Angling lines

WINTER has continued damp but colder than last week, with most of our stillwaters iced over and anglers staying away. Some hardy individuals have fished the rivers, however. For the third week running, Andrew Fieldhouse enjoyed a good day's fishing – this time on the Swale at Topcliffe, where he netted ten chub to 4lb 15oz on breadcrust, but he found Cod Beck unproductive. Peter Bell also fished the Swale, using centre pin and float with maggot, with five chub to 5lb plus an out-of-season brown trout.

Committee members have again been busy. More fish have been stocked into our waters over the past ten days and a further top-up is due in a few weeks' time. On the Gargrave to Broughton stretch of the River Aire, the club has agreed yet more fencing and repairs on riverbanks to protect marginal vegetation and so enhance river habitat. However, ongoing flood risk work is still causing concern among local anglers and both the Aire rivers and the Wild Trout Trusts are making every effort to work with the Environment Agency so as to mitigate damage to fish and invertebrate habitat.

A newsletter has also been e-mailed to our members for whom we have contact details and a copy posted on the front page of the BCAA website and in other angling media.

This weekend, the club holds its first working party of the year to create and improve pegs at Salmon Hall, near Topcliffe, on the River Swale. This will start at 9am tomorrow and members are asked to provide a hand if possible. If you can assist, then please phone Rodney Brooksbank on 07875-275749. We do hope to have a working party on one of the fly-fishing club fisheries in the next few weeks, so please watch for details.

Memberships are selling well. Anyone who has not yet renewed can do so via the online shop or at agents. Subscriptions are still £38 per year (£24 for concessions, £5 for juniors), plus a joining fee of £15 for new adults and concessions. Any questions, contact new membership secretary Terry Duncalf on 07988-681654.

Twelve anglers took part in the Arthur Croft Trophy match at Shipton Lakes last weekend. Cold and misty conditions and partial ice cover meant fishing was hard. The winner was BCAA member and Knaresborough angler Dave Crawford with bream and roach on the feeder for 7lb, with E Coleman of Wetherby the runner-up after a net of tench. The next match will be at Salmon Hall on the River Swale on Saturday, February 4. For further details, contact Rodney.

SKIPTON AA

A good number of members turned up to give their support at the club's 110th annual meeting of the Skipton Angling Association held at the RAF Club, Shortbank Road, Skipton, last week. Members were told that the Association had enjoyed a successful year, during which the number of members had increased by almost 20 per cent to just over 150. Three taster days had been held and this had certainly contributed to the increase, especially among the junior category.

Sport had been good on all the three main waters, with a new record rainbow trout of 3410g being captured in the first month of the new season at Embsay Reservoir. The River Aire had produced an even bigger brown trout but this was landed by a Bradford City AA member on the joint water, so the Skipton record brownie of 2500g remained unchallenged.

Whinnygill Reservoir had produced plenty of good brownies and the coarse fishing was much improved. A large restocking in late autumn of mixed fish, entirely funded by members' efforts, should help to further improve the coarse fishing on this water in years to come.

During the year, we had taken out a lease on one-and-a-half miles of the canal westwards from Skipton, including the basin and the Springs Canal. This has proved to be attractive for both members and the organising of fishing matches and could prove an asset.

Despite some large increases in rents, the treasurer reported that the balance sheet showed a small profit on the year's workings, thanks to the increase in membership. Apart from one or two problems with Paypal, the online purchase of membership and day tickets had been a success.

Subscription increases were accepted after future rent increases and costs were carefully explained by the secretary but a series of rule changes, concerning barbless and treble hooks, were all more or less unanimously rejected when put to the vote. All the officials were re-elected, while Richard Tordoff took over as events secretary and Malcolm Mawson was made a vice-president.

The evening concluded with the presentation of trophies – Best trout, Philip Mawson; best coarse fish, Malcolm Mawson; Peter R Hart Memorial Trophy, John W Preston.

BRADFORD No1 AA

Raskelf will be closed on Sunday for round two of the winter series, draw at lakeside 9am. The lake is fishing well for silver fish on maggot but, with the colder weather, there have been few carp catches.

The River Nidd at Cowthorpe is continuing to produce, with Simon Foster catching 15 chub on waggler and maggot last weekend and a number of other anglers reporting catches of chub and barbel to just short of double figures.

Existing night-permit holders have until next Tuesday to renew before remaining permits go on general sale on Wednesday on the club website. Anybody wishing to purchase a night permit on general sale are advised to keep an eye on the website as there has been a huge amount of interest and the few remaining permits are expected to sell quickly. Club membership is still available for renewal and for new members.

LISTERHILLS AA

Any angler wishing to represent the club in this year's National Championship should send the completed application form on page 22 of the membership book. The next members' match is on Sunday, February 12. Final positions in 2016 Saturday series of open canal matches: 1 E Harrison; runners-up, R Thorne, D Moffatt, P Woods. The series was switched to a Sunday, which proved more popular. The Saturday series will start again in April but may be switched owing to demand. The matches, which are run by Roger Movley, may be run on a Saturday. Full details later. More members are required to come forward to act as watchers on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

LEEDS ASA

Result of Saturday match at Kippax Park on January 14: 1 M Bailey 46lb 4oz, 2 T Lawson 43lb 2oz, 3 N Rymer 40lb 15oz. Result of last Saturday's match: 1 A Broomhead 60lb 10oz, 2 S Raper 45lb 5oz, 3 J Wake 44lb 5oz. Result of last Sunday's match at Moor Monkton Pools (fished on all three ponds): 1 M Dodsworth 57lb 4oz, 2 R Worsnop 44lb 14oz, 3 M Lawson 41lb 8oz. Result of the match on the River Ouse: 1 E Bryden 11lb 14oz, 2 J Byewell 10lb 14oz, 3 P Barron 10lb 12oz, 4 S Haigh 8lb 10oz, 5 C Turbitt 8lb 2oz. This was followed by numerous weights of between 7lb and 5lb.

SALTAIRE AA

Result of last week's open match on the canal at Shipley, which fished better than the last couple due to more colour and an early boat down the canal: 1 John Meredith (Tricast Rochdale) 17lb (roach caught on punch and caster), 2 George Colbran (Keighley) 15lb 14oz, 3 David Colbran (Keighley) 7lb 10oz, 4 Paul Booth (Matrix Halifax), peg 21, 6lb 13oz. The book on to Sunday's match, call Rick on 07815-092966. There is an open river match this week on the lower length. Call Barry to book on 07902-493139. Any anglers fishing our waters must be in possession of a 2017 yearbook.

BRADFORD SEA AC

The last meeting was well attended, with four new members being signed up and future trips being discussed. Our next general meeting will be on Tuesday, February 21 at the New Inn, East Bierley (8pm). Trips for 2017 will be finalised and you can find all the dates on our Facebook page. Will those members who won trophies last year return them at this meeting so we can get them engraved ready for the presentation evening in March. Subscriptions are now due. You have until April to renew at £10.

BINGLEY AC

Results of last Sunday's match in Myrtle Park: 1 C Dine 11lb 4oz, 2 J Clark 10lb 4oz, 3 J Story 6lb 4oz, 4= A Newman, J Hall 5lb 5oz. There is a working party this Sunday at Coppice Pond to continue fencing and planting, all welcome, 10am start.