Tomorrow marks the start of another coarse fishing season.

The passing of June 16 this year will not however be greeted with the usual eager anticipation within the area's angling community.

With foot and mouth still unwilling to loosen its grip on the Yorkshire area many riparian owners and local authorities are still to reopen riverbanks. The first Sunday of the season usually heralds the York Tackle Open with what is normally the season's biggest entry in search of the Ouse bream shoals and a mega pay day.

This, along with many other matches, has fallen victim to the curse of foot and mouth.

Not all venues are closed and there are even a limited number of club and open events to to be found if one looks hard enough. It would appear that York controlled waters on the Ouse below the City are open as is the Poppleton stretch upstream to Killingbeck. At the present time water on the Derwent remains closed as does Beningbrough Park which will not be fishable until July at the earliest.

Further clarification can be found on the Amalgamation web page at www.communigate.co.uk/york/ydaa

Leeds Amalgamation, however, have re-opened many of their waters with the section on the Ouse at Nun Monkton set to host a sell out 90-peg contest on Sunday.

The City Centre stretches of the Ouse are also business as usual and could be worth a cast or two.

At this time of year bream normally shoal up around the bottom end of New Walk Terrace giving the prospect of a bag of slabs taken under the shadow of the Millennium Bridge.

Matches booked for York preserves over the weekend see Park View and Below York on the Ouse out of the reach of pleasure anglers on both days with Hagg Bridge on the Pocklington Canal in use on Sunday.

With a fairly settled week or two with the temperature stable, the trout are moving around the lakes at Maran Fishery freely and feeding well.

The depth they cruise at varies between the surface and the bottom. During the windy conditions this week end they were hanging lower in the water, the surface rises coming when the wind slackened, or in the sheltered parts where the fish responded to a small daddy imitation on the surface. These tended to be the smaller fish, the larger specimens cruising at about two to four feet down.

While making a pleasurable stroll around the lakes on Saturday all anglers reported good sport, new visitors catching well. Simon Spindley from Methley banked a cool 4 lb fish whilehis partner Bob managed two 2lb fish. A young man from Sherburn in Elmet took another 4lb fish on the drifting black buzzer fished as a single point fly.

Further along the bank an angler was catching on dries, so keep your eyes open for the rises and pop a dry on its nose. You may be surprised.

Both ponds at Paradise Fishery, Melbourne, continue to fish extremely well in the warmer weather

Pond one has produced some fine catches of fish to a variety of methods. Pole tactics in the gutter on maggot or meat have accounted for some nice bags of carp and tench.

Waggler fished on the drop towards the centre of the pond using maggot and spraying constantly has accounted for a good number of rudd. Leeds' Paul Mackton took well over 100 fish.

Pond two is producing some good bags of fish. Carp and skimmers are showing in large numbers backed up by rudd and tench.

This has been specifically designed as a marginal fishery so do not be afraid to fish within three feet of the bank. This is where the largest catches (and largest fish) have been coming from.

All baits are working well at the moment. A word of warning if you are fishing the pole be prepared to ship those sections quickly as the carp set off like a rocket.

The Willows Fishery continues its fine recent form with Goldrush Lake the pick. Plenty of small ide, orfe, carp and tench are keeping anglers active with one visitor from Leeds complaining that he did not have time to eat his butties. There's no pleasing some folk.

Updated: 12:25 Friday, June 15, 2001