Tri-Cast Calder, Calder and Hebble Canal, Brighouse, 48. Dave Finegan (Tri-Cast Calder) 2-14-0, skimmers, roach and perch on bloodworm at Elland; Roger Priestley (Fox Match) 2-8-0; Steve Avinou (Tri-Cast XRS) and Gar Griffiths (Pools Fodder) both 2-3-0; Nigel Storr (Team Victoria) 2-2-0.

tri cast teams of four-sunday 7th feb
 
the weather played its part yet again as the tri cast teams of four contestants battled it out on a bitterly cold water  canal.  small roach were the order of the day if they could find them!!  congratulations to venue specialist dave finnnegan who took 2lb-14 oz from the back of the barge and barrel at elland.  Always a winter hot spot the barge threw up 2nd -r priestley 2-8 and third -s avinou 2-3 but the nearby basin was quieter. so too the high walll backing the market which can frequently produce 4lb plus  but not on sunday !!  other sections needed 1lb plus to win but significantly the shoals were all tightly packed ...so its a matter of drawing well..even the oft reliable top pegs on the pop shop failed to deliver and it was the bottom three that showed-indication of what the weather can do to our fisheries!!
 
this is for wheres fishing
 
the weather played its part yet again as the tri cast teams of four contestants battled it out on a bitterly cold water  canal.  small roach were the order of the day if they could find them!!  congratulations to venue specialist dave finnnegan who took 2lb-14 oz from the back of the barge and barrel at elland.  Always a winter hot spot the barge threw up 2nd -r priestley 2-8 and third -s avinou 2-3 but the nearby basin was quieter. so too the high walll backing the market which can frequently produce 4lb plus  but not on sunday !!  other sections needed 1lb plus to win but significantly the shoals were all tightly packed ...so its a matter of drawing well..even the oft reliable top pegs on the pop shop failed to deliver and it was the bottom three that showed-indication of what the weather can do to our fisheries!!
 
tis is for the wheres fishing
 
river alone provided cold water comfort last week as the search for fish on odd better days brought out some of the locals  best catch from bailiff john welsch -four fish for 10lb + headed by a cracking -but out of season truot -of 4lb 11oz (photo to follow)
 
Even the pond produced for one ice breaker!! content to catch smalll roach and gudgeon whilst bascking in the sun (that was rare -ed) but enough to bring him back on thursday to have a nother go

CHRISTMAS CHEER -Sunday 20th Dec
 Fished in appalling blizzard like conditions for part of the contest, on frozen footpaths and in need of ice breakers for a few pegs with half the field failing to catch ......but we all enjoyed it, didn`t we.  Nice to see a full cross section of association members ship out in force and those who didn`t fish came to have a look at those who did.  A bit of much appreciated support for each other in tricky conditions was a welcome sight. 
 
 Firstly thanks and congratulations to Club Match sec Steve mitch and his team for sorting out the days activities that all went off very smoothly and our hosts at the Bridge  in Elland as well as sponsors.  The prizes table was groaning  from the weight and variety of goodies on offer!!
 
 Congratulations to all who braved the elements, turned up and supported one of the highlights in our calendar and especial congrats to those who caught.  The usual favoured sites held fish bar the pop shop length where chris lees section win of 3oz consisted of 15 fish (!!) the only man to weigh off this often favoured stretch.  Dave Pilgrim took overall honours wtih a wonderous ( to those of us biteless fro all the match)   6lb plus bag of skimmers and roach from the basin followed by stephen hydes 4lb plus from the same site -several quality caster fish  for these guys.

DENNIS NOBLE MEMORIAL Brookfoot lake showed its worst side for the latest club match.  A good turn out were were met by the lake in dour mood as fish refused to bite and several anglers were left lamenting the odd fish the nibbled but didint take.  Last years winner Tony Dawson struggled to hit bites fishing fine with the  waggler  against the middle island.  Karl Rowley hit two-both pike !!  It was left to match organiser Sean Auty to show the way from the arm chair peg back of the new cabin on Elland road side with a bag of Perch for 1lb 14 oz closely followed by match sec Steve Mitchell off the next peg.
 
CANAL CONSULTATION  on Kossets fared little better as the poor conditions again took their toll.  Top weight from peg two off the spearheads weed bed -much fancied -was 2lb 2oz  from one tench for Ken Hewitt this was his only bite !!  Runner up Scott weston, taking an away day day from his favourite Leeds -Liverpool, had lots of small roach for 1lb 6oz  off peg ten at the top end of the length where the tightly packed fish had been coralled by the pike-"one of the biggest he ever seen in a canal"  

Fish off Final-Sunday 6th sept
On a reasonable day for fishing the Fish off final was a truly competitive event for all the qualifiers who ere able to attend the grand finale of the season.  Anglers, who have competed and qualified over many rounds of the Canal League and the Riley`s pond Saturday leaguie, found the canal in unresponsive mood as the high pressure began to build and settled weather followed some blustery days.  Most sections saw the competitive edge bring out the best in pole anglers repertoire but it was Phil Mitchell who made the most of a peg on kossets.  His 6lb 9 oz made up of a few small roach  and a couple of late match tench shows the benefit of exploiting  a feature and leaving your attack till late on.  Chopped worm seems to have helped several others but no one else got the bonus lumps out!
 
