The Ouse below York was in foul mood for the 88-peg opening round of the Acomb Tackle-backed York and District Winter League.

With the river carrying extra cold water it was the odd bream and skimmers that, as predicted, made all the difference.

John Cyrowski (Barlby Village Stores) helped his team to an opening round win with 4-8-0. Drawn in the trees below the donkey woods sand bed, he fished well out with a caster feeder. Alternating worm and red maggot hook baits he netted a single skimmer, plus eight roach.

Barlby team-mate Phil Austin was pegged at the top of the bridge field, where he had a skimmer and a roach on lob worm, plus 20 small roach and perch, close in on pole and maggot for his 3-14-0. Third place went to Adrian Jackson (Anglers Corner) who needed just a single bream of 3-11-0 taken five minutes from time on bomb and caster from peg one in the pumper.

Others: Dave Young (Cochranes) 3-2-0; Trevor Price (Tang Hall Match Group) 2-12-0; Tim Harrison (Anglers World York) 2-7-0.

Teams: Barlby Village Stores 9-2-8; Cochranes 9-0-0; Waterline Wibsey 8-15-8; South Bank 7-14-0; Anglers Corner 6-4-0; Anglers World York 6-2-8.

With the Ouse at Hunters Lodge carrying a yard of chocolate floodwater it was anglers' fishing lob worm that did all the damage and there is none better than Martyn Highe (Hirst Tackle).

Drawn in peg 218 above the bream pegs on the bungalows, the West Yorkshire river ace legered lobby for six roach and two eels scaling 4lb 12oz.

Chris Dennis (Tri-Cast Highfield) took second place from peg five at Thorpe Underwood, where he also fished bomb with the lobbie for a net identical other than the weight. His eight fish weighed in at 3lb 11oz.

Others: Barry Paton (Leeds) 3-7-8; Peter Hyde (Leeds) 2-15-0; Kevin Hartley (Waterline Wibsey) 2-14-0; Ray Barraclough (Leeds) 2-13-0.

Match organiser Paul Kozyre was laughing all the way to the bank after victory in a tight sell-out 30-peg contest on Horseshoe Lake at Raker.

His narrow victory from peg 1 was boosted by taking the bonus peg prize which saw him pocket a huge pay-out of £500. His 32lb 15oz bag of carp to 4lb fell to pole and corn over loose fed casters fished at 13 metres.

Others: Al Martindale (Tang Hall Match Group) 32-0-0; Trevor Scott (JT Rogers) 31-2-0; Danny Scott (Team Gem) 24-14-0.

The Bob.Co match at Carpvale was fished for a change this week on the Match Lake by a field of 20.

Andy Gallant (Bob.Co) led with a 42lb 8oz net of carp to 3lb on pole meat and corn fished across to the island from peg 29.

Others: Neil Broadbent (Armley Angling) 17-2-0; Graham Broadley (Armley Angling) 11-8-0; Bernard Guy (East End Park) 7-12-0.

Updated: 11:44 Wednesday, December 03, 2003