The latest news from around the local angling scene.

BINGLEY AC

Trout fishing on rivers starts on Monday and bait restrictions apply.

The Aire Rivers Trust are having two training days for river fly sampling on April 5 and 6.

They also have several volunteer and clean-up days through March and April. For more information on these events, call Nick Milsom on 07378 878857 or nick.milsom@aireriverstrust.org.uk.

BRADFORD & DISTRICT SEA ANGLING CLUB

There was a good turnout at our annual presentation evening.

Honours went to Paul Lonsdale who won two awards, including ‘The International Shield’ for the heaviest fish caught in foreign waters with a barracuda of 30lb. He was also voted club man of the year by the members.

Dave Kitchingman also won two awards, including ‘The Hill Trophy’ for the best specimen, where the record is less than 10lb. He triumphed with a Corkwing Wrasse of 9oz and he also won the Martin O’Donnell Memorial Shield for the most species in Irish waters with 21.

Our chairman Roger Smith also picked up two trophies - the ‘Carter Cup’ for the best specimen on any trip, with a fine tope of 40lb, and the Park Trophy for the best specimen caught on main line less than 30lb, which was a tope of 30lb, caught on 28lb main line breaking strain.

Martin Catley won the Forrward Trophy for the biggest cod out of Whitby with a cod of 4lb.

David Taylor won the Harry Kitchingman Memorial Shield for the heaviest fish caught in Irish waters, which was a magnificent porbeagle shark of 126lb.

Rob Wadsworth won the Ken Boy’s Memorial Trophy for the heaviest fish caught in home waters, with a cod of 3lb.

Rick Bulliment won the Clayton Tray for the best specimen on a day trip with a cod of 3lb.

Simon Thomas claimed the Bob Lawson Memorial Cup for the biggest cod caught anywhere on a club trip, with a cod of 10lb 8oz.

Richard Spence won the Jim Conner Memorial Shield for the best specimen caught in Scottish waters with a spurdog of 12lb. Ralph Jones won the Species Trophy with 13 species.

Our next meeting will be on April 16 in the New Inn at 8pm. New members will be made most welcome.

BRADFORD No 1 AA

This Sunday we have the final round of the Raskelf Winter Series, which will draw at the Black Bull at 9am.

Dawid Moska leads the series with 90 points, just ahead of James Vickerman (85.5) and Simon Freer (77).

The trout season on rivers opens on Monday, March 25 on selected river stretches.

During the period until the coarse season opens on June 16 only fly, worm, minnow or artificial lure may be used as bait.

Please see the yearbook for which venues are classed as ‘Trout and Mixed Fisheries’.

The heavy rain over the weekend saw severe flooding on all local rivers, including the River Wharfe which burst its banks and joined the Knotford lakes.

Luckily the fencing held firm to prevent any stock transfer but the lake level will likely remain high for several weeks.

The extra colour in the lake should mean for great catches as the level drops, but please take extra care on what will be slippery banks.

Gratrix Dam is continuing to fish well with catches well in excess of 50lbs of quality ide, chub and roach being caught on float and maggot.

LEEDS & DISTRICT ASA

The coarse season on rivers is now in operation. The trout season starts on March 25. The severe weather again made fishing difficult and dangerous for the final days of the coarse season. However, anglers who visited still-waters at the weekend did manage some decent fishing as is illustrated in the match returns on Saturday at Kippax Park. The winner B Rymer put 96lb 10oz on the scales. 2 A Middleton 91lb 3oz, 3 J Redmond 60lb 2oz. The Sunday match at Moor Monkton pools was won by T Bainbridge 63lb 4oz. 2 G Wright 46lb 7oz, 3 M Green 36lb 7oz. Stocking has taken place at Knotford Lagoon with 15 double-figure carp up to 14lb and 25 smaller fish. Some of the latter have been placed in a separate compound to bring them on before releasing them into the main lake. The finance AGM takes place on March 28. Litter has been found at some preserves and anyone caught will be severely dealt with.

