THE Ouse below York has been in dire form for most the winter campaign.

The rain came just in time to save the big York Amalgamation match last weekend.

With the river at Fulford having risen overnight and carrying extra colour it was bream and skimmers that dominated proceedings for Sunday's 44-entry Tadcaster Tower Rosebowl.

Wayne Shillito (Selby) led from peg 19 at the top of the catholes. Fishing mid-river with a groundbait and caster feeder he took three bream to 6lb for 14lb 8oz.

Tony Stevenson (Anglers World York) also got among the bream from peg 33 on the Palace Bend. He also used the groundbait feeder with worm for two bream and two skimmers and 10lb 1oz.

The best of the rest all included bream and skimmers in their catches with pegs at the bottom of the Palace Ings providing the best of the action.

Leading catchers were: Kev Keene (York) 6-3-0, Colin Plant (Acomb Tackle) 6-1-0, Richard Darling (Tang Hall Match Group) 5-0-0, Graham Austin (Selby) 4-13-8.

The resident bream shoal on the bungalows section of the Ouse at Hunters Lodge decided Saturday's 46-entry Leeds open.

Roger Ellis (Armley Angling) took four to 6lb plus some quality roach and perch on a groundbait and caster feeder from 221 for his 26lb 8oz.

At the next peg upstream Tony Hewson (Armley Angling) had a six-pound slab plus some roach on the same method for 10lb 1oz. Others: Trevor Hewitt (Hirst Tackle) 5-11-0, Pete Hyde (Marsh Tackle) 5-8-0, Kevin Pybus (Yarm) 4-8-0, Tony Webster (Hirst Tackle) 4-2-0.

The season bowed out in terrible fashion with the worst match on the Nidd at Cowthorpe in living memory.

The river was up and coloured but even so the return of four catchers in the field of 52 is inexplicable.

Billy Smith (Bradford) weighed more than the rest put together thanks to the 15lb pike that took a liking to his legered lobworm on peg 35 above the hut. John O'Bank (Bradford) also legered the worm at peg 4 above the foot bridge where he took a chub of 4lb 6oz.

The only other catchers who shared in a highly lucrative pay-out were Bob Telford (Leeds) and Keith Hampson (Leeds) who both netted single grayling of 11oz and 9oz.

Fish were not in charitable mood for the annual Leeds Charity Open match on a rising Ouse at Hunters Lodge and Linton.

Winner and organiser Martyn Highe (Hirst tackle) fell foul of the low entries again topping yet another 46-pegger and failing to pick up Kamasan points for the umpteenth time this season. Drawn 210 he fished mid-river with double lobby where his only fish of the day was a conger sized eel of 3lb 2oz.

Noel Speight (Compton) had a small skimmer on worm from 218 before adding around 60 bleak on whip and pinkie for his 2lb 11oz.

Others: Bob Foster (Wibsey Angling) 1-3-0, Bill Collier (Union) 1-1-0, Paul Bennett (Wibsey Angling) 1-0-0, Nigel Hirst (Hirst Tackle) 0-15-0.

Saturday's Woodlands open match drew 74 anglers to all eight lakes, where Mark Coyne (MAP Elton) revitalised his flagging Kamasan challenge with a win from 19 on Mallard.

Floating his pole out to 20 metres from the corner peg he offered corn towards the aerator for carp to 7lb and a valuable four-point bag of 58lb 7oz.

Andy May (Sensas Dave's of Middlewich) also got among the scorers with a mixed net of bream, carp and tench on pole with corn and maggot at 13 metres for 28lb 11oz from peg nine on Wagtail.

Others: Graham Moore (Castleford) 23-8-0, John McGarell (MAP Elton) 21-9-0, Dean Smith (MAP Elton) 20-1-0, Ian Melton (Stainforth Preston Innovations) 19-8-0.

Updated: 09:15 Wednesday, March 05, 2003