An excellent field of 60 anglers enjoyed good sport on the Ouse as bream fed well in the Animals Hospitals Cup.

Following a week of wet and mild conditions the river was around five feet above normal level and heavily coloured.

Most anglers relied upon the humble worm to spearhead their attack and this included winner Dave Ward. The Acomb Tackle-backed star scored his second win in as many weeks from a peg above the culvert in the Donkey Woods. Offering worm and caster beneath a feeder, he bagged three bream, four roach and an eel in a hectic mid-match spell that sealed his win with 10lb 12oz.

Runner-up was Jack White, who used pole and maggot three pegs from the bottom of the Palace Ings section for a decent bream, plus roach scaling 10lb 2oz. The loss of a second bream prevented his climb up the leader-board from attaining greater impetus.

Best of the rest were Larry Atmore 8-14; Tony Marshall 7-8; Derek Barker 6-8 and Don Murray 6-2.

The pairs contest was won by Ward and Marshall with an impressive 18-4, which put them well clear of nearest challengers, Phil Austin and John Cyrowski, who managed a combined total of 8-14.

Langwith Lakes benefited greatly from the return of milder conditions and behind Paul McIntyre's impressive 82-2 top weight there was a whole string of solid backing weights. Working across to the island at peg 28, McIntyre used chiefly maggot to tempt carp to two pounds, which came at frequent intervals.

The rest were led by Ben Wetherall, who used identical tactics at 27 but a slower strike rate saw him finish well in arrears with 54-6.

Backing weights were much improved this week at Oaktree Leisure but no-one could prevent Ben Linley from extending his run of form as he chalked up a win with 49-4 off a peg six draw. Caster at 12 metres was his main line of attack and produced carp to four pounds.

Ray Orr also held his form claiming second place with 42-8, which included a carp of seven pounds, caster and pole again proving effective.

Gareth Sellars proved an old head on young shoulders as he offered maggot half-way up the far shelf at peg seven to win by a country mile at Raker Lakes.

Working at 16 metres, Sellars eclipsed the rest of the field, including his father Dave at peg 1, as he raced to 83-7. Fellow ex-Leeds junior Danny Scott was second with 42-6 as carp to four pounds also showed at peg 15.

Updated: 11:06 Wednesday, December 07, 2005