Charity 'Big Fish' reels in the cash.

MORE than pounds 5,000 was raised at the Macmillan "Big Fish" Cancer Support competition at Derwent Reservoir, with 52 anglers taking part.

David Middlemost won the fly section with eight fish for more than 12lb, while the bait section was won by Dale Richardson with eight for just under 12lb.

Angling during the past week has been very good with a rod average of 2.78. Sandy Martain and Doug Pearson, one of the most prolific anglers on the reservoir, took advantage of the calmer conditions to each land limit bags of more than 20lb.

Over the coming weeks anglers at Fontburn can expect to catch large specimen trout as the fishery carries out its annual drain down and cleaning programme of the fish stock ponds. During the windy conditions of the past week there has been excellent sport, with those anglers braving the conditions well rewarded for their efforts.

C Tuck, fishing in a gale, caught a stunning 3lb 8oz blue, while Irving Brace from Whitley Bay had six rainbows for 12lb 8oz and Messrs Smith, Fraser and Agan were among the larger fish with trout of 4lb, 4lb 5oz and 5lb respectively.

At Grassholme, conditions ranged from gales to absolute calm.

The fishing was at its best on the rougher days, with 16 anglers braving Saturday's gales to record a rod average of 5.3.

Calm days saw the average fall to 1.8 but, overall, it has been a good week with 35 limit catches recorded and many fish around the 5lb mark brought to the net, including a cracking blue caught by Shaun McCarrol and quality rainbows by R Balmer and Martin Roe.

Most fish were taken on ledgered Powerbait Eggs and Magic Dust with fly anglers doing with intermediate lines and lures. It was a quiet week at Hury, with the strong winds keeping many anglers away. However, there were good rises on the calmer midweek days with excellent catches recorded.

There were several good catches at Kielder water this week despite earlymorning frosts.

G Finnegan, fishing from the top of the Belling, had the week's heaviest fish at 4lb 8oz while William Burn, fishing worm from the bank at Bull Crag, took the best eight-fish limit at 16lb 2oz.

Fly anglers recorded limit bags from either end of the dam wall with good hatches of fly on calmer, milder days encouraging late-season surface activity.

For the remainder of the month, fishing permits will be available from Leaplish Waterside Park reception from 8am as usual. However, the shop at Tower Knowe will not open until 10am.

Anglers had to work a bit harder for their fish at Scaling Dam, but those prepared to move around to try different areas had the best results. Midweek was the best time with the rod average peaking at 5.1 on Wednesday.

Ledgered Powerbait tipped with worm remains the top method.

FLY BOX Derwent: Dawson's Olive, Black Fritz, orange Fritz, Consett Budgie.

Fontburn: Consett Budgie, Black and Orange Blobs. Grassholme: Cat's Whisker, White Zonker, Humungus, Silver Invicta.

Hury: Invicta, Bibio, Cat's Whisker, Black Fritz, various Boobies.

Kielder:Hoppers, Knotted Midge, Goldhead Orange Fritz. Scaling: Bibio, various Fritz patterns, Dawson's Olive. Sweethope: Dawson's Olive, Cat's Whiskers, Fritz variants, weighted nymphs.

BAIT BOX Derwent: Yellow Powerbait Eggs and worm. Fontburn: Orange Powerbait Eggs.

Grassholme: Ledgered Powerbait Eggs and Magic Dust. Kielder: Orange Powerbait Eggs and Worm. Scaling: Worm, Powerbait Eggs, Spinners.

GEORGE MACINTYRE [phone] [e-mail]