DESPITE a convincing win in Sunday's penultimate round of the Yorkshire Winter League, York-based Anglers World Holidays, look to have little chance of being top dogs when the series reaches its climax in the new year.

With the Ouse around York running chilled and clear following a week of Arctic-borne winds, the event was destined to be a roach-dominated affair.

The species came as no surprise but the location did. Pegs below the city are becoming increasingly scarce which prompted the decision to move two sections further upstream to the York water at Poppleton.

Few of the 90-strong field would have relished a draw away from the usual winter league haunts. Those that did find themselves on the new sections, however, also found most of the fish with five of the top six weights on the day coming from the productive 20-peg section opposite Church Farm.

Mick Webb (Leeds Angling Centre) continued his good recent run of form taking victory from a peg on the straight below the big tree.

Offering single bronze maggot or single caster under a large stick float he tackled the deep peg with a long rod to keep control in the windy conditions.

Roach to 8oz responded well to his chosen approach and his final haul of 7lb 13oz was enough to secure victory over neighbouring anglers Paul Burton (Anglers World Holidays) and Kevin Hartley (Waterline Wibsey) who could not be separated by the scalesmen. Both anglers posted a score of 7lb 1oz that relied largely on maggot caught roach. Phil Austin (Selby) completed the Poppleton rout of the main prize list with 6lb 7oz.

Completing a good day for the Burton family was Paul's father, Chris, who had the best weight from below the city with an all roach bag of 5lb 12oz taken from a peg four from the end of the Palace Ings section.

Anglers World dominated on the day and their winning total of 78 points put them well clear of the consistent Waterline Wibsey who still managed second with 69 points. With the final leg looming, Waterline Wibsey look to have the series in the bag.

As the only team not to suffer at least one really poor result throughout the patchy series they must surely secure a place in the semi-finals. The main interest seems to centre on the battle for second place where Hirst Tackle currently hold a two point advantage over Anglers World, who are in third place on 16 points.

Updated: 10:16 Wednesday, December 21, 2005