WEATHER conditions for last Sunday’s Skipton Winter League match were almost ideal but in a complete contrast to the first match, boat traffic was very busy with four passing through the match length at one point all at the same time.

The venue was the Skipton Angling Association’s Broughton Road length of the canal and despite of the disruption, weights were reasonable although made up mainly of small roach, perch and tommy ruffe.

Just one good perch of about 650g (1:7:0) and a roach of 340g (0:12:0) broke the monotony for the weighers at the end of the three-hour match.

Tim Bolland had a clear win with 1,280g (2:13:0) while second-placed Dave Fenn had a big roach in his 720g (1:9:8). Other leading weights were: 3 Rob Thornton 710g (1:9:0); 4 Graeme Waterfall 690g (1:8:4) including the big perch and 5, Russell Heaton 600g (1:5:0).

In the pairs event, the Bollands and the Fenns led the field with Danny & Tim Bolland weighing-in 1,780g (3:14:8) and Dave & Bob Fenn 1,290g ( 2:13:4). Other weights were: 3 Jason Aldis/Russell Heaton 1180g (2:9:8); 4 Kenny Wright/Rob Thornton 1,130g (2:7:12) and 5 Graeme Waterfall/Simon Chenier 850g (1:13:8).

With just two matches having been fished and six to go, the individual leaders are: 1 Dave Fenn 42pts, 2 Russell Heaton 40, 3 Jason Aldis 39, 4 Graeme Waterfall 35, 5 Kenny Wright 33 and 6 Danny Bolland 32.

Registration for the league is now closed and comprises 22 competitors. The next match will be fished on the Long Ing length of the canal at Barnoldswick on Sunday, October 16 with the draw from 8am.

The river brown trout season in Yorkshire closed at midnight last Friday and on the Aire there were no last minute specimens to report although fishing conditions were good.

The best fish of the season was the 3,580g (7:14:0) specimen measuring some 70cm (27.5 inches) in length and landed by a Bradford City member in the first couple of days whilst the best reported by a Skipton member was a 1,990g (4:6:0) fish landed by Michael Ickringill who also had three more over 1,820g (4:0:0), all caught on the fly.