24th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Guardian Notes

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24th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes.

On Wednesday and Thursday we are stocking more fish into Offa's Dyke Fisheries to give the pools a kick start with carp, roach, and skimmers. We took advantage of a cancelled VS fisheries order for eight C6 fish, four commons and four mirrors that are to be shared equally between Sandiway Lakes on Wednesday around mid-morning. If you fancy a look get down there although I cannot give an exact time. You can always ring 01928 716238 as it will be switched through to my mobile for an updated time.

Last week I mentioned the current drop shotting or jigging craze that is all the rage and tempted myself I tried to buy a rod but tackle suppliers have been taken by surprise with the sudden uptake and most rods are on back order. In the meantime I will have to root out one of my 5/6 weight fly rods. One important point is that despite a lot of anglers targeting perch there is a very real chance that you will hook a pike and therefore in the interests of fish conservation you should pack an unhooking mat. You can get a cheap one for not much more than the price of a packet of lures.

I had a walk around Grey Mist Mere on Monday and it looks as though our volunteer team have set their sights on a big clear-up whilst the undergrowth has died back and I'm pleased to say that no new litter was evident. The water was gin clear so I imagine unless it is a night session there is little chance of catching unless you are after pike although I believe a few carp and tench are still coming out to play after dark.

The River Mersey matches this week was another hard slog for the dedicated followers of both Saturday and Sunday Series events. Ade Green won the first match with a bonus one pound skimmer and two roach for 1-8-0 followed in runner-up spot by Norman Gannon with four roach for one pound dead. There was a slight improvement on Sunday when Jimmy Gannon took the win with one bream which it is rumoured he kissed as it hit the scales at exactly 4lbs. Second placed Eddie Frangleton who was by comparison kept much busier had three skimmers and four roach for 2-8-0 after which weights plummeted.

The winner in our Disabled & Over 60's match this week made the most of his end peg draw from peg 334 near Houghs Bridge. Jimmy Byrne put together a skimmer and roach catch for 3-14-4 followed by George Barber weighing in an all roach net for 2-13-2. Pole and bread punch was the order of the day and lots of small fish were caught to make up the catches, hopefully good news for the future.

When you pay your 2015 memberships consider a voluntary stocking fund donation you could be a winner in our prize draw. Don't forget the saying 'you've got to be in it to win it' and although you couldn't retire from a win the odds beat the National Lottery.

Please email me your catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or you can ring me on 01928 716238. Our headquarters at 52, Parker Street are open every Friday between 7 & 9pm for subscriptions, new memberships/night permits, and any queries.

               

Frank Lythgoe  

RESULTS:
Saturday Mersey Sweepstake

1. Ade Green                          1-8-0

2. Norman Gannon               1-0-0

3. Arthur Pumb/Jim Gannon 15-0

   Sunday Mersey Series

1. Jimmy Gannon                  4-0-0

2. Eddie Frangleton               2-8-0

3. Ray Boden                            12-0

   Disabled & Over 60's

1. Jimmy Byrne             3-14-4

2. George Barber          2-13-2

3. Lenny Dutton            2-8-12

4. Stu Pattinson            2-1-0

   COMING EVENTS:

   SATURDAY

   Mersey Saturday Sweepstake draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   SUNDAY

   Mersey Sunday Series draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   MONDAY

   Disabled & Over 60's Draw 10am at Walton Church. Contact John Dagnall 01925 630765.

17th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

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17th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes.

Drop shotting or jigging is really catching on and I am meeting increasing numbers of anglers fishing the method on the Bridgewater Canal which is great to see as the cut is really underused. Perch or pike are the target species and this past week I came across Lee Latham and his five year old son at Preston Brook. Young Jay had already caught a PB pike of just short of 7lbs at 6-14-0 the previous week on a rubber shad and was casting effortlessly and working the soft lure with skill. The youngster was enjoying himself in the company of his dad in the fresh air and not glued to a computer screen.  

Lee ended up with a brace of pike which gave a good account of themselves on his light gear and lost an enormous perch when it was attacked by a pike on the way to the net.

A few carp and tench have started to feed at Grey Mist Mere but nothing to write home about unless of course you are the guy landing the fish. A few members have been asking about weed control on the fishery but unfortunately it is not quite that simple. Its presence is mainly due to the three mild winters we have experienced where hardly any die back has occurred. You only have to look in your own garden to see plants still growing that would normally have been withered and killed off by the cold.

I planned to escape on a river trip on Sunday but circumstances dictated otherwise and prompted a fall back to the Bridgewater Canal