Angling Lines

With the rain and wind of the past few days, few anglers have been out. Early forecasts for this weekend are not very promising but rivers will have had a good flush-through, and BCAA still-waters remain in fine fettle. Fly-fishing members will be pleased to hear that the club have signed a new five-year fishing lease at Hubberholme on the River Wharfe. This water offers pristine wild-trout fishing in beautiful surroundings and has produced fish to 3lb during 2015. The committee are also in discussions about acquiring a coarse fishing lake on the outskirts of Bradford.

Club yearbooks for 2016 will arrive from the printers this week and will be delivered to agents shortly after. Alternatively, 2016 membership can be had online from the club shop, via a link on the BCAA website at www.bradfordcityaa.co.uk. Queries and details about membership can also be had from Jim Munden on 07940-814431.

Anglers should note three match dates. First, there is an open match at Shipton Lake tomorrow, entry £15, with £10 going to the prize fund. Please phone James Wood on 07515-886020 for information and to enter. The lake will be closed to pleasure anglers tomorrow. On Sunday, fly anglers compete for the club’s annual Arthur Scaife Trophy Grayling Competition on the River Aire at Broughton, which is also open to non-members, for whom there will be a small charge, donated to the Grayling Society. Please see page 45 of the yearbook for details and how to enter, or contact Peter Scholes on 07506-215120. There is also the Arthur Croft Trophy, to be held on November 21 on the River Ure at Lower Dunsforth. To book on, or for more information, contact Rod Brooksbank on 07875-275749.

BRADFORD No 1 AA

The open match on the River Swale at Thornton Bridge and Maunby was cancelled due to the river being in flood. The Raskelf Winter Series is now sold out but the lake is continuing to fish very well, particularly at the deeper end for F1 carp. We will be running two inaugural Carp Cup competitions from 2016. These will be split (one for Kirklees Lagoon and one for Knotford Lagoon), and awarded to the angler who catches the biggest carp in the year prior to each annual meeting from each water. More details to follow in the coming weeks on how to submit catches for these awards, along with details of the club's first carp match at Knotford in 2016. We are once again on the look-out for volunteers willing to become bailiffs on the club's river stretches. Any members willing to give up a couple of hours of their time to help benefit a water and the club by becoming a bailiff should contact either of the head bailiffs, whose phone numbers are in the yearbook. Members are also urged to continue sending in complaints regarding the activities at Kirklees Lagoon to the club via ask_us@bradfordno1.com to be passed on to the police. The authorities will only take action if these complaints are received, and in particular they must state that the witness felt “harassed”, “alarmed” or “distressed”. Please see the club website for more information on submitting complaints on this matter.

SKIPTON AA

The recent rather long spell of relatively calm, dry and mild weather is definitely a thing of the past. Strong winds and spells of heavy rain appear to be the norm, although the temperature is still above average. River levels have been running above normal for over a week, and the Aire was near bank top again all last weekend. Things went even further downhill on Monday with flooding of the fields and a forecast of even more to follow before a change to drier but colder weather for this weekend. Competitors in the penultimate Skipton Winter League match this Sunday on the Long Ing stretch of the canal at Barnoldswick will not be unduly worried about leaves on this usually productive length, although the change to cooler weather may be more of a problem. In the individual competition, Darren Wright will be hoping to at least take his four-point lead over Dave Fenn into the final match, while, together with his father Bob Fenn, they enjoy a seven-point lead over Heaton & Aldis and eight points over Wright & Thomas in the pairs competition. The pairs knockout final will be settled this Sunday when Heaton & Aldis take on Thornton & Eason.

LEEDS ASA

The sum raised at the presentation night, which was donated to the McMillan Nurses, was £1,000. Thanks to all who made this possible. At the annual meeting, it was decided that in future no matches will be held at Sandwath Lake or the Polo Pond. Kippax Park has been stocked with rainbow trout on Lapwing and Skylark lakes to give match anglers something to catch during the winter when carp do not feed too freely. Result of the open match on the River Ouse (river was well above normal levels and fishing platforms were flooded): 1= T Hewson, C Turbett 2lb 12oz. Result of Saturday Open at Kippax Park: 1 S Rogers 45lb, 2 S Raper 42lb, 3 N Rymer 40lb. Moor Monkton Pools Fishery has now reopened.

BRADFORD PALS AC

Result of our final match at Southfield Reservoir: 1 Alan Lynn (also golden peg winner), 2 Bernard Hook, 3 Lol Barraclough, 4 Ian Helliwell. Championship Cup final standings: 1 Bernard Hook 74pts, 2 Andy Clough 65, 3 John Christopher Foreman 53, 4 Pete Fraser 48. The club would like to thank everyone who donated prizes for the Christmas Cheer draw. The club's annual meeting will be on Saturday, January 23 at the Fighting Cock on Preston Street. If any member has anything they would like on the agenda, they should contact match secretary Andy Clough.

LISTERHILLS AA

Would members note that the club does not accept any responsibility for equipment left unattended for long periods. Also, when the litter bins are full, litter should not be left on the bank. Saturday Canal Series final positions: 1 E Harrison 140pts, 2 W Barker 74, 3 J Storey. Winner of open aggregate: R Thorne; runners-up, E Harrison, D Moffatt, B Mason. Merit Trophy winner: J Mason.

BINGLEY AC

Heavy rain and three feet of extra water made for challenging fishing on last Sunday's match on the River Aire in Myrtle Park, but all anglers caught fish. Result: 1 J Storey 2lb 13oz, 2 I Ward 2lb 6oz 3 A Greenwood 1lb. The next match will be the Christmas Cheer, date yet to be decided.