SKIPTON Winter League competitors had their first taste of wintery weather last Sunday.

They fished the hospital length of the canal at Skipton after an overnight frost which was followed by a chilly northerly wind and a very bright sun.

Before the match started, the anglers stood for two minutes in a Remembrance Sunday tribute to the fallen.

Unfortunately, for half of them the cold conditions rendered them inactive as they were fishless at the end of the three-hour match and some of those who managed to weigh fish recorded poor weights.

Veteran Bob Fenn caught a specimen perch in the first few minutes weighing 940g to give him a good start and with a few smaller fish, he recorded a comfortable win with 1,030g.

League secretary, Bill Davenport, also landed a good perch of 820g for his second-placed weight of 900g while Roy Veevers was third with 750g.

The weights then tailed off rapidly with Jason Aldis fourth with 210g; Steve Taylor fifth with 180g and Andrew Thomas sixth with 140g.

In the Pairs event, Bob Fenn and son Dave, finished top with 1,070g while Bill Davenport and Keith Brown were second with 1,020g.

Other leading weights were: 3 Veevers and Wayne Eason 750g, 4 Aldis and Russell Heaton 210g, 5 Taylor and Andy O’Neill 180g, 6 Thomas and Andy Wharton 140g.

In the two main competitions, the leaders are: Individuals: D Fenn 17 pts, 2 R Fenn 31, 3 W Davenport, G Waterfall and J Aldis 33, 6 R Thornton and K Brown 37.

Pairs: 1 R & D Fenn 9, 2 Davenport & Brown 16, 3 Aldis & Heaton 19, 4 Waterfall & Chenier 25, 5 Thornton & Wright 27 and 6 Ramsbotham & Young and Veevers & Eason 31.

In the Knockout competition semi-finals, Aldis will fish against Davenport and Young will fish against R Fenn. In the Pairs knockout final, Waterfall & Chenier will fish against Davenport & Brown.

The next match will take place on Sunday, November 26 and the venue will be the Broughton Road length of the canal at Skipton where the deeper water may counter any sudden overnight frosty conditions.