The cream of fly fishing has started at Witton Castle as one of anglers Mr John Hartland from Billingham comments on the catch return sheet after returning 15 fish on small imative patterns ' Magic top of the water sport'. 
Best fish of the week fell to Mr Joe Cook from Consett at 14lbs 8 ozs on a Black Zonker,
followed closely by Mr Adam Sams from West Auckland with a perfectly proportioned blue trout at 14lbs 4ozs completing his limit with a further 6lbs 4oz and a 3lb'der. 
The Wizard of Witton 13yr old Master Ryan Matthews from Cockfield

who makes grown men cry, as he  secures another two doubles with a silver beauty at 12lbs 6ozs along with a 10 lb'der a few days later on the same Black Buzzer, his dad wants him back to school, as it is costing him a fortune.

 
Two visits by Mr Jim Gargett from Wideopen secured a 9lbs 4oz fish along with a matched pair of 5 lb'ders with his remaining bag being 2lb 8ozs and 3lb all on his favourite Hares Ear Shipmans Buzzer. 

Mr John Murray from Langley Park secured a 7lb 4oz, 5lb 12oz and a 3lbder all on Black Buzzer along with Blyth Palmer from Southshields with a mint 7lb 4oz fish.
David Coxon twice President of the Whickham Clavering Rotary Club held its first event at
Witton this week with David being the outright winner with a nice bag at 3lbs 8ozs,and two 2lb'ders. David was presented with a cut bevelled glass trophy supplied by Elders
Walker Ltd, manufactured by Pilkington Glass. 

Sporting permit anglers averaging 8 fish / visit on some days anglers returning upto 20+
fish off the top, and 18lb fish further down in the water colume, too many anglers to list.

 
RECORD BROWN TROUT off the River WEAR.  ( Bishop Auckland and District Angling Club ) 
I have great pleasure in reporting a 4lb 8oz Brown Trout secured in the Nature Reserve
beat by my friend and college Alan Brown from Langley Park, who probally is one of the only two anglers in my opinion who tie nice Traditional Norh Country Spider Patterns, the other tyer being Harry Vallack from Middleton Teesdale. This yellow bellied cannibal cock
brownie sucked in a Snipe and Purple and took off on a 3lb point fished on a no.4 Sage SLT rod. These big browns generally run the Wear with the female seatrout and spawn quite successfully, only a few remain as residents fish in the main river, and are very difficult to catch.