 2, Paul Beadle 6-01; 3, John Brogden 0-02.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Lapwing/Osprey: 1, Tony Gallifant 58-09; 2, Matthew Dickinson 15-06; 3, Andy Gallant 9-15; 4, Geoff Wilmore 9-03.

Kippax Park Fishery, Tuesday Open, Lapwing: 1, Adrian Broomhead 23-04; 2, Geoff Wilmore 9-12; 3, John Brogden 7-01.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Lapwing: 1, Jimmy Redmond 33-06; 2, Paul Kidd 14-04; 3, Tony Evans 8-03; 4, Andy Gallant 4-14.

Match Diary

Saturday

Viking: Saturday Open, Hawk Pond, 30 pegs, £18, contact 01405 785206.

Kippax Park: Saturday Open, Lapwing or Osprey, contact 07967000746.

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

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscar’s, draw 8.30am, 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.

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.

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 Oscar’s, draw 8.30am, 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, draw car park 5pm, pools £11, contact Roger 01904 737279.