by John W Preston

LAST Sunday’s Whinnygill open match was fished in reasonable conditions following a rather cold night when the temperature dropped to around freezing point.

Sport varied from a couple of good weights, some that soon tailed off to a few grams and three unlucky competitors that failed to catch anything.

Russell Heaton took top spot with a good bag of roach and bream for 1850g. Simon Chenier had a similar catch of fish for second place with 950g whilst Jason Aldis was third with 470g. Other leading weights were: 4 Andrew Leatt, 340g; 5 Andrew Thomas, 180g; and 6 Andy Wharton, 100g.

Apart from the problem of falling leaves, the River Aire was in fine form for fishing at the weekend and a few anglers were in action.

The most notable catch was that of a good pike from the Snaygill deep water length that took the scales down to 6.36kg and was landed by Eddie Brown of Skipton. Sprat was the bait presented on ledger tackle.

Simon Chenier tried his luck float fishing the maggot and was rewarded with four decent chub and numerous now out of season brown trout, one of which snatched a minnow that Simon was reeling in.

Grayling were conspicuous by their absence but recent angling activity suggests there are plenty in the river.

The length below Cononley Road Bridge is becoming popular with fly fishermen and the stretch down to the railway corner has been producing some good grayling bags together with a good sprinkling of brown trout. Both these species are also present lower down the river until it becomes slow running and deep where these days it is hardly ever fished.

Skipton Winter League competitors will be action again this Sunday on the boat yard length of the canal near the Bay Horse Inn on Keighley Road, Skipton.

Both the individual and pairs league tables are quite close at the moment but with the forecast of some low temperatures, strong northerly winds and even sleet or snow showers, things may be in for shake-up if the chilly conditions put the fish off the feed.