A KEEN overnight frost meant the ice-breaking boat had to be deployed before proceedings could get underway in Sunday’s Black Horse match on the High Bank at Raker Lakes.

Brian Pallister made no mistakes on red-hot peg 15, casting out to the middle of the lake with bomb and sweetcorn to tempt 22lb 6oz of carp.

Barry Richardson and Colin McNeil had a head-to-head battle either side of the main reed bed at pegs 11 and 10 respectively, with the former just getting the verdict by way of 13lb 8oz to the latter’s 13lb 2oz.

Malton & Norton AC’s winter league on the River Derwent at Menethorpe was a struggle for most.

Richard Pearson had the best of the action at peg 33, employing the stick float with maggot to winkle out 2lb 9oz of dace to the 6oz mark.

Brian Jordan sat close by at peg 30 and utilised the feeder with maggot to take 2lb 2oz of dace.

The biggest catch of the week was Colin McNeil’s 40lb 6oz, taken in Tuesday’s G B Angling Club match at Forest Lane Fishery, Alne.

Casting out to the island at peg 21 with a ground bait feeder and double maggot for bait, he attracted carp to 3lb plus a brace of 1lb 8oz barbel.

Howard Pulford drew fancied peg 34 and was second with 27lb 12oz.

Friday’s Westland’s AC match on the Little Tench Lake was low-scoring, with Terry Tierney the only angler to break double figures.

Sitting at peg eight and casting out a banjo feeder full of micro pellets, he attracted a dozen F1 carp for a total of 14lb. Alan Creaser edged the race for second with 8lb 4oz to Phil Roberts’ 8lb.

Gerald Chalk recorded a winning 25lb 4oz off peg 10 in the York Midweek match on the Horseshoe at Raker Lakes. Utilising pellet on the pole at 11 metres, he bagged a brace of small carp plus numerous skimmers to the 1lb 8oz mark.