The penultimate round of the Yorkshire Winter League saw the Hirst Tackle team make what appears to be a decisive move in winning by a point from FAPS Bradford.

Individually the 120-peg match could not have been closer, with Craig Turbitt (FAPS Bradford) and Andy Hampson (Normark) fighting out a peg to peg battle at 107 and 108 below the big willows at Poppleton.

At the whistle the scales could not separate them, both anglers putting 6lb 3oz 8dr of bomb and maggot caught roach into the pan.

Paul Burton (Anglers World) was third. Fishing from peg 7 in the pumper at Fulford he took a 2lb bream plus roach on pole pinkie and caster for 6-2-0.

Steve Messenger (Castleford) was next, with 4lb of roach from the end peg on the Palace.

Other weights: Wayne Shillito (Selby) 3-2-0; Paul Clarke (Normark) 2-11-0.

Teams: Hirst Tackle 97pts; FAPS Bradford 96; Armley 87; Selby 84; Marsh Tackle 79; Anglers World 78.

League positions: Hirst Tackle 40pts; FAPS Bradford 37; Anglers World 34; Armley 33; Marsh Tackle 29; Normark 27

The same pegs above the weir at Smaws Ings dominated Sundays 59-peg Tadcaster open match. Scott Lister (Big Waters) drew 'hot' peg 50 and used waggler and maggot for 45 dace and 5-10-8. At the peg upstream, Neil Milstead (Tadcaster) opted for a stick attack for his all dace bag of 4-15-8.

Other weights: Paul Cousins (Leeds) 4-9-8; Kevin Gilligan (York Tackle) 3-11-8; Mick Wheelhouse (Tadcaster) 3-10-0; Bill Brown (Tadcaster) 3-4-0

With stillwaters frozen the entry for Knaresborough's open match on the Nidd was swollen to 50. Paul Werritt (Leeds) took advantage of the island peg at Goldsborough where he legered wasp grub for five chub and a couple of dace for his 14-3-0.

Keith Lamb (Ripon) was at Sawmills peg 69, where he alternated bread and maggot under a waggler for five chub and seven grayling scaling 12-5-0.

Other weights: Graham Burnham (A1 Garage Doors and Openings) 12-9-0; Roy Worsnop (Leeds) 8-11-0; Stuart Proctor (Claro) 8-9-0; Paul Cascarino (Leeds) 6-11-0.

The Ouse at Widdington was in fine form for Saturday's 50-peg Bob.Co Tackle League event. Andy Miller (Van den Eynde Goole) scored a surprise win from unfancied peg 49 straight down at Widdington. Fishing pole at 11 metres he netted 60 roach to 8oz on maggot for his 9-15-0.

The runner-up was Bob Ramshaw (Team Daiwa Armley Angling), who used long rod and stick at peg 63 for his all roach 8-12-0.

Other weights: Clive Stokes (Selby) 8-7-0; Nigel Hirst (Hirst Tackle) 7-12-0; Mick Scott (FAPS Bradford) 6-15-0; Ian Bates (Hirst Tackle) 6-8-0.

Updated: 11:46 Wednesday, January 17, 2001