With many stillwaters frozen over, the rivers, especially the Tees, were the best bet last week and still should be in form this weekend.
The stretches around Yarm or Stockton have a good supply of small, but eager-to-feed dace and chublets, while roach and gudgeon are likely to add to the variety, with single red maggot being the best bait.
Despite a covering of ice 2in thick, 10 brave souls went ahead with the latest WACAC Winter League match on Horton Grange. Despite fearing the worst, their efforts did not go unrewarded and Derrick Dixon won with 1lb 4oz from Alan Thompson junior, with 5oz less, while Colin Malthouse came third with 6oz.
The Wear Winter League at Chester Moor attracted 60 competitors but the severe drop in temperatures put fish way off the feed and only seven anglers weighed in.
Top rod was Mattie Prudhoe, of Washington, fishing for the RSPS team, who took five chub for 18lb 6oz to cheese paste, while Chester-le-Street angler Graeme Skirrey was runner-up with three flounders for 1lb 12oz on a day when Turner’s Tackle Red clinched top-team spot.
Darlington’s Martin Chapman secured his second victory at Over Dinsdale on the trot when he won the NYSD match on the Tees. Using feeder, he weighed in seven chub for 12lb 8oz while it was also chub that helped Darlington angler Dave Whitehouse secure runner-up spot with just under 10lb.
Further downstream at Yarm, the same river returned an identical winning weight as the NYSD event when Brian Percival used maggot to build up his 12lb 8oz of dace and chublets for victory.
Next month sees the fishing of the River Swale Masters, a major match designed for up to 300 North-East anglers.
The contest is open to teams of 12 and organiser Jeff Herbert has vacancies for three teams. Interested match squads should contact Jeff on (01642) 825604.
Reaching for the Sky: Sunderland’s Andy Burden, pictured with a 9lb 5oz barbel caught in the Wear, has been nominated in the Specimen Angler category of the Sky Sports Angler of the Year competition.
Nigel Collins, of Escomb, County Durham, who caught a 14lb 2oz sea trout in the Wear, is among the nominations for Game Angler of the Year.
For further news from the northeast go to 
