AFTER another unsettled week of cool conditions, the Yorkshire brown trout season opened last Sunday in what can be described as the best weather for several weeks.

Anglers were greeted with reasonably mild temperatures, sunny spells and a light to moderate west wind.

The water level was just about right on the River Aire but surprisingly, very few anglers were to be seen in action either on opening day or the following day when conditions were equally as favourable.

Those that wetted a line reported some sport on the worm or fly with fish up to around the 900g mark.

Anglers fishing the Aire should note that most clubs now operate on a catch and return basis, the removal of fish for the table is now prohibited. This rule has been in force since 2015 and is intended to turn the river into a wild brown trout water with all stocking done by the natural process of spawning.

So far it seems to be working to the sportsman’s advantage with plenty of good-sized fish turning up each season, sometimes to well above the 2.0 kg mark.

The present Skipton AA record Aire brownie stands at 2.495kg although it is known that bigger fish of 3.03kg and 4.1kg have been caught in the close season and were therefore ineligible to be considered for the record.

A fish of 3.05kg has also been caught on the Bradford City AA water on Heslaker Lane, Carleton-in-Craven.

Reports from Embsay Reservoir seem to suggest that the cold weather is keeping the fish down and only the recently introduced rainbow trout are being landed.

Prospects are sure to improve as the weather begins to warm up, hopefully in the not too distance future.

The water level at Whinnygill Reservoir is still a fair way down following the recent remedial work on the stone setts.

This should not prove to be a disadvantage once the weather begins to improve but at the moment reports suggest that coarse fish are slow to respond.

One or two good brown trout have been caught before the recent cold spells including one claimed to be a potential record breaker.

Prospects over Easter appear to be rather unsettled with spells of rain and temperatures below the average for this time of year although compared with recently, they will be moving in the right direction.