The first weekend of the angling close season saw a number of matches on York area stillwater venues.

Dave Armitage (Hirst Tackle) netted 41lb 2oz to win the opening round of the 59-peg Outwood Angling Centre series fished on Goldrush and Ridgepool at the Willows, Hessay.

Drawn peg 44 on Goldrush, he chopped and changed to keep carp to 3lb coming at steady intervals.

Baiting with maggot and corn, he rotated swims at 16 metres to the island, down the edge to an overhanging willow and to the aerator.

The consistent Dave Pollit (Hirst Tackle) took second from peg 19 on Ridgepool, where he fished cat meat between the islands for 32lb 4oz of carp to 4lb.

Others: Ali Wilkes (Tadcaster) 31-9-0, Stuart Thompson (Leeds Angling Centre) 24-4-0, Gordon Fennell (Acomb Tackle) 23-12-0 and Chris Kitchin (Outwood Angling) 23-8-0.

Across the A59 at Poppleton Ponds, Armley Angling boss Dave Wright left it until late to win at peg three on Railway Lake.

With two hours remaining he was struggling for a fish before a change to treble red maggot fished a foot deep tight to the island found the small carp queuing up. In a frantic closing session he hauled out 64lb 2oz of fish to a pound for an easy win.

Others: Jim Pollard (Armley Angling) 50-8-0, Wayne Barber (Thornhill) 40-6-0 and Paul Tyson (Thornhill) 38-8-0.

Jason Souter (York Tackle) topped another excellent silver-fish only contest at Poole Bridge Farm, Wheldrake, with 14lb 15oz from a peg on the old part of the Coarse Lake.

Offering maggot over pellet and caster at ten metres, he took roach to 12oz throughout.

Organiser Paul Thompson (Anglers World Holidays) took second with another mainly roach net on small pieces of worm fished over chopped worm. A bonus chub of 2lb boosted his net to 13lb 14oz.

Others: Tim Bell (York Tackle) 13-2-0, Steve Brand (Malton) 11-11-0, Steve Williamson (Anglers World) 10-14-0 and Rita Bell (York Tackle) 10-5-0.

Other results

Oaktree Leisure (at Pond Four, 30 fished): 1 Ben Linley (Acomb Tackle) 50-12-0, bream, skimmers and carp to 6lb on pole and maggot from peg 32; 2 Steve Cromie (Oak Tree Leisure) 43-6-0; 3 Ray Orr (Oak Tree Leisure) 20-4-0; 4 Roger Holmes (MAP Elton) 19-0-0; 5 Tony Stephenson (Anglers World Holidays) 18-12-0; 6 Paul Farley (Oak Tree Leisure) 16-12-0.

Raker Lakes, (at Horseshoe Lake, 30 fished): 1 Danny Scott (Team Gem) 45-0-0, carp to 4lb on pole and corn at 16 metres; 2 Oliver Hewitt (Team Gem) 30-10-0; 3 Trevor Scott ((JT Rogers) Rogers) 29-6-0.

York Tackle, (at Langwith Lakes, 30 fished): 1 Pat Bailey (Kerrs Angling) 34-14-0, corn and pellet to the island on peg 3 for carp to 2lbs; 2 Mick Wood (Kerrs Angling) 34-12-0; 3 Brian Clay (Langwith) 34-8-0; 4 Kelvin Wetherall (Selby) 32-0-0; 5 Adam Uttley (Langwith) 23-6-0; 6 John Cyrowski (Barlby Village Stores) 22-10-0.

Updated: 11:08 Wednesday, March 23, 2005