Bishopthorpe and Acaster Juniors enjoyed some good sport from small skimmers, roach, perch and bleak in their opening contest at the Bridgefield.

Angling brothers Ryan and Rhys Carlyle were joint winners of the first contest with 2lb 8oz apiece.

Second place went to Kallum Cooper, who headed off the challenge of Oliver Cropper. Other anglers to catch were Lewis Graham, Ben Jemison, Christine Lewis and Stewart Seaton. The Anglers Corner special prize went to Ben Jemison.

Young Ryan's evening will be an unforgettable one not just because of the joint triumph with his sibling but in his excitement to weigh in his haul he fell into the river. Fortunately there were plenty of adults and fellow competitors on hand to fish him out safely from the murky depths.

I have been asked to point out that nine-year-old Amy Leslie, who won last week's York Amalgamation Junior contest on the Ouse at New Walk Terrace also received the inaugural Jeff Francis Memorial Trophy presented by Jeff's widow for the overall winner of junior and senior categories.

In another brilliant contest at the Woodlands complex 54th place in the 70-pegger weighed an astonishing 30lb.

Top weight was York-based former Matchman of the Year Dean Smith (MAP Elton), who made an early assault on the top of this year's charts from peg 15 on the dominant Partridge lake. Fishing small pieces of meat at full depth at 15 metres, he had a superb mixed net of small carp, skimmers, tench and barbel scaling 90lb 8oz.

Steve Fearnley (Elton Tackle) made full use of corner peg 18 on the same lake. After taking a few fish early on with paste at five metres, he turned his attentions to the boards at 13 metres with meat to compile the rest of his 88lb 10oz net of carp to 5lb.

Phil Sellars (Elton Tackle) took third with an all-carp 86lb 3oz on his usual paste attack from Partridge 16.

Others: Dave Pimlot (MAP Elton) 83-13-0; Keith Fryatt (Elton Tackle) 80-0-0; John Chapman (MAP Elton) 77-13-0.

A superb match at the Willows saw Phil Austin (Barlby Village Stores) top the 35-peg contest on Goldrush from peg 35. Fishing open water at 12 metres with cat-meat, he was into fish from the off and netted 79lb 8oz of carp to 4lb Graham Boardley (Bob.Co) took second, fishing cat meat tight to the island for 68lb 12oz of carp to 3lb.

Others: Mick Webb (Leeds Angling Centre) 54-4-0; Andy Barker (Sensas Walton) 52-0-0; Mal Proctor (Daiwa Goldthorpe) 41-4-0; Tommy Rogers (Willows) 40-14-0.

An influx of extra water overnight put paid to any chances of a mega-weight for the first open of the season on the Ure at Ripon but it did make for a fair contest with 25 of the 63-entry recording double figure nets.

Graham Jeffrey (Hull) led from a peg in Hutton Beck willows.

Alternating maggot and caster through a block-end feeder cast tight to far-side willow cover, he had five early chub and another five fish at intervals for his winning haul of 27lb 14oz.

Close behind was Chris Smith (York), who cast a bomb downstream to the North Bridge supports from peg 196. His 27lb 2oz included three barbel to 6lb taken on halibut pellets and two chub on lobworm.

Kevin Wright (Gee Tee Angling) was one peg above Simpson's field and swapped baits between bread and caster beneath a caster feeder for eight chub scaling 23lb 10oz.

Others: Cliff Lofthouse (Ripon) 22-6-0; Phil Johansen (Ripon) 22-2-0; John Fletcher (Ripon) 18-14-0.

Updated: 08:57 Wednesday, June 30, 2004