Angling: Ossett net two titles from the Nationals

Browing Team Ossett, winners of the Division 2 National Championships.

Browning Team Ossett followed their 2016 Winter League final win with another high-class performance to cement there place as one of the country's top teams.

This time competing in the Division 2 National Championships held on our local Aire & Calder and New Junction Canals, they made it their own.

The National, comprising 24 10-man teams from around the country, was fished through some awful weather but showed its potential as a great venue with some stunning canal results.

Though all the Ossett team members are regulars on these canal sections, their result was a reflection of total commitment by not only winning the team event – dropping just 35 points from a maximum 250 – but providing two section winners and the individual champion in Mick Lodge.

Drawn top peg at Pollington and fishing 8-9m pole with worm and caster, Lodge gave no-one else a chance with a procession of skimmers and bream for a monster canal weight of over 22kg to become this year’s National champion. Team-mate Michael Bowers kept the Ossett flag flying with another great catch of 15kg to take fourth place, and everyone’s favourite, Kayleigh Smith, added a national-section win for the team to her impressive portfolio.

Drennan Team England put in brilliant performances on both days of this year’s World Championships only to see them bettered by the venue’s home nation Belgium.

The venue of Ronquireres/Charleroi Canal – very similar to our own Aire & Calder – provided each of our five anglers with a section win and maximum points, though, unbelievably, the three wins on day one by Will Raison, Steve Hemingray and Alan Scotthorne followed by day-two wins for Sean Ashby and Des Shipp were only good enough for an English silver medal and runners up spot.

The last two World Championships held in England have both been dire affairs and opinion from some at the top is that we have nowhere suitable to host another.

Angling Trust: please read your own national results held on the Aire & Calder; there are no obstacles that couldn’t be overcome if you wanted it badly enough. The venue could be perfect for the world’s top contest.

Leeds and District, meanwhile, changed venues from the seal-ravaged tidal Wharfe at Ulleskelf to a flooded river Ouse at Alice Hawthorne for its latest Charity Open – with surprisingly good results.

Alan Grandige took the honours from his peg downstream of the stones with three decent barbel for a winning 18-06.