Maybe, just maybe, spring arrived this week. Better late than never I hear you cry.

This week's rise in temperatures across the region should be just what the stillwater circuit has been crying out for, with warming water kick-starting the season.

A combination of foot and mouth disease and poor weather has made for a dreadful few months since the close of the river angling season.

This has been reflected in takings at tackle shops and in rod licence sales.

The Environment Agency report that sales of this year's licence, which came into force on April 1, are down 25 per cent on the same period last year. So, this weekend spend some of your hard-earned money on a few maggots and a licence and get out on the river bank.

Bishopthorpe and Acaster club start their season's matches on Sunday with a trip to the Selby Canal at Brayton.

Many clubs have moved their matches away from more traditional river venues and towards canals and commercial fisheries in the last year.

Bishopthorpe and Acaster, along with Nomads and Tang Hall Match Group, all fall into this category.

These venues might not suit all tastes, but given the ongoing foot and mouth crisis they do at least ensure that match fishing can continue.

The latest advice suggests that the crisis will be 'over' in time for the General Election, which should see things back to normal for the start of the river season.

Given that guidance on the disease - and various restrictions seem to alter on an almost daily basis - I would not start dusting off the stick floats just yet.

Anglers wishing to fish the Bishopthorpe and Acaster match should contact Nigel Baker at Anglers Corner.

I have been hearing some good reports in the last week about Selby Canal. Roach are beginning to show in numbers as they begin to shoal prior to spawning.

The Burn section controlled by Goole Amalgamation of Anglers is particularly good at this time of year, with fish hugging the reed fringed far bank.

Pegs with 'stick ups' are also the ones to look for on the Selby run stretch at Brayton.

Both squatt and caster will score for the roach with the shell sorting out the better fish. Skimmers are not feeding currently, but chub can be found lurking beneath the trees. It is a number of years since the original stocking and some of the fish run to well over 4lb.

Things are hotting up in the Spring Series at Carpvale, where Armley Angling boss Dave Wright currently leads the pack.

As water temperatures hot up so will the action, and I suspect that the Armley bagging machine will be way ahead with his ultra long and strong pole tactics.

The region's two qualifiers from the Yorkshire Winter League did not fair too well in their respective semi-finals last weekend.

Winners Hirst Tackle chose to fish the River Soar, a match that was later switched to Woodlands. They could only manage tenth place out of the 12 teams contesting the three final places.

My own Anglers World team were unable to field a team of 12 due to holiday commitments.

I strongly suspect, however, had we been able to do better the performance of Hirst Tackle may have been a struggle.

Congratulations to big Buck Taylor. His titanic struggle with a 16lb catfish in last weekend's Bob.Co match, reported here first, earned the burly taxi driver from Haxby a special mention and fetching colour mug shot in one of the weekly nationals on Wednesday.

York Junior Angling Club will meet at the Railway Pond, Nelsons Lane, at 5.30pm on Monday, May 14, May and not this coming Monday as was previously advertised.

Updated: 11:56 Friday, May 04, 2001