THE Tadcaster Tower Rose Bowl is the only match booked on York waters for the penultimate weekend of the coarse fishing season.

The event will be fished on its usual venue, the Ouse below York, and should draw a reasonable entry despite a clash with a Leeds open further upstream.

A week of settled weather has seen the departure of the last traces of the recent icy blast and river levels have stabilized nicely. Water temperatures could be low, however, due to the combination of melt water and sub-zero night-time temperatures.

Combine that with the clarity of the water and the going could well be tough with roach likely to play a key role.

A few hardy souls have been braving the biting chill this week and enjoying some success.

Pegs on the Donkey Woods sand bed have produced roach and also some dace. If the wind conditions permit float fishing then a decent net could be on the cards. Resorting to leger tactics will undoubtedly result in lots of missed bites.

Other pegs that have produced in the week include the first field at Middlethorpe where a far-bank feeder attack with caster of bread punch will bring roach and perhaps a bonus skimmer, the pumper area at Fulford where a few big perch have also livened up catches and perhaps most predictably the bottom of the Palace Ings. Anglers here have been rewarded for the long hike with plenty of roach, perch and small chub falling to pretty much whatever method you care to choose.

With no other matches taking up peg space the pleasure angler has plenty of options.

The Derwent has been somewhat neglected this season by the match men but pleasure anglers have been reaping the rewards.

Dunnington-based chub expert Mick Scott has been taking some big fish from the stretch above Kexby Bridge where he advises he hasn't seen another angler all season.

Simple roving tactics with a link leger and a big lump of bread have brought a number of 4lb plus fish with two over 5lbs toppled by a best of 5lb 7oz.

Another pioneering angler is Jeremy Westgarth, who has been taking some amazing pike catches from his local stretch of the Derwent at Wheldrake.

Never one to shun the unconventional, he has taken several multiple hauls on the fly but favours a wobbled dead-bait for the big boys. His last session immediately after February's big flood had subsided included five doubles by a monster of 26lb. Sardine was the successful bait.

There are so many under-utilised river fisheries out there, and only two more weekends available until mid-June.

Updated: 10:54 Friday, March 05, 2004