LISTERHILLS AA

The trout season starts on March 25 when anglers can fish the rivers but only with the following baits allowed by law: fly, worm and artificial lures. Keep-nets are not permitted. There is no close season on still-waters or canals. The final positions in the winter series: 1 E Harrison 41lb 10oz, runners-up J Harrison 25lb 3oz, B Mason 14lb 15.5oz. The series was cut short, with no matches fished during the last two months due to lack of support.

SKIPTON AA After almost a week of gale force winds and spells of heavy rain, the inclement weather finally started to moderate last Sunday, but not before Friday and Saturday’s heavy rain brought some extensive flooding to the Aire Valley.

The rainfall locally for the week’s rain amounted to 112.8mm, of which 46mm fell in the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday.

Looking back over the past coarse fishing season which started with a prolonged dry and quite warm spell lasting until September.

Autumn turned out to be average and winter was overall quite mild with a particularly warm period in February before the season ended amid wind and rain.

Sport on the River Aire was affected by the low water and most anglers wisely choose to fish elsewhere to avoid subjecting the fish to additional stress.

When conditions finally improved it was too late for the brown trout season, but anglers did find some decent chub about including a fine fish of 2,270g caught on the fly.

Grayling were generally of average size and pike fishing was hampered by periods of high water levels.

The local popular lengths of the canal never featured a particularly good spell of fishing throughout the year and catches were generally poorer that normal both in pleasure angling and match fishing.

The last couple of months were poor with the basin at Skipton appearing to be devoid of big perch and elsewhere, some anglers failed to catch fish session after session.

Whinnygill Reservoir at Skipton responded well to the warm summer and the coarse fish started moving up to a month earlier than usual.

Roach, bream and ide featured well in catches throughout 2017 until the advent of cooler conditions. Tench and perch fishing was not as good as in the previous season with carp perhaps holding their own.

The brown trout season starts next Monday on rivers in Yorkshire and it is fair to say that water conditions will still be on the high side.

Winter anglers have encountered plenty of decent-sized fish of late whilst attempting to catch grayling, so sport should be good with the possibility of catching an early-season specimen.

All anglers should be in possession of a current EA rod licence wherever they may be fishing, and, in most cases, have renewed their annual club membership.

SKIPTON AA
After almost a week of gale force winds and spells of heavy rain, the inclement weather finally started to moderate last Sunday, but not before Friday and Saturday’s heavy rain brought some extensive flooding to the Aire Valley. 
The rainfall locally for the week’s rain amounted to 112.8mm, of which 46mm fell in the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday.
Looking back over the past coarse fishing season which started with a prolonged dry and quite warm spell lasting until September. 
Autumn turned out to be average and winter was overall quite mild with a particularly warm period in February before the season ended amid wind and rain.
Sport on the River Aire was affected by the low water and most anglers wisely choose to fish elsewhere to avoid subjecting the fish to additional stress. 
When conditions finally improved it was too late for the brown trout season, but anglers did find some decent chub about including a fine fish of 2,270g caught on the fly. 
Grayling were generally of average size and pike fishing was hampered by periods of high water levels.
The local popular lengths of the canal never featured a particularly good spell of fishing throughout the year and catches were generally poorer that normal both in pleasure angling and match fishing. 
The last couple of months were poor with the basin at Skipton appearing to be devoid of big perch and elsewhere, some anglers failed to catch fish session after session. 
Whinnygill Reservoir at Skipton responded well to the warm summer and the coarse fish started moving up to a month earlier than usual. 
Roach, bream and ide featured well in catches throughout 2017 until the advent of cooler conditions. Tench and perch fishing was not as good as in the previous season with carp perhaps holding their own. 
The brown trout season starts next Monday on rivers in Yorkshire and it is fair to say that water conditions will still be on the high side. 
Winter anglers have encountered plenty of decent-sized fish of late whilst attempting to catch grayling, so sport should be good with the possibility of catching an early-season specimen.
All anglers should be in possession of a current EA rod licence wherever they may be fishing, and, in most cases, have renewed their annual club membership.