Star billing this weekend goes to the Tower Trophy which will take place on Sunday on all York Amalgamation preserves below the city.

Last weekend saw a poor return from York sections of the river further upstream and anglers will be hoping for better fortune this time out.

Much-needed and long-awaited rainfall mid-week may have added a touch of colour and flow to what was a pretty desperate river running low, cold and clear.

If the stagnated conditions have abated then sport could be improved.

Bream and skimmers are likely to be the main quarry if there is even a hint of extra colour. But they are notoriously fickle and it would be a brave decision to go for an all-out bream attack.

Despite the lack of big fish in the Ouse Championship good numbers of roach were a feature of some sections with fish seemingly tightly shoaled. Pegs in the pumper could produce a winning roach net if the slabs don't cooperate and the bottom peg on the Palace Ings is long overdue a win.

Another recent trend on a number of Yorkshire rivers has been the numbers of perch with winning catches from the Ouse, Wharfe and Swale in the last two weeks.

Some big old stripeys have been banked with one angler on the Salmon Hall section of the Swale netting just five fish for over 12lbs. Pegs along the Middlethorpe section and on the Palace bend have the potential for quality perch and a chopped-worm approach could pay off here.

Away from the match scene a couple of specimen anglers have reported good catches in the last week. Ted Davies from Dunnington has had some good reward at last for a long summer in search of a big Derwent chub.

After many blank sessions on his chosen stretch at Kexby he finally hit the jackpot during a short evening jaunt after work. Braving the cold and dark he got the prize his endeavours deserved when a superb brace of chub scaling 5lb 12oz and 5lb 10oz fell to his legered bread flake.

Further downstream at Wheldrake, Dean Foreman, who is based in the village, has been getting to grips with the pike on the York stretch downstream of the sewage works.

Adopting a roving approach that helps to keep out the winter chill he has been using a Big S plug to great effect. His best haul so far came last Sunday and featured fish of 18lb, 12lb and 11lb, plus ten others in single figures.

Finally an appeal for a lost item of tackle.

A tip section of a float rod was left on the bank at Laybourne Lakes recently. The rod is several decades old and of great sentimental value. If anyone should stumble across it in the surrounding area could they kindly contact Mr Lambert on 01904 416356.

Weekend bookings:

Saturday

Fulford - Local AC.

Sunday

All water below York - Tower Trophy; Acaster - York Angling Association; Kexby - Pudsey Royal; Laybourne Lakes - New Earswick; Park View - Shepherds

Updated: 11:09 Friday, October 31, 2003