Rivers in prime form - despite the cold!

It may have been a spell of breaking the ice and low weights on commercial fisheries across the UK lately but on rivers, the story has been very different with some stunning match weights recorded from some famous venues despite the clear water and low temperatures.
The River Ancholme in North Lincolnshire is a famed winter roach venue and even with everything that the weather can throw at it, the river around Brigg continues to produce the goods with Barnsley Blacks star Lee Harrison (above) the latest to show what it has to offer as he enjoyed an action-packed session on the Scunthorpe Spring League, bagging 18-10-0 of roach and perch on caster and breadpunch.
Further down the south the Warks Avon through Evesham saw a big bream shoal go on the feed on the Workman Gardens section for the Evesham Winter Pairs match, Rob Sreeves taking what’s thought to be a new match record with a massive 121-12-0 of slabs on feeder and maggot or worm from the end peg, second coming off the next swim where Owen Robinson netted 77-5-0.
A water that’s been in fine form since Christmas continued to produce the goods in East Anglia as the 20ft Drain at March hosted the latest round of the HAJAC League. Former England Youth angler Alistair Ogilvie took 29-8-0 of roach and rudd on the waggler and pole to win followed by Paul Kilby with 27-1-0 of roach and rudd, which bodes well for the Winter League Final on the venue in a few weeks’ time.
Although it can be tough, the Yorkshire Ouse seems to be in good small fish form at present with two big matches seeing roach and dace lead the weights, Eddie Bridon topping the Angler’s World Holidays Saturday Series with 8-5-0 from Linton and Dave Pollitt taking 9-0-0 to top the York Tackle Winter League further into York.
Northallerton’s chub shoals on the Swale at Scruton again saw a decent winning weight for the open as Ian Curtain drew well to take 31-3-0 of them on stick float and maggot while down south the Kennet & Avon Canal showed both a hard and productive side for the Bob Warden Memorial, Mike Goodhind winning with 11-9-0 of roach and skimmers from the Horseshoe Pond although elsewhere, some sections were won with ounces!