BRADFORD No 1 AA

IT HAS been a good week on the rivers, despite the fluctuating levels, snow melt and frosts, with plenty of chub and barbel caught from our stretches. Probably the biggest of the chub went to Ash Clayson, whose new personal best at 6lb 5oz was caught from the River Swale at Thornton Bridge on ledgered meat.

James Vickerman battled strong winds to come out on top in the Charity Open match on the River Nidd at Cowthorpe on Sunday. He persevered with the float and was rewarded in the brief gaps in the wind with four chub and one barbel for 17lb. Other placings: 2 Andy Bradley 14lb 8oz (three big chub, the largest being 5lb 14oz) 3 Adrian Lewis 4lb 6oz (single barbel), 4 Neil Stanhope 3lb 15oz (single barbel). There were a number of other single chub and barbel catches, while quite a few fish were lost.

Good luck to the club's team in tomorrow's River Swale Preservation Society Team Masters. Hopefully they can follow up last year's team win with another good showing. The RSPS have done a lot of good work with money raised in these matches, including spending £14,000 on restockings of chub and barbel in the last couple of years. Our stretches at Maunby, Gatenby, Pickhill and Catton will be closed for this match.

SKIPTON AA

The Environment Agency is inviting angling clubs to put forward ideas or projects to qualify for financial grants to help improve fisheries in the Yorkshire region. A total of £49,000 has been allocated for the first round of grants from the income received from the sale of coarse, trout and eel rod licences. It is likely that further rounds of funding will be allocated later in the year.

The Fisheries Improvement Programme aims to support habitat improvement projects such as desilting angling ponds, installing reed rafts and/or underwater fish refuges, woody debris installation, fish pass or easement construction or feasibility/design work for fish-passage improvements.

Funding cannot cover the full cost of a project and angling clubs will need to match funding, which can be either financial or 'in-kind', including volunteer time, materials or equipment donated free of charge to a project from which a cash equivalent can be calculated.

The local stretches of the River Aire already have benefited from the installation of wood deflector boards in several locations. Other possible projects could include modifying weirs on Eller Beck to facilitate the upstream passage of fish to improve spawning capabilities.

Applications for the first round of grants need to be sent to the EA by Friday, March 16 and advice can be obtained from Gail Hammond (gail.hammond@ environment-agency.gov.uk), who will put you in touch with the local fisheries officer to discuss your ideas.

Recent spells of rain, sleet or snow, together with freezing temperatures, have continued to hamper angling and only the occasional angler has been seen in action on the local length of the River Aire. The river level has never been the same two days in succession but some grayling have been brought to the net, along with brown trout. The Heslaker Lane stretch at Carleton-in-Craven seems to be the favourite location at the moment.

Repair work at Whinnygill Reservoir appears to be keeping anglers away, which is as well since the exposed banking can be slippery when wet. Even the canal is deserted, when popular spots such as the basin at Skipton should be producing specimen perch at this time of the year.

A change to more settled and milder weather would soon bring about a general improvement but at the moment the forecast is more of the same monotonously poor conditions.

LEEDS ASA

Result of the match at Kippax Park last Saturday: 1 T Evans 51lb 12oz, 2 S Raper 41lb 6oz, 3 L Wilshaw 36lb 2oz. Result of the Tuesday match: 1 B Brown 63lb 10oz, 2 S Raper 44lb 8oz, 3 A Rymer 32lb 4oz. Result of the match at Moor Monkton Pools last Sunday: 1 S Power 77lb 15oz, 2 S Bolton 43lb 9oz, 3 A Hormsby 36lb 10oz. Result of the Wednesday match: 1 A Bolton 37lb 12oz, 2 M Gallagher 31lb 3oz, 3 S Bolton 30lb 12oz.

The River Wharfe continues to produce decent catches of grayling, providing that anglers are prepared to be mobile, travel light and wander from swim to swim. Pike anglers on the River Ouse have, when the river has been at a decent level, had some good catches – R Thorne and E Harrison had a catch which included six double-figure fish. Despite the time of year, barbel of good size have been caught from the lower reaches of the River Ure.

As was requested several months ago, any member with details of cormorant sightings is asked to notify the club, giving the date and location as well as numbers.

BRADFORD SEA AC

Will members who won trophies last year remember to bring them to the next general meeting, which is on Tuesday at the New Inn, East Bierley (8pm). This is so that we can get them engraved for next month's presentation evening. Also, membership (£20) can be renewed at the meeting to ensure that you will get first priority on any club trip. The trips for this year are being finalised and details will be released to members.

LISTERHILLS AA

Providing that weather conditions are suitable, the next members' match will be held on Wednesday, February 28. It is intended to run some junior events this year, providing there is a reasonable response. Any member who is willing to act as a watcher should contact 07518-721051.

BINGLEY AC

Sunday's match has been changed from the canal to the River Aire in Myrtle Park, drawing at 9am in the park. To book on, contact Adi Newman on 07783-332705. The next work party at Coppice Pond is Sunday, March 4, when all volunteers will be welcome.