SERIOUS match action returns after the seasonal break when the Ouse below York hosts the Acomb Tackle-backed York and District Winter League on Sunday.

Competitors will be hoping that the New Year brings with it a change in fortunes.

Icy conditions followed by a rapid thaw left anglers frustrated over the Christmas break. Ponds froze and rivers ran cold and clear, then coloured and even colder, as the post-Christmas snows filled the banks with freezing, salt-laden melt water.

However, some anglers did venture forth to blow off a few cobwebs.

A sweepstake on the Fulford bank of the Ouse on Monday produced very little as the river, tinged the colour of cocoa, refused to offer up any late Christmas gifts.

Wayne Shillito topped the 48-entry from a peg below the bay hole where he tempted a brace of bream on lob worm for a resounding win with 7lb 10oz.

The rest were well adrift, with West Yorkshire river ace, and noted lobworm guru, Martyn Highe taking second from below the stump on the palace bend. His net of 3lb 4oz contained three roach and, more surprisingly, five small eels.

The only angler to get among the small fish was Highes' travelling partner, Dave Pollitt, who netted 22 small roach and perch on pole and pinkie from the paddock for a modest 2lb 4oz.

Best of a bad bunch after that were Craig Turbitt with 1lb 7oz and Paul Bennett, who had 1lb 5oz.

With the wind turning to the east and more wintry conditions forecast, the prospects for Sunday do not look enticing.

Although there are no other bookings on any of the numerous other York waters, river conditions are unlikely to favour good sport.

One species that can be relied upon to feed in the coldest of waters is grayling.

One correspondent reported having some good fish from the York stretch of the River Seven where a roving approach trotting with maggots produced fish to nearly 2lbs on a bitterly cold day.

Similar sport has been reported from the nearby River Rye, where grayling are also feeding well with odd chub to 2lb also spicing up the action.

The only other report received from the holidays relates to a pike angler who had a superb catch of eight fish over 10lbs from the Foss Basin between Christmas and New Year. All the fish fell to static or wobbled dead-baits.

The best of a fantastic haul, which bounced the scales around to 18lbs, fell to a wobbled sardine in the vicinity of Blue Bridge.

I hope club secretaries, match organisers and fishery owners make a New Year's resolution to report more of their results to me so I may pass them on to the Evening Press readership.

Updated: 09:39 Friday, January 06, 2006