Angling: With the wind changing to a cold north-easterly fish were hard to find in Saturday's 46-entry Woodlands open.
Unluckiest angler was probably Middy Team Dons star John Illingworth. Paying his first visit to the Carlton Minniott complex he pulled out the golden peg and but for the loss of two good carp would have won the prize, unclaimed since last October, now worth nearly a grand. His 21-2-0 was only good enough for seventh place.
Winner was Colin Wilberforce (Cleveland Angling) who cupped in groundbait and maggots on Skylark 34 for 25-8-0 of carp and orfe.
The softly, softly approach also paid dividends for Daz Shaw (Fishermen's Way) who fished worm over chopped worm on Skylark 8 for an all carp net of 24-12-0. Top weight on Partridge Lake went to Dave Smiddy, the Middlesbrough Newman Scotts man, who netted 23-7-0 from peg three.
Others: Sandy Barker (MAP Elton) 22-4-0, Dave Collier (Elton Tackle) 22-2-0, Alan Menzies (MAP Elton) 21-12-0.
A gin clear canal made life difficult for a disappointing 39-entry on the Selby Canal at Burn for the Goole AA Open. John Illingworth (Middy Dons) was a mile ahead of the rest leaving them trailing as he amassed 6-8-0. Drawn on peg 37 he worked with caster tight to the far bank for a net of small skimmers and roach.
Dave Pollitt did well for his new backers Normark, taking second with a mainly skimmer net of 2-11-0.
Others: Alan Wadsworth (GTI Wakefield) and Phil Starbuck (GTI Wakefield) both 2-7-0, Nathan Parker (GTI Wakefield) 2-6-8, Nige Etheridge (Van den Eynde Goole) 1-15-0.
Les Howard (KL Tackle) won a hard fought 43 peg Keighley Open on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Silsden with just 4-9-0. Fishing long pole and caster at peg 217 in the middle of the gas works length his cause was helped by a couple of bream which boosted his few roach to winning proportions. Runner-up Steve Allinson (Tricast Calder) worked hard down the track at 207 with squatt and pinkie for 2-10-0 of tiny roach, perch and skimmers.
Others: Daz Watson (KL Tackle) 2-8-4, Mark Hitch (KL Tackle) 2-7-4, Tim Boland (KL Tackle) 2-2-8, Danny Boland (KL Tackle) 2-2-0.
Bradford Richmond's Stuart Baron topped a superb Allerton Bywater contest on Lowther Lakes with 81-9-0. Fishing caster feeder with red maggots at long range he slipped his net under 24 slabs. Runner-up Barry Wright (Allerton Bywater) had 15 bream and a couple of tench on the same tactics as the winner for his 51-5-0.
Others: Dave Playford (Allerton) 40-11-0, Mike Smith (Keighley) 39-12-0, Ray Knox (Otley) 35-4-0, Ian Wright (Allerton) 33-10-0.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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