YORK-AREA anglers fared well in Saturday's 108-entry North East Regional Championships held on the Aire and Calder Canal at Rawcliffe.

Anglers World fielded half their side from the York district and secured a silver medal finish with three anglers in the top six.

Steve Allison paved the way for an emphatic team win for Tricast Calder with a 3kg 140gr winning net of roach. Drawn in the prolific section upstream of the M18 bridge, he worked with long pole fishing caster over hemp for quality roach to 12oz.

In the same section, Mick Wheelhouse, from Tadcaster, was top performer for Anglers World. He alternated squatt and bronze maggot over groundbait and hemp at eight and 11 metres for roach and perch scaling 2.790.

Others: Tom Gausden (Anglers World) 2.680, Alan Bedford (Tricast Calder) 2.370, Gary Moore (Thorne) 2.270, Tony Stephenson (Anglers World) 2.080.

Teams: Tricast Calder 84, Anglers World 70, Barnsley Millennium 67, Wakefield 62, Allerton Bywater 59, Thorne 57, Slaithwaite 52, Thornhill 49, Tekneek Trabucco Halifax.

The Lower Ure Championships drew a good entry of 65 to the river downstream of Boroughbridge. A shoal of chub packed tightly into pegs at the bottom of the cricket field dominated proceedings.

Dave Graham (Dunelm) led from peg 21 with four big chub. Fishing a caster feeder tight to the far side willow cover he took early and another brace in the middle of the match for his winning 15lb 14oz.

There was a tie for second with Stuart Proctor (RSPS Tekneek Trabucco) and Steve Evans (Bentley Angling Centre) both weighing 9lb 4oz. Proctor was next to the winner on peg 22 and had three chub on bomb and bread. Evans was two below the drain on 49 and fished a slider with caster down the middle for a quality all roach net.

Others: Mick Rampling (Boroughbridge) 6-15-0, Pete Riley (Boroughbridge) 6-9-0, Alan Shearer (Newcastle) 6-3-0.

Black Horse enjoyed a good contest at Westerly Lakes, Wheldrake. Frank Atkinson led with a fine 27lb 10oz net of skimmers, rudd and small carp taken alternating worm, meat and pellet.

Colin Sherwood went for the quality fish and bagged just five carp for his 21lb 10oz. Best of the rest were Chris Vipas with 14lb 4oz and Ray Wright on 11lb 14oz.

A sell-out field of 65 enjoyed another consistent match on Maple Lake at the Oaks with over 30lb needed to top every section.

With the water starting its autumnal cool down the maggot anglers are now ruling the roost as the fish move into deeper water.

Darren Bridge (MAP Elton) scored his first win at the popular North Yorkshire complex with 42lb 15oz from peg 50. Fishing maggot over pellets down the track at seven metres he netted carp to 5lb. Ian Bowman (Maver Barnsley) made the most of end peg 63a by bagging 40lb 7oz of pasties fishing pole and maggot tight to the aerator.

Others: Andy May (Sensas Dave's of Middlewich) 39-10-0, Ray Williams (Fishermens Tackle) 37-3-0, Mark Whittaker (Oaks) 34-13-0, Colin Owen (Oaks) 33-11-0.

Julian Griffin (Hull and District) narrowly missed out on a ton-up haul at Woodlands, falling two ounces short in another cracking 94-peg contest on Partridge, Skylark and the three island lakes.

Drawn on the prolific Partridge at peg 12 he began fishing pole and meat on the bottom at 13 metres but the fish were soon rising up to intercept loose fed meat.

Griffin ended up catching carp up 7lb fishing just a foot deep for 99lb 14oz. John Allerton (Tricast Whizzo) had top weight from Dragonfly on peg nine. Going out long to 18 metres he fished strawberry meat for 79lb 3oz of sweet toothed carp, tench and skimmers.

Others: John McGarrell (MAP Elton) 77-11-0, John Chapman (Van den Eynde) 76-14-0, Glen Archer (Yorkshire Tykes) 76-13-0, Dean Smith (MAP Elton) 75-11-0.

The Wednesday open drew 72 anglers to Partridge, Skylark, Kestrel and Curlew where it finished tight at the top. Dave Harris (Cleveland Angling Centre) led from peg 15 on Skylark with 62lb 2oz.

Alternating meat and corn at six metres he bagged a mixed net of carp, skimmers, barbel and tench.

Glen Towhey (EJ Tackle) led a closely bunched pack with 60lb 15oz. He went for quality rather than quantity netting carp to 8lb on meat from Curlew peg five.

Others: Steve Wood (Leeds Police) 60-13-0, John McGarrell (MAP Elton) 60-12-0, Pete Wright (SEWARD) 57-11-0, Dave Smiddy (Newman Scotts) 57-0-0.

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, October 02, 2002