BIGGEST hamper of the day in the 82-peg sell-out York Fur and Feather fished on the Ouse below York went to Tim Harrison (Anglers World York) thanks to the day's only skimmers.

The river was carrying two feet of extra cold water but over a pound and a half was still needed to claim the last of the 27 prizes on offer.

Harrison was two pegs below the sand bed on the Donkeywoods bank. Fishing a groundbait feeder, and alternating worm and red maggot hookbaits, he took a brace of skimmers plus three roach for his winning 3lb 15oz.

Nigel Baker (Anglers Corner) was one above the stump hole at Fulford. He used pole and maggot in the marginal slack water for a mixed net of small roach and perch scaling 3lb 9oz.

Mick Doyle (Armley Angling) took third above the kingfisher peg on Middlethorpe where he poled his way to a mainly perch bag of 3lb 6oz.

Others: Dave Findlay (South Bank) 3-0-0, Phil Austin (Armley Angling) 2-11-0, Kev Ellerby (Tang Hall Match Group) 2-10-0, Ricky Gaunt (Armley Angling) 2-9-0, Pete Banks (York) 2-8-0, Stan Haigh (Anglers World York) 2-7-0, Stuart Wilson (Hirst Tackle) and Dave Evenett (York) both 2-3-0.

The pairs event went to winner Harrison and Mick Potter with a collective 5lb 13oz. Second were Stuart Wilson and Mick Doyle with 5lb 9oz.

Travelling partners Dave Pollitt (Hirst Tackle) and Martyn Highe (Hirst Tackle) shared a profitable ride home after cleaning up in the 61-entry Leeds Christmas Cheer match on a dour Ouse at Hunters Lodge, Linton and Thorpe Underwood.

Pollitt got the nod by two ounces but it could all have been so different if the 4oz roach that river ace Highe juggled with had ended up in his net rather than back in the icy waters of the Ouse.

Pollitt was pegged 261 at Linton where he used a stick float with long rod and maggot for a mixed net of exactly 7lb which included late bonuses in the shape of a 1lb 8oz perch and a pound roach. Highe was 188, two below the willow garth at Hunters Lodge, where he used the same method for 70 roach and 6lb 14oz

Others: Steve Bolton (Armley Angling) 6-5-0, Nigel Hirst (Hirst Tackle) 3-7-0, Bernard Nevison (Glen) 3-2-8, Albert Heaps (East End Park) 3-2-0.

At Raker Lakes on Sunday, 29 competitors tackled Horseshoe Lake where victory went to Neil Horne (Headingley Angling) with 25lb 5oz.

His winning catch was made up of around 17lb of carp plus skimmers and perch on pole and maggot at 14 metres.

Others: Paul Stead (JT Rogers) 16-1-0, Paul Conolly (Hull) 13-14-0, Dave Geldart (Boston Spa) 10-15-0.

John Allerton (Tri-Cast Whizzo) topped off a remarkable weekend with victory in a chilly encounter at the Oaks on Sunday.

Drawn on peg 49 of Maple Lake, the former matchman of the year swapped seven and 12 metre lines with pole and maggot. He netted lots of small carp with odd bonus fish to 5lb for 27lb 6oz and his second comfy win of the weekend.

Second was York-based Roger Holmes (MAP Elton), who also switched between the deeper water drawn the track and the shallows adjacent to the island on peg eight to keep the carp interested. His best fish in a 20lb 9oz net was a common of 6lb.

Others: Ray Singh (MAP Elton) 20-6-0; Stef Armitage (Team Glum) 19-10-0; John McGarrell (MAP Elton) 17-14-0; Dave Rawson (Wibsey Angling) 12-10-0.

The in-form Allerton had also romped to victory in Saturday's 80-peg open fished on all eight match lakes at the Woodlands complex.

The Selby-based ace used 14 metres of pole to fish across into the vacant swim from Mallard 5. Baiting with corn he bagged a mixed net of mirrors and commons to 6lb for 61lb 1oz and an easy win. Mark Turner (Leeds) was on Dragonfly 4 where he had to use floating pole at 16 metres to reach the islands opposite. Corn also proved to the carps liking and he netted 32lb 4oz of fish to 4lb.

Others: Gordon Poole (MAP Elton) 31-8-0, Peter Jones (MAP Elton) 28-10-0, Dave Cooper (Shimano Quaker Match Group) 26-10-0, Daryll Taylor (Daiwa Goldthorpe) 22-4-0.

Updated: 11:23 Wednesday, December 11, 2002