THE opening weekend of the new season sees a busy schedule of fixtures on York waters.

The highlight is the 'First Sunday' open that will be fished on the Ouse from Redhouse through to Poppleton.

Early season pleasure anglers are already reporting some reasonable catches of bream with a dozen slabs from the 'Big Tree' area at Redhouse the most notable.

Ouse bream are averaging over 5lb in weight these days so a big winning total could be taken.

The dry and warm spring has seen a very successful spawning this year and the fish should be fighting fit at the weekend.

Plenty of bream have also been noted rolling late in the evening around the wires at Poppleton indicating that fish are present throughout Sunday's competition length.

Bream and lots of skimmers are showing on the Ouse below the city which bodes well for this evening's junior championship to be fished along New Walk Terrace.

There will be the usual array of prizes up for grabs for young anglers up to the age of 18.

Tickets are still available in the local tackle shops or can be purchased on the bank from around 5.30pm.

Downstream of York, there have been lots of angling activity with both Fulford and Donkey Woods sections hosting numerous anglers.

In addition to skimmers, there have been plenty of roach and more notably perch that should keep the weekend's match anglers busy.

The CIU seven-a-side also kicks-off this weekend with the first round fished on Marley Pond at Laybourne Lakes.

The venue has seen an improvement in recent days with the extra anglers on the bank keeping down cormorant and heron numbers.

In the absence of the piscivorous attentions the lake's smaller fish such as skimmers, roach and perch have begun to gain confidence and feed during match hours.

An unfortunate angler left his expensive new coat on the bank after a contest last week.

If anyone has information regarding its whereabouts would they please call Terry Pinder on 01904 692126.

I have in my possession a large assortment of old angling magazines to dispose of including Match Fishing, Match Angling Plus and Coarse Fisherman. Free to a good home they can be reserved by calling 01904 785592 between 6-7pm.

Weekend Bookings

Saturday

Beningbrough Village, Local AC; Fulford/Palace Ings, Acomb WMC; Park View Lake, York GPO; Redhouse Lagoon, York RI; Redhouse Middle, Shepherds

Sunday

Redhouse to Poppleton, First Sunday Open; Acaster, Pudsey Royal; Beningbrough Park, Bishopthorpe and Acaster; Claxton Pond, Ben Johnsons; Donkey Woods, Cygnet; Fulford, White Rose; Marley Pool, CIU and Burton Stone; Moor Monkton, Poppleton Rovers; Park View Lake, Sea Horse; Skip Bridge, Clifton Hotel; Tockwith Top, Buster AC

Updated: 11:45 Friday, June 20, 2003