SPRING arrived this week and York-area fisheries have benefited with some brilliant sport being reported.

Anglers competing in the Spring Series at the Willows, Carpvale and Raker Lakes should prepare for some brisk action with carp in particular starting to feed with a vengeance.

Fish have even been coming to floating baits on Cyprio Lake at Carpvale with small pieces of bread or pellets fished tight to the reed or tree-cover scoring.

The Front Pond has also been producing well with lots of small carp and bream coming to corn or pellet.

At Raker Lakes, carp are hugging the far and near margins with bread and corn proving effective. The tench are starting to move at Tollerton Ponds with some quality fish to 5lb coming to pole and caster fished over the near ledge.

New owners Chris Jewitt and Beverley Shipley also report that lots of carp are falling to pellet or maggot in the new pond. Match bookings are being taken for both lakes for the coming season.

Ridgepool, at the Willows, is providing the quality with carp to 8lb and tench to 5lb falling to meat or pellet fished tight to the island. Try pegs two to six and 11 to 15 for the best returns.

On Goldrush it is quantity that counts with lots of small carp, ide, orfe, chub and tench coming to maggot, pellet, caster or chopped worm.

The Coarse Lake at Poole Bridge Farm, Wheldrake is also worthy of attention with a double-figure bag of skimmers and quality roach a distinct possibility. Try fishing on the drop with maggot for the roach or on the bottom with chopped worm for the skimmers.

England manager Brian Turner is inviting match anglers with disabilities to contact him if they feel they are good enough to represent England in the Fifth World Championships being fished at Lake Borghese in Italy on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5.

"Anyone interested has to be a member of a club affiliated to the National Federation of Anglers and of course they must be adept with a pole and waggler techniques. It is my intention to hold trial matches on a water similar to the competition water to enable us to select the best possible team to come away from the championships with some medals." said the new coach.

To conform with the World Governing Body (CIPS) rules, the squad has to be selected on a handicap points system with a minimum of ten points being eligible on each of the two match days. A blind angler is awarded six points along with an angler with an upper limb lacking in mobility.

An angler who cannot fish without a wheelchair attracts four points and a competitor with a partially amputated upper limb whose remaining limb is mobile and useful is awarded three points. A lower limb lacking in mobility or an angler with one leg is awarded two points, while a competitor with two handicapped legs who can move without the aid of a wheel-chair or other apparatus attracts one point.

Nominations must be received by the NFA no later than April 30 and should be marked for the attention of Brian Turner.

Updated: 09:19 Friday, March 21, 2003