THE big freeze that gripped the region over the New Year put paid to nearly all angling activity at the weekend.

Every stillwater and canal in the area was covered in thick ice.

Even the Ouse froze over, thereby putting paid to the Acomb Tackle Open.

The only match fished in Yorkshire was on the Ure at Ripon.

The chub were tightly shoaled in the icy water and it was the usual fliers around Hutton Beck Mouth which dominated.

Kevin Moore (Marsh Tackle) celebrated the New Year in style with a fine 73lb 10oz haul from peg 217.

Feeding casters to the far bank snags he cast a waggler and bronze maggot netting an early chub before a long quiet spell.

The fish eventually turned on to the feed half-way through the contest and he finished with 23 fish for his winning net.

Graham Burnham (A1 Garage Doors and Openings) was pegged 139 on Bell Banks gravels, where he had a blank first and last hour.

But in between times he netted 32 small chub on a stick and caster down his own bank for a catch totalling 48lb 8oz.

Graham Skirrey (Turners Tackle) found some bigger fish from peg 137 at Mires Hole, where he netted a total of nine chub on waggler and wasp grub for his 23lb 15oz.

Others: Mal Britton (Harrogate) 9-4-0, Kevin McGloughlin (Marsh Tackle) 8-10-0 and Richard Atkinson (GT Silsden) 8-3-0.

Updated: 12:02 Wednesday, January 09, 2002