At this time of year it is traditionally the region's commercial stillwaters that receive most angling attention, with a number of Spring Series offering the match angler plenty of scope for continued competition.

The York area is blessed with a plethora of such venues, but there are also a good number and variety of canals which are equally worthy of attention.

The York Amalgamation-controlled Pocklington Canal is quite often at its best at this time of year as fish start to feed in earnest prior to their annual spawning activities and before the prolific weed growth has had a chance to take its choking grip.

The Canal Head section at Pocklington is always popular, but I have yet to receive any reports since it was recently de-silted. Perhaps you could be a pioneer.

Farther down stream at Melbourne the tench that inhabit the basin there are starting to show an interest as water temperatures make a slow and faltering climb.

Caster or worm should prove selective as the basin also plays host to lots of small roach throughout the spring.

For the bream the main canal is favoured and pegs above Hagg Bridge will be worth a sortie as soon as some colour is added to the cut by rain.

Still a canal but as different as chalk and cheese is the huge Aire and Calder Navigation around Pollington.

The vast waterway, built to accommodate the largest of coal barges, is still in superb form if the right pegs are targeted.

The section below Pollington Lock is the place to head with huge shoals of roach and skimmers wintering in the deeper pegs opposite the boat moorings.

For the roach pole and caster or maggot will suffice fished at around eight to ten metres.

The water here is deep so a top four kit will be required and often flows if the locks are in operation so floats of over a gram are the norm.

A generous helping of groundbait and hemp at the start of the session should kick start proceedings.

A final canal worthy of a mention is Selby Canal which links the rivers Ouse and Aire.

The Goole stretch at Brayton has been good this week, with massive bags of roach taken from pegs in the 30's and 40's.

The long trek is undoubtedly a worthy one as nets of 20lb plus have been reported.

The fish are tightly shoaled against the far bank reeds that they will be using for their annual nuptials very shortly.

Squatt or pinkie fished on a light pole rig should ensure a bite a chuck with caster picking out the quality fish.

Don't go too light on the elastic here as the roach run to over a pound and require some firm handling to extract them from the greers.

If pegs are taken at Brayton why not try the nearby Burn Road pond, where big roach can also be found together with skimmers and tench.

Park View Lake at Sand Hutton has received its long awaited introduction of small chub in the last few days and may well also be worth a chuck this weekend.

Updated: 12:03 Friday, April 12, 2002