ANGLERS must be asking themselves just when is this wet weather going to end after yet another weekend of stormy conditions accompanied by heavy rain, although nowhere near as heavy as that experienced in the Lake District and Cumbria.

Once again the Aire valley was submerged from Gargrave to Keighley as streams and the River Aire overflowed into the fields.

Such was the rainfall that the river did not stop rising until late on Sunday afternoon following a short, but particularly heavy, burst in the morning.

No doubt numerous fish will have been lost in the floodwater in the last few weeks and the latest event has more or less coincided with the time when local brown trout usually commence their spawning activities.

One thing is certain, however, there will have been enough water in the becks to allow them to reach their spawning grounds. Whether they will have been successful we shall just have to wait and see.

Skipton Winter League competitors were certainly lucky in not picking last Sunday for the revised date of their final match that was postponed due to previous inclement weather.

Hopefully, conditions will be suitable this Sunday for the match to be fished on the marina length of the canal at Barnoldswick.

This stretch can produce some good weights if conditions are favourable. About three years ago, in another end of season Winter League match, the winner recorded over 18.2kgs (40lb) of bream in just three hours fishing.

Besides the bream, the length also contains good roach and perch to well over the 450g (1:0:0) mark.

In the league’s various competitions, the individual title looks likely to be going to either David Fenn and Darren Wright. Just two points separate them in the standings.

In the pairs event, the father and son combination of Bob and David Fenn enjoy a seven-point lead over Russell Heaton and Jason Aldis whilst the individual knockout final will be fished between Graeme Waterfall and Simon Chenior.

Elsewhere, the mild conditions should suit canal anglers everywhere. But it may be a different story on running water where flow rates may be still be pretty strong. A quiet backwater may be worth trying for grayling, chub or even the pike.