BRADFORD CITY ANGLING ASSOCIATION

WITH the weather back to the more normal patterns of a British summer – warm and wet – rivers have been freshened and are back to good levels again.

Forecast for Friday and the weekend gives likely rain and thunder, so anglers can expect rivers to be muddy and well up in many places if they venture out.

Reports from anglers over the past couple of weeks have largely told of fishing success.

Various visits to Gargrave on the River Aire produced fish for Carole Howarth and other anglers; Buckden-on-the-Wharfe has been productive on the dry-fly too; and a visit to Skirbeck on the Ribble with an Australian visitor brought some good trout and grayling to the net.

Jon Grey managed a few hours winkling out feisty wee spotties and one or two surprisingly good fish from the pocket water and streamier runs at Hubberholme, at the top end of the Wharfe – great sport on a six-foot, three-weight rod, all on dry.

But Francis Dine and Steve Rhodes found the going a bit more difficult on the Ure at Aysgarth and Worton Bridge earlier this week, with a high chocolate-brown flow discouraging the fish from taking.

Members visiting our stillwaters have also found fish. Weather at Oakworth has been terrible, according to one angler, though carp have remained on the feed in the fresher conditions.

Shipton Lake has been fishing well, with more night-fishing bookings than is the norm, while fishing has been steady at Staveley, though the hot weather has perhaps kept anglers away with their families at the start of the school holidays.

It’s not all been fishing however. Head bailiff James Lynch reports good progress being made on our project to put an otter fence round Shipton Lake, though the site poses several challenges to be resolved.

We’ve seen a van abandoned and blocking the gate to Inghey Bridge, where anglers fishing the Aire often park – it’s now been removed after being reported to police.

Fence posts, rails and wire are also being replaced where livestock has pushed them down, and a couple of work-parties have cleared ragwort – which is dangerous to livestock – and ‘bashed’ Himalayan Balsam, a vigorous and common annual invasive plant. The root systems and winter die-back of the latter leave river banks prone to erosion in winter floods and consequent choking of fish habitat and spawning gravels downstream.

Its removal - to stop broadcasting of seed - is therefore a worthwhile use of valuable volunteer time.

We’re pleased to report too that Giant Hogweed has nearly been eradicated on the upper Aire, after a protracted battle, working with partner organisations on the river.

This week, we have submitted an entry into the Wild Trout Trust’s annual Conservation Awards, for presentations in October.

Our submission showcases the work we’ve done over the past couple of years to improve environment on the River Aire.

In the next few days we will be sending details and Propositions for our annual general meeting to all members for whom we have an email address.

Details will also be posted up on bradfordcityaa.co.uk. The club has vacancies on both the general and the fly committees, and members are urged to offer their services to help manage BCAA and keep it running.

For more information, or to put your name forward, call Jim on 07940 814431.

Finally, a number of members have lost wading staffs and nets while fishing.

If you find one, then please report it back to Jim, and he’ll try to reunite it with the owner.

BINGLEY ANGLING CLUB

The rain in the last few weeks has freshened up the rivers and put the fish on the feed with one member having a bumper day in Myrtle Park catching barbel, chub and dace, barbel are also being caught at Wray Wood and Chubblets at Goldsborough.

The next club match is on Sunday, August 18 at Sunnydale reservoir, draw 8am on the bank.

CENTRAL A/C

Our next match is at Raker Lakes on Acorn Lake, meet at venue 8am, fishing 9am to 3pm, keepnets are provided.

LEEDS & DISTRICT ASA

Knotford Lagoon continues to fish well for specimen fish. However, it is not a venue for the faint hearted and a positive approach is required to get the best results.

G Crossley included in a catch a tench of 9lb 2oz. When using the boat to free weeded fish, the life jacket must be worn.

Also on this fishery no non-members are allowed.

The result of the Tuesday match at Kippax Park: 1 B Clark 112lb; 2 R Thomas 36lb 13oz.

The match at Moor Monkton pools was won by P Carter 183lb 4oz; 2 S Mazza 120lb 9oz; 3 D Wright 112lb 6oz.

LISTERHILLS AA

The draw for Sunday's open match on the canal is at 10am at the swing bridge by the Rodley nature reserve and is for the annual Leeds and Liverpool Open Championship trophy.

To book on contact 07518 721051. Anglers are still being found claiming that they thought that the fishing on the canal is free. There is no such thing as free fishing on any length of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, it is leased by several clubs.

Several members were frustrated in their efforts, as shoals of big fish could be seen cruising below the surface.

SKIPTON AA

THE recent spells of thundery rain have finally put some meaningful extra water into the River Aire which is currently looking in fine angling trim, and surprisingly, anglers have been reporting catching dace and roach for the first time in years.

What seems rather strange is that the fish are not all that big, the dace being up to about 120g and the roach up to 225g and all the fish so far have been caught in the upper length of the Skipton AA from the footbridge upstream to Inghey bridge.

Besides the roach and dace, trout have been quite active but not of any specimen size.

A few small grayling have also been landed together with the odd small chub with the worm being a popular bait.

Sport on Embsay Reservoir has been average for some weeks now with decent rainbow trout to around the one-kilogramme mark and the occasional brownie to a similar size. Perch are numerous but not of any size and can be a nuisance.

The best fish from the reservoir of late has been a tiger trout that measured some 58mm in length. Unfortunately, scales were not available but weight for length tables suggest that the fish could have weighed around the 2.27kg mark and would have been an easy record breaker.

Whinnygill Reservoir is providing some steady sport with good catches of ide, roach, perch and bream plus a few hybrids.

The pipes, quarry corner and the lilybeds are the most popular places to fish and the extensive weed growth can be a fish looser.

In the last Sunset series match on Whinnygill, Russell Heaton consolidated has position at the top of the league table with an 1,100g winning weight. Simon Chenier was close behind with 950g and John Leatt third with 600g. Malcolm Mawson was fourth with 310g.

The next match will be fished on Embsay Reservoir this Sunday with the draw at 8am and fishing from 9am until noon. The match is open to all categories of Skipton AA membership and normal Embsay bait restrictions will apply.