SKIPTON Winter League competitors had to endure a last minute change of venue last Sunday morning to avoid having the 1,000 plus Skipton Santa Fun Run entry running past them on the canal towpath from Skipton centre to the finish in Aireville Park.

Whether it would have made any difference to the match results will never be known but the new venue on either side of the Sawley Street entrance point managed only to produce the worst catches this season with only four competitors weighing in.

David Fenn won the match and also secured the individual championship with his 80g (0:3:0) whilst Andy Wharton was second with 30g (0:1:0). Simon Chenier was third with 20g (0:0:11) and Kenny Wright fourth with 10g (0:0:6). All the weights consisted of rather small perch.

In the pairs event the results were the same as their respective partners Bob Fenn, Andrew Thomas, Graeme Waterfall and Rob Thornton were all fishless.

With just one match remaining to be fished on December 11 at Long Ing, the leading are: Individuals: 1 David Fenn 122pts and champion, 2 Rob Thornton 97; 3 Jason Aldis & Kenny Wright 88, 5 Danny Bolland 74, 6 Simon Chenier 60.

Pairs: 1 David & Bob Fenn and Kenny Wright & Rob Thornton 65, 3 Andy Wharton & Andrew Thomas 46, 4 Simon Chenier & Graeme Waterfall 42, 5 Jason Aldis & Russell Heaton 41 and Danny & Terry Bolland 36.

In the Pairs Knock-Out competition final, the Fenns won by 80g to 10g against Chenier & Waterfall while in the Individual semi-final, David Fenn beat Jason Aldis 80g-0g and Bob Fenn lost to Danny Bolland after referring back to aggregate weights two matches previous after both failed to land a catch in the last two matches.

Still water prospects for this weekend could be affected by night frosts but the settled spell of dry weather has brought the level of the River Aire down to near normal for the time of year.

The canal may be worth trying in the slightly warmer Skipton town centre basin while the river should be worth fishing for both grayling and pike.