AN angry clash with a rowing regatta ruined the weekend's premier river angling match in the York area, with a sell-out field in the York Animals Hospitals Cup having to battle with several hundred rowing crews as well as an icy river.

The trouble started early in the five-hour contest when the first of the rowing crews began to assemble for the series of races. The centre of the match length on the Ouse at Fulford was also their starting line.

Tempers began to flare as the rowers lined up six abreast from bank to bank, preventing anglers from fishing.

One irate competitor, who asked not to be named, said: "I was gutted after drawing an excellent peg in the Donkey-woods only to have my day ruined by these rowers. I was not able to fish for most of the match as the rowers were coming right into the bank."

The bad feeling reached a crescendo when the rowers tangled several anglers' lines with their oars.

York City Rowing Club captain Gill Porteous hopes such clashes can be avoided in the future and said: "Our Head of the River Race is always held on the penultimate Sunday in November so we don't clash with Remembrance Sunday and the parade through York.

"We were unaware of the fishing match but we are all river users and our club tries to be considerate of the needs of other sportsmen. We haven't yet had our post regatta meeting but I feel sure any complaints will be discussed and hopefully settled amicably."

Despite the distractions and minus-five overnight temperatures, most anglers who were able to wet a line caught roach, and veteran York angler Jim Dodsworth led the 80-strong field from the bottom of the first field at Middlethorpe.

Dodsworth was well away from the centre of the unrest and took advantage of the relative tranquillity to bag 4lb 4oz of roach on stick and caster.

Tim Harrison (Anglers World Holidays) took second taking advantage of the vacant end peg on the Palace Ings. Drawn the peg above, the Copman-thorpe ace alternated pole and bomb with red maggot for a mixed net of small roach and perch scaling 3lb 12oz.

Third place went to Phil Austin (Barlby Village Stores), who was in the paddock at Fulford, where he used pole and chopped worm for a skimmer plus roach for 3lb 10oz.

The pairs' contest was won by John Cyrowski and Phil Austin with 5-1-8.

Others: Jim Carter (Barlby Village Stores) 3-6-8; Dave Gill (York) 3-1-8; Col Plant (York), Paul Burton (Anglers World Holidays) both 2-14-0. Section winners not in main prize list: Adrian Jackson 2-5-0; Tony Marshall 1-11-0; Dave Taylor 2-3-0; Ricky Gaunt 2-3-0; Dave Hardy 2-8-0; Kev Hartley 2-0-0; John Cyrowski 1-7-8; John Watson 1-11-0.

Other results

Leeds CIU - River Ouse, Hunters Lodge, 30: Mick Shaw (Hirst Tackle) 8-14-0, a bream on caster feeder from peg 220; Wayne Coleman (Cowburn) 6-14-0; Dave Pollit (Hirst Tackle) 4-5-0; Keith Lancaster (Glen) 3-14-0; Tony Earnshae (Hirst Tackle) 2-15-0.

Tadcaster - River Wharfe, Smaws Ings, 20. Ali Wilkes (Tadcaster) 9-8-0, dace on stick and maggot from peg 48; Dennis Gelderd (Boston Spa) 7-4-8; Bob Barker (Tadcaster) 5-3-0; Mick Wheelhouse (Tadcaster) 4-6-0.

Woodlands - Saturday 47. Darrell Taylor (Daiwa Goldthorpe) 40-3-0, carp on bomb and corn from Wagtail 16; Dave Bargewell (York) 29-7-0; Steve Bowyer (Group Five) 28-6-0; Graham Towhee (Morley Match) 25-2-0; Keith Fryatt (Elton Tackle) 24-8-0; Paul Todd (Elton Tackle) 18-5-0.

Updated: 11:26 Wednesday, November 24, 2004