Angling, with Kingfisher

PROFESSIONAL football may have fallen victim to the weather last week but local matchmen are made of sterner stuff.

A frozen Leeds-Liverpool canal greeted the 64 competitors who turned out for the Hyndburn and Blackburn Open, but that proved to be only a minor problem and local lads dominated a decent enough contest.

Russell Sands, teAMS Hyndburn and Blackburn, was a comfortable winner from his peg at Graham & Browns, finding skimmers waiting under the ice.

After clearing a patch, he presented big bread-punch at six metres to take 20 of them for an impressive 11-8-0. Squadmate Alan Lord, meanwhile, found roach from his peg at Tesco to total 5-1-8, also on punch.

With all winter leagues now out of the way it was a good turnout, with anglers from all over the North West. But it was another local, Burnley's Chris Parkinson (Mack's Tackle) who made third place.

He was pegged near Lord on the Tesco length and used breadpunch for his 3-13-0 of roach.

Organiser Dezzy Forrest, teAMS Hyndburn & Blackburn, completed an excellent day for the locals in fourth with 3-9-0.

There was little opportunity locally, for pleasure anglers to wet a line on the canal. Pleasure really is the operative word and having to break the ice before you fish can hardly be described as that.

There will certainly be no improvement in that respect, I'm sure, this weekend. Nor, I suspect for match anglers who might find the ice just too thick to deal with, despite a daytime thaw (possible).

That really is a shame, for the Macks MG Open in Burnley promised to be a decent affair. With little opposition a big turnout was assured.

Of course I cannot, at the time of writing, be sure it will not go ahead. It might, and to be sure you need to contact Ray Ayre on 01282 427386. If it is possible to fish then the stretch at Wilkinsons is sure to be a top draw -- punch at six metres.

That stretch, and the one next to it, should be kept a careful eye on by pleasure anglers. As soon as they are fishable, without breaking the ice, top weights on bread are a near certainty. You can be the first to fill your net with a bit of luck.

I'm not exactly sure why this area in Burnley, or those at Graham and Brown and Tesco in Blackburn, are winter hotspots. Maybe because each is well sheltered.

I do however, know why the Garstang section of Lancaster Canal is a top winter fishery -- it is about a foot deeper than the rest of the canal. Consequently it remains a bit warmer than the rest, and fish move in -- lots of them.

It too, is frozen and remains an option only for next week or the week after (I hope). You might consider it too -- not too far away and no fancy bait required.

Breadpunch, fished right down the centre, will bring roach after roach (very often) to about four ounces. You will get an odd bream or skimmer as well, but there is a better option for you if it is bream you are after.

The old scrapyard section near Garstang Road toll bridge, holds a big shoal of bream to about four pounds. A small groundbait feeder is the method, with caster top bait. Tythe Barn Marina is a very reliable area and few of you can fail to have heard of Dimples -- another good spot.

Moving water, the rivers are the only venues to offer the guaranteed fishing this weekend. Fortunately all those targeted by local anglers have been in decent form -- and I'm sure they will prove a very popular option.

Ribchester, on the Ribble of course, has produced another double figure barbel. This time it was 11lbs 4oz and fell to Bury angler Derek Hart. There are a few chub about as well and grayling are featuring almost everywhere in the very cold conditions.

The River Wyre, at St Michaels, has had its best year in some time. It continues to fish well, with good numbers of quality chub and perch figuring amongst loads of dace in the four to six ounce range.

The one that impresses me most, though I have known there were plenty of fish in there, is the Irwell. I understand there are pegs producing all sorts of fish, close to Ramsbottom but if you fancy a go you might try it at Stoneclough, near Bolton.

The size of fish may surprise you, with roach to two pounds and chub of four and a half pounds reported.

Here again, no fancy tackle or baits are required. Pole scores, but stickfloat too. Maggot and bread are the baits and you can get a day ticket from the Lord Nelson -- right by the river. There remain a number of free stretches on the Irwell, but access is difficult. This one poses no problems.