Rising sun open monday 31 Aug
full detail result for the canal
Rising Sun, Brighouse Canal. 44. Graham Bateman (Tri-Cast Calder) 16-4-0, four bream and an ide, pole and caster in the deeps; Andy Lumb (Brighouse) 9-11-0; Keith Marshall (Tri-Cast Calder) 5-0-0; Wayne Cowburn (Hirst Tackle) 4-9-8; Steve Todd (Brighouse) 4-8-0; Derek Greenwood (Fox Match NW) 4-1-0.

Rileys pond
Last match in the series was  a disappointing one for many as the bigger match winning fish failed to show in any numbers.  Karl Rowley took top spot with a very creditable 14lb from a peg that needed a bit of clearance prior to the event.  Messrs Griffin and Blagborough again regular supporters of these events -  took 9 and 6lb respectively for second and third places but after that anglers struggled to put more than the odd bigger fish in the net.
 
Rising Sun Sponsored Open on the canal Monday August Bank Holiday
Another good turn out for this popular event fished in mixed weather conditions on a canal that had failed to produce consistently over the last week.  The previous thursdays  canal evening league had been a contest of small fish with 3lb+ taking top spots and @2lb being good section weights from the crematorium and gas works lengths.  those that held out for the lumps that inhabit the area were left trailing the small fiash men.  A different story on the big bank holiday open as some quality fish put in an appearance for two local venue experts.  Graham Bateman, back on the venue he loves, took some cracking Bream and a beatiful Ide (? 3lb ) for 16 lb 04 oz winning net from the favoured Deep Water section;  well ahead of Andy Lumbs 9lb 11oz of roach ( some cracking fish here) on the hemp and Tare from the Pop Shop and a worthy 5lb from Keith Marshall.  Section winners needed @4lb -so it made for a good competition all round .  Thanks to Karl and Michael of thew Rising Sun for their continued sponsorship of this premier event of the season.  Next week it is the FISH OFF FINAL on the canal for the qualifiers from this seasons pond and canal leagues...looking forward to it already!

Thursday Canal League 30th July  Crem and POp Shop...bream dominated the latest canal Match as the winners all had quality samlpes in their nets but it was young Steve Avenue who took the top spot confirming his potential.  NINE BREAM ..and odd Perch for 28 lb 1/2  oz..hows that for an evenings fishing?!!!! Runner up John Holdsworth often figures  and  it was two Bream (7lb) the night that helped him edge in front of Chris Lees (5lb) in another good contest on these lengths....and who said the canals not fishing when two weeks running the bream have decided to play?!!

August 6th Canal proved to be a battle for small fish especially perch and odd roach wiht only one contestant reporting loss of a big chub and no Bream showing on the Willows and Match length at elliots.  Two anglers  sorted the joint first places with  3lb -5oz mr wilson and Mr warboys and two joint seconds with 3lb 2oz Mr S  Mitchell and Mr A Lumb

July 19th Officials Trophy Canal
  A disappointingly small entry this year as holidays, illness and practice for nationals cut the field, who went in search of the skimmers that inhabit the POP SHOP length at Elland...but they didn`t feed !  Good condititions for most of the contest and what a  battle it turned out to be on the top few pegs near the Crem Lock,.  Alas those pegged lower down the section could`nt keep the fish coming as the boat traffic increased whereas those at the top end manageed to catch in short bursts throughout and get some of the much needed "goer" roach too.  Punch and some chopped worm fish seemed to be the order of the day.  Club sec  and treasurer, Clive Milsom and Phil Mitchell took second and third respectively and , at last hitting form, Michael Dobson winning the G Lord Trophy with 4lb-13 oz- all three anglers in the top few pegs  !! so it was no surprise that Michael and Phil took the Blind Pairs too.  (Photos to follow of the presentation dinner at the Rising SUn, Scholes -Thanks to Michael and Karl Rowley)
 
 
July 23rd Thursday League Canal
 
Fished on Kossets and Red Beck in near perfect conditions Match Sec Steve Mitch was expecting some good weights all along as he pegged three sections up (2) and downstream (1) of the lock to accommodate the large entry and put in form pegs.  The downtstream section didn`t perform as expected as the roach failed to put in an appearance in any number or quality and it was left to returnee James Meade to show his class with 6lb + of perch on choppy and a bonus bream from below the road Bridge.  Perch got the section too despite the odd Bream showing here.  Upstream the canal started to show its class with first and second places on quality fish . Dale Adams with 8lb plus (bream + tench) would have been good enough to win most evening knock ups  but not that night ....fourteen pound in three breem   "one of which looked like a donkey " took the spoils for Dave Rooney  who also qualified along with Dale for the Fish off  Now thats fishing !!..BOOK EARLY !!