The saying at Woodlands is that if dragonfly is in then the Dean Machine will draw it, and so it proved in the 66-pegger.

After Dean Smith (MAP Elton) had extracted dragonfly 4 from the draw bag there was only going to be one outcome.

The York-based Kamasan front-runner improved his chances of regaining his crown with a superb display of long-pole fishing. Offering meat tight to the islands at 17 metres, he bagged 95lb 4oz of small carp to leave the rest trailing.

John Chapman (MAP Elton) took advantage of a spare peg one on Curlew and offered meat at three metres from peg two for 74-15oz of big carp to 8lb. Andy Bridge (MAP Elton) also had some big fish from Dragonfly 8 where he included carp to double figures in his 67-7.

Others: Peter Riley (Elton Tackle) 53-6-0; Dave Harris (Daiwa Cleveland) 46-2-0; Darrell Taylor (Daiwa Goldthorpe) 45-7-0.

Ian Walker (Boston Spa) topped the Bob-Co open at the Willows with an impressive 95-1oz.

Drawn on peg 34, on Goldrush he used his usual shallow tactics with caster. Feeding heavily, he soon had the fish boiling near the surface and went to haul out carp to 5lb.

Steve Newns (KL Tackle) picked up £500 thanks to the continued sponsorship of Ripon Interiors in Sunday's Ure Championship.

A field of 100 tackled the Ure around Ripon in a flood-affected contest which saw most struggle in the second half of the match as levels rose.

Newns was at the bottom of the match length below Hewick bridge, where he bagged for the first half of the match netting 21 chub on waggler and maggot.

He added a further three chub on feeder for 56-6.

Alistair Atkinson (Ripon) was in Foxton's Field, where he netted six bream on a bomb and caster to the far-bank willows for 35-5oz. Third went to Ray Gilby (Ripon) from 216 where he netted 12 chub on bomb and grub for 34-6oz.

Others: Richard Sowerby (Ripon) 24-6-0; Steve Taylor (RSPS Tekneek Trabucco) 19-2-0; Steve Pearson (Hirst Tackle) 17-6-0.

Updated: 08:42 Wednesday, September 15, 2004