A QUIET weekend for open and league action sees York-area club anglers to the fore of the local match scene.

York CIU tackle the Ouse below York in what is likely to be the best attended fixture. With both Fulford and Palace Ings stretches booked around 40 anglers can be accommodated.

Competitors will be hoping for better fortunes than last Sunday's York Tower Trophy when the predicted bream and skimmers failed to make an impression.

The Ouse has been at a steady level for most of the week and still carries a tinge of colour and flow. Roach could figure well and I expect pegs at the bottom of the Palace Ings to provide some good float sport.

The mild weather of the past week has seen a resurgence in action at the local stillwater complexes with carp feeding freely.

Bernard Guy topped the midweek open at Carpvale, which was fished by 31 anglers. His winning haul of 50lb would have been much nearer the ton but for the loss of seven hefty lumps. Drawn on peg 17 on the point he pole fished meat to the island opposite for 14 carp.

York's Dave Spence took second spot from peg 11 where he feeder fished hair rigged meat to the island for his seven carp net that took the scales around to 23lb 8oz. The rest of the frame was pretty close with the odd lost fish making all the difference. Paul Fawcett had 23lb 2oz, Andy Sparling 22lb 5oz and Dave Wright a level 22lb.

Down the road at the Willows fish are feeding well in the Ridge Pool with pleasure anglers regularly reporting catches in excess of 50lb.

Cat meat is scoring well for the carp and, ironically, was also responsible for the downfall of an 18lb catfish from peg 13. The same lake is also good for mixed nets of ide and orfe with fish to 2lb. Regular loose feeding with maggot or caster soon has the carrots lined up under the surface with pegs two to nine the pick.

There has been plenty of interest in the Pocklington Canal since all foot and mouth restrictions were lifted by British Waterways last week. The Melbourne Arm is proving popular with pinkie and punch good for the roach and caster and worm taking bream and tench.

Anglers fishing lures for pike have had good multiple catches on the Ouse with fish into mid doubles. Those that choose to troll lures behind a boat are reminded that they must hold the relevant yearbook for the club whose water they are navigating.

Around York city this is not a problem as most of the fishing is owned by the local authority or York Amalgamation. Venturing upstream of the city could however prove a costly exercise with a number of associations holding rights.

Bank anglers reported the best activity around the Foss confluence and along Terry Avenue with floatfished deadbaits scoring well.

Weekend Bookings

Saturday: Donkeywoods - Acomb, Palace Ings - Transco.

Sunday: Park View - Royal Oak, Redhouse Lagoon - Burton Stone, Redhouse Middle - City Arms, Poppleton - New Earswick, Donkeywoods - YAA, Fulford and Palace Ings - CIU, Acaster - White Rose, Howsham Hall - Pudsey.

Updated: 11:26 Friday, October 19, 2001