Angling: Strike rates thriving on city centre match pegs

Match organiser Mick Potter with his winning bream of 34lb from the River Ouse below York. PIC: Steve Fearnley

What a difference a city can make; Sunday’s two big matches, held on the River Ouse, couldn’t have been much different.

Leeds & District’s event, held on the upper reaches around the popular Hunters Lodge and Linton sections of the river, were, to say the least, rubbish!

Or, to be kind, “as bad as it gets”.

With the river carrying a little extra water and looking a decent colour, anglers arriving at their pegs were anticipating bites through the day from small fish with a good chance of a big fish thrown in.

No such luck but Pontefract’s Arthur Benstead used his steady-away tactics to winkle out just 3-10 of roach to take the daily win.

And a lowly 2lb was more-than-good enough for the lower end of the prize list.

On a positive note, reports came back that while most anglers sat biteless, they watched a massive run of big salmon make their way through the sections on their way, hopefully, to a successful spawning season on the upper reaches.

Just a few miles downstream but below York, the club’s open match was a different story to what was happening above the city as the river’s bream went on the rampage, providing brilliant winter sport.

Top rod on the day went to match organiser and river expert, Mick Potter, who made no mistake from his draw just a couple below the donkey woods sand bed.

Using just a handful of bait and admitting to using the wrong groundbait mix, he made the match his own quickly, bagging 16 bream from the boat channel to weigh an impressive 34-06.

He said afterwards that he will have to get it wrong more often!

Graham Hall took second place with a weight that would normally be good enough for top spot, with another bream catch of 26-09.

And over 12lb was needed to get on the prize list.

A slight rise in water temperature can be all that’s needed to kick-start freezing and fickle fish into having a summertime munch.

And it was noted that below the city centre of York, the river reading on anglers’ thermometers was 9°C but above, at Linton, it was just 6.8 degrees.

Though it’s nice to be out in the wilds of the countryside, it’s not a coincidence that, in the depths of winter, the warmer water of city centres, or just below, can be the difference between a good catch or an early bath.

A meeting between the Canals & Rivers Trust, Walking and Cycling Charity “Sustrans” and officials of Leeds & District Angling could be the start of seeing the neglected banks of the River Aire around Skelton Grange brought back to life as a managed fishery.

The agreement of all parties to work together was a massive step forward.

And, as part of its building of walkways and tracks, Sustrans have also agreed to open up the currently grown-over pegs to establish the angling platforms that were once the scene of some brilliant catches, notably Meanwood’s Tony Hewson’s Aire record all-roach catch of 49-15 in 1992.

Results

Leeds & District Winter League, Linton/Hunters: 1 ,A Benstead 3-10; 2, S Lister 3-06; 3, S Newns 3-00; 4, J Bywell 2-13.

York & District, Ouse at Bishopthorpe: 1, M Potter 34-06; 2, G Hall 26-09; 3, G Shepherdson 18-12; 4, D Thompson 13-08; 5, D Crawford 12-00.

Anglers World Holidays, Saturday Series, Round 4, Ouse at Linton: 1, Norman Thewlis, Mirfield 13-02; 2, Arthur Benstead, Barlby 9-13; 3, Pete Baron, Tackle 2U 9-08; 4, Stan Haigh, Anglers World 8-10; 5, David C Pilgrim, Barlby 7-03; 6, Paul Bennett, Tackle 2U 5-15.

Anglers world Holidays, Saturday Series, Round 5, Ouse at Linton and Widdington: 1, Pete Baron, Tackle 2U 8-09; 2, Ian Bowman Barnsley 6-02; 3, Andy Fox, Bradford 2-15; 4, David C Pilgrim, Barlby 2-13; 5, J Lastakowski, 2-10; 6, Darrel Taylor, Knaresborough 2-05.

Oaks at Sessay, Silver Fish League: 1, K Heptonstall 25-00; 2, K Smith/T Peters 21-03; 3, C Kitchen 21-00; 4, J Roper 18-10.

Oaks at Sessay, Open, Ash/Beech: 1, R Singh 21-08; 2, M Lovelass 42-00; 3, P Jones 40-09; 4, C Hall 35-08; 5, P Cooper 31-09.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Chris Watson 93-14; 2, Ben Fisk 80-15; 3, Roy Worsnop 43-13; 4, Mick Hare 34-13.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All pools: 1, Mark Wade 78-04; 2, Steve Bolton 61-04; 3, Graham Twooey 45-12; 4, Paul Lofthouse 42-05.

Moor Monkton Pools, Sunday Winter League, All Pools: 1, Alex Warren 66-15; 2, Mick Green 64-07; 3, Steve Bolton 46-14; 4, Lee Smith 44-04.

Moor Monkton Pools, Wednesday Rover, All Pools: 1, Matt Gallagher 62-15; 2, Gordon Wright 58-14; 3, Chris Watson 51-13; 4, Paul Lofthouse 28-10.

Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Lapwing/Skylark: 1, John Brogden 44-15; 2, Tony Hewson 19-06; 3, Ray Clark 18-03; 4, Andy Gallant 13-03Kippax Park Fishery, Saturday Open, Osprey: 1, Andy Gallant 74-05; 2, Jimmy Redmond 30-09; 3, Adrian Broomhead 22-12; 4, John Brogden 16-14.

Angel Lakes Open Saturday Lookout: 1, Ray Laing 87-06; 2, Alan Simons 55-04; 3, John Foster 49-12.

Angel Lakes Open Wednesday Bowes: 1, Richie Metcalf 76-01; 2, Callum Parker 39-01; 3, Keith Brown 26-00.

Match Diary

Saturday

Kippax Park: Saturday Open, Lapwing or Osprey, contact 07967000746.

Poppleton: Saturday Open, pools £15, draw cafe 10am, contact Roger 01904737279.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscar’s, draw 8.30am, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks: at Sessay, 50 pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Moorfields Farm: 54 pegs, tickets £16, contact 07710817150.

Fleets Dam: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Birkwood Farm: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01132 80609.

Tollerton Ponds: open match all ages, (Kingfisher 20 pegs, Coot 18 pegs, Heron 32 pegs) contact 01347 838115.

Kippax Park: winter series, Osprey Lake only, contact Stan 0796700046.

Sunday

York & District: open matches, River Ouse, contact Mick Potter 07890870551.

Leeds & Liverpool: Kirkstall, contact Roger Movley 01132 772215.

Listerhills: Leeds & Liverpool Canal, contact Eddie Harrison 07518721051.

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Oaks: at Sessay, 50 pegs, tickets £17, contact 01845 501321.

Langwith Lakes: 60 pegs, tickets £16, contact 01904 431874.

Oak Tree Leisure: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01347 810686.

Poppleton: Sunday Open, 50 pegs, draw 11am Cafe, contact 07425 146677.

Monday

Woodlands: over-50s, 30 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01845 520110.

Langwith Lakes: over-60s, 30 pegs, tickets £10, contact 01904 431874.

Tollerton Ponds: over-50s, tickets £16, contact 01347 838115.

Tuesday

Kippax Park: draw 10am, tickets £10, contact 07967000746.

Wednesday

Leeds & District: Moor Monkton Pools, draw 10am, contact 07967000746.

Birkwood Farm Fisheries: Emily’s or Oscar’s, draw 8.30am, contact 01924 892251.

Woodlands: 72 pegs, tickets £18, contact 01845 520110.

Fleets Dam: 50 pegs, tickets £15, contact 01226 292579.

Tollerton Ponds: open match, all ages, contact 01347 838115.

Thursday

Poppleton Lakes: Thursday, draw, car park 5pm, pools £11, contact Roger 01904 737279.