THE biggest event in the 90-peg Acomb Tackle York Winter League on Sunday was the capture of a salmon on a flooded Ouse at Fulford.

Mark Collier (Acomb Tackle) was on his way to a tidy roach net of 6lb 4oz when a 6lb salmon picked up his stick-floated maggot. Unfortunately, Collier was unable to add it to his haul, which would have seen him take victory.

The contest was won by Nigel Baker (Anglers Corner) with an 8lb 8oz net of roach and perch from peg ten in the pumper at Fulford.

Ernie Wright was second with an 8lb 1oz catch from above the road bridge at Fulford which helped secure victory on the day for his South Bank side with 25-15-0 ahead of nearest rivals Anglers Corner with 23-13-0 and Wibsey Sensas on 22-12-0.

Peg 45 on Goldrush has been the form peg at the Willows but John Fletcher (Bob-Co Tackle) cannot have been prepared for his mighty haul in Saturday's Bob-Co Winter Series event.

Offering double maggot on light tackle, he pushed 12 metres of carbon to the far-side cover and was into a 3lb carp within seconds.

Some 30 more carp to 6lb followed at steady intervals throughout the day to leave him tired and shell-shocked with an unseasonal haul of 14lb 10oz in the bag.

Dave Armitage (Hirst Tackle) also enjoyed summer-like action at peg 35, where he used bomb and maggot for 24 carp and added 10lb of ide on pole and maggot for his 92lb 8oz.

Despite the Ouse between Thorpe Underwood and Widdington carrying a lot of extra water, the 53-strong field in the opening round of the Millbridge Fisheries series enjoyed some great sport as roach fed well throughout the day.

Trevor Hewitt (Hirst Tackle) finished top from peg 50 at Widdington. Using a three-gram float to combat the extra flow, he tempted roach to 10oz on maggot at ten metres for an excellent bag of 10lb 3oz.

There was a ding-dong battle for second place across the river at Linton where Ian Bowman (Maver Barnsley) and Arthur Benstead (Pontefract) went head-to-head on 287 and 286.

Bowman opted to target the middle of the river with a small maggot feeder while his neighbour used pole and maggot at ten metres. Both tactics proved equally effective and at the whistle the scales could not settle the duel with both locked on 7lb 11oz.

The great roach form continued the following day when Craig Turbitt (Wibsey Sensas) top-scored from peg 254 at Linton with a pole-based bag of red-fins scaling 9lb 13oz.

Bowman continued his great weekend with another second place from 244. Again it was the maggot feeder that did the damage. His weekend would have been rounded off in style but for the loss of a bream that would have boosted his 9lb 4oz net to winning proportions.

Steph Armitage (Team Glum) grasped the winner's purse at Langwith Lakes on Sunday.

Working with maggot over pellet at 14 on Anya's Lake, Armitage was soon into carp to 2lb, which came at intervals as he steadily put fish in his net to end the day with 47lb 2oz for a comfortable win.

On peg 13, Peter Uttley also pushed out to the island with maggot on the hook.

He could not keep pace with his neighbour but his final 32lb 1oz proved just enough to nick second place.