It seems that autumn is barely upon us and already the talk has moved to the Winter League campaign.

The Yorkshire version of this angling institution will follow a slightly different format this season and is under the sole stewardship of Tadcaster stalwart and angling 'godfather' Stan Haigh.

Team size will be reduced from 12 to ten anglers in a bid to attract more sides.

Currently there are only six registered, with all last season's leading protagonists ready to do battle once again.

Haigh says that there will also be space to accommodate a limited number of non-team anglers wishing to fish each event on an individual basis.

A slight alteration in the venue profile, due to uncertainties regarding the availability of Leeds water, should generate plenty of interest in this area.

The opening match is on October 7 on the Aire and Calder Canal at Pollington, which unfortunately clashes with the John Smith's Trophy match which will be held, waters permitting, on the Ouse upstream of York.

The next two matches, on October 14 and November 25, will be on the rapidly improving Calder around Mirfield. The last three dates are December 16, January 13 and January 27 on the Ouse below York.

Individual anglers wishing to fish the matches as opens should contact Haigh on 01937 832949 by the Thursday prior to the contest.

Following North Yorkshire County Council's decision to reopen public footpaths the Redhouse bank of the Ouse is now available to anglers once more.

This makes the middle and top lengths open to anglers as well as the popular Lagoon. Hopefully the bream shoals will ravenous after their break from anglers offerings.

A word of caution, though. If you are intent on tackling the 'rough' field, go armed jungle combat.

Regrettably, possibly the most popular stretch in the York year book, Beningbrough Park, remains closed despite the reopening of all the footpaths and the house.

Birkdale fishery at Terrington is another venue to reopen its gates this week. So is the day ticket stretch of the Swale at Cundall Lodge, where already barbel to nearly 9lb have been reported.

Fish will be helped to navigate the River Kyle near Beningborough, to the north of York, when the Environment Agency installs fish passes.

Low flows have made it more and more difficult for coarse fish such as chub and dace to make their way to their customary spawning grounds in the Kyle.

The two main obstructions to their movement are the flat concrete floor of the river beneath the road bridge just upstream of the Kyle's confluence with the River Ouse, and the steep slope of the small weir a little further upstream.

The Environment Agency, in consultation with North Yorkshire County Council and the local Internal Drainage Board, has now started a project to install fish passes.

Depending on flow conditions work should start within the next week. It will involve placing shallow baffles on the concrete base under the bridge to concentrate the beck's flow into a narrower, deeper channel and slow it down.

More baffles, in a herringbone pattern, will also be placed on the face of the weir, causing the speed of flow to be reduced, which will make it easier for the fish to swim up and over the weir.

Bookings

Tomorrow: Park View - Local AC; Howsham Hall - York RI.

Sunday: Poppleton - City Arms; Donkeywoods - Burton Stone; Fulford - Pudsey; Howsham Hall - Clifton; Park View - BRS; Acaster -Acomb WMC.

Updated: 11:49 Friday, September 28, 2001