ONE aspect of climate change that seems to have been forgotten is the decimation of match fishing on rivers.

For the fourth weekend in succession, flooding hit the match calendar in the North East. Another week of torrential rain and gales saw all the major match venues bursting at the seams as water spilled over the flood banks.

Major casualties included the York and District Winter League and Leeds events on the Ouse, Ripon on the Ure, Idle and Thackley on the Swale and Darlington Brown Trout on the Tees and Swale.

Peg 45 on Goldrush scored again at the Willows to chalk up its third win in as many weeks. Despite terrible conditions with gales and driving rain, the hot spot again gave up its carpy residents.

The lucky incumbent of the draw was York-based Steve Faulkener (Mitre), who tempted a string of fish to 6lb on double maggot for 45lb 4oz.

Runner-up Andy Hampson (Hirst Tackle) was close by on peg 40 where he baited with corn at ten metres for a 41lb 12oz bag of carp and ide.

Result: 1 Steve Faulkener (Mitre AC) 45-4-0, 2 Andy Hampson (Hirst Tackle) 41-12-0, 3 Denis Geldart (Boston Spa) 34-8-0, 4 Paul Varley (The Willows) 30-0-0, 5 Steve Raper (Hirst Tackle) 26-12-0, 6 Paul Gallagher (The Willows) 26-0-0.

They breed us tough up North and 13 feet of floodwater wasn't about to deter the Saturday stalwarts on the Ouse. Forty-one perched atop the flood banks between Thorpe Underwood and Wid-dington as the river threatened to breach the defences for a third week on the trot.

Paul Bennett (Wibsey Sensas) took top place with a respectable 3lb. Not surprisingly, it was lob worm that did the damage. Drawn on peg 43 at Widdington, he found nearly 30 feet of water under his rod end but still managed to charm seven roach and a brace of eels.

Denis White (Maver Barnsley) led the rest from peg 11 at Thorpe Underwood where he also got stuck in with the lobby for seven roach scaling 1lb 14oz.

Result: 1 Paul Bennett (Sensas Wibsey) 3-0-0, 2 Denis White (Maver Barnsley) 1-14-0, 3 Keith Holder, (Bradford) 1-11-0, 4 Bob Foster (Sensas Wibsey) 1-4-8, 5 Shaun Tate (Hirst Tackle) 1-3-8, 6 Dean Grace (Castleford) 1-1-0.