BRADFORD CITY AA

WEATHER over the past few days has been cold and windy and not conducive to anglers being on the bank side. We have had few reports of catches, although Andrew Fieldhouse had a few chub on the Swale and a number of reasonably-sized chub and a 6lb barbel on the Ribble.

Club members have been walking the banks of the upper Wharfe and Ure over the past week, identifying potential improvements to fisheries for 2017. A considerable work programme is planned and this will be detailed in a newsletter to go out to all members shortly.

We and other angling clubs have also been heavily engaged with the Environment Agency about plans to clear trees and other flood obstacles from the banks of the River Aire, amid concerns that this work will impact negatively on river and fish habitat. Fish have been stocked into Shipton Lake, with further stocking into Oakworth and Staveley due shortly.

All BCAA members are reminded that it is now time to renew membership for 2017. This can be bought through the online shop via a link on the front page of our website or at agents such as KL Tackle in Keighley and Tackle 2U in Bradford.

Subscriptions have been held at £38 per year (£24 concessions and £5 juniors), plus a joining fee of £15 for all new members except juniors. Queries can be made to new membership secretary Terry Duncalf on 07988-681654.

Near-perfect weather and river conditions graced the 20 anglers who last week fished our first-ever match on the River Swale at Salmon Hall. The vast majority caught fish, using stick-float or waggler and maggot as bait. Result: 1 E Coleman (peg 20) 21lb 10oz, 2 D Bramley (peg 18) 10lb 8oz (both with nets of dace, chublets and roach).

A club match, which is fully booked, will be held on Saturday, January 21 at Shipton Lake. Anyone wishing to be added to the waiting list, or to book on to subsequent matches, should contact Rodney Brooksbank on 07875-275749.

The following match, again at Salmon Hall, will be on Saturday, February 4 and a working party will take place on Saturday, January 28 to clear pegs in preparation. If you can help, call Rodney Brooksbank.

BRADFORD No 1 AA

Bites were at a premium for anglers fishing the Dudley Hill & Tong Cup Open on the River Ure at Roecliffe on Sunday. Result: 1 John Leyland 1lb 15oz, 2 Ian Newby 1lb 12oz, 3 Ian Parker 1lb 5oz, 4 Geoff Cox 1lb 4oz. The club's next matches will be round two of the Raskelf Winter Series on Sunday, January 29, followed by an open match at Cowthorpe on Sunday, February 12, with tickets for the open match available from Simon on 01274-571175. If anyone has lost a coat at Roecliffe, contact Simon on the same number.

Membership sales are going well but if you have not already joined, both renewals and new membership are available from most local tackle shops or on our website. With junior membership costing just £5 per year for access to over 70 waters, what better way to introduce somebody to angling?

Last year's night-permit holders for Knotford and Kirklees have until January 31 to renew their permit via the ticket secretary, either by sending a cheque or postal order along with your 2016 permit or by paying cash in person by appointment only. Cheques should be made payable to Bradford No1 Angling Association. Any permits not renewed will go on general sale online on February 1 on a first-come, first-served basis.

The River Swale at Topcliffe and Catton is continuing to produce outstanding catches of roach around 8lb-10oz on float and maggot.

SKIPTON AA

Both the River Aire and Whinnygill Reservoir have been fishing reasonably well in the last week or so, with good catches being reported by members. The catch of the week was a fine chub weighing some 2445g and measuring 53.3cm. The captor was Malcolm Mawson and the fish was enticed on red maggot fished on a size-16 hook on the length downstream of the Carleton Stone Bridge.

Weight-for-length scales show the chub was in excellent condition and the fish put up a tremendous struggle before gradually coming to the landing net. It is the largest chub to be landed in the Skipton length for some years and is not too far off the all-time record of 2700g, caught in 2000 by G Heath in an open match.

Whinnygill Reservoir has been producing some of the recently-introduced fish for those wishing to wet a line at this popular water. Bream and roach have been providing much of the sport, with most of the fish falling to maggot fished on the float or feeder. One angler also landed one of the new gudgeon but the other species have yet to show up.

The basin on the canal at Skipton is so far failing to live up to its potential at this time of the year, with none of the big perch having been caught. The odd roach or bream has been caught but anglers have been more likely to record a blank. One angler changed from maggot to lobworm at the weekend and promptly had two bites and two fish – both pike weighing about 1820g and which created some excitement for a party of schoolchildren, who were passing at that time and were unaware that the canal contained such 'large' fish.

The club's annual meeting will take place at the RAF Club on Shortbank Road next Tuesday (7.30pm). There is a large agenda to be put before the meeting, including subscription increases and various rule changes. Members are urged to make every effort to attend this important meeting.

LEEDS ASA

Result of Tuesday's match at Kippax Park: 1 N Rymer 69lb 1oz, 2 M Turner 40lb 14oz, 3 B Rymer 29lb 7oz. Result of the Bank Holiday match at Moor Monkton Pools: 1 G Boardly 71lb 6oz, 2 M Dodsworth 64lb 13oz, 3 M Brotherton 26lb 9oz. Result of the Wednesday match at Moor Monkton Pools: 1 A Gallant 29lb 10oz, 2 R Worsnop 27lb 12oz, 3 S Bolton 27lb 10oz. Good catches of grayling are still being made from the middle reaches of the River Wharfe. For the first time in several years, a big match on the Ouse was won with a catch of chub in the Yorkshire Winter League. Several other anglers also had chub in their catches. A catch of perch totalling over 40lb has also come from a club length of the Ouse.

SALTAIRE AA

Result of the open canal match last week, which proved difficult due to the cold spell and clear water: 1 Mark Bolderston (Eccleshill Angling) 4lb 10oz, 2 Richard Mailer (Saltaire AA) 2lb 10oz, 3 Dave Chadwick (Matrix Halifax) 1lb 14oz. There is another open match this Sunday. Call Richard (07815-092966) to book on. The New Year's Eve match on the river fished well for Fred Prudham, who had a net of 15lb 8oz. There is an open match this Sunday on the river. Contact Barrie (07902-493139) to book on. The 2017 yearbooks are in all the stockists now and anglers are required to have these before heading to the bank.

BRADFORD SEA AC

Angling on the west and east coasts is a little quiet but trips that are getting out are catching the odd codling. Fishing inshore at Whitby is producing some good bags of small cod. The Mersey at Liverpool is producing some good cod up to 10lb, plus good whiting and the odd thornback, with black lug and squid being the top bait. Our next general meeting is at the New Inn, East Bierley, on Tuesday (8pm). Subscriptions are now due, with the deadline being April.

LISTERHILLS AA

On receiving membership books, rules should be read and the book then signed in the space provided. The unstable weather conditions have made for uncertain fishing. Anglers making decent catches one day, return to the same swims and struggle for a bite a couple of days later. All catch reports are welcome. To enter a fish for the specimen-fish competition, entries should be submitted in writing with full details.

BINGLEY AC

Thanks to all who attended Sunday's working party at Coppice Pond. The next one is on Sunday, January 29. There will be a match on the River Aire in Myrtle park on Sunday, January 22, draw 9am Ferrands car park. To book on, contact Tony on 07971-428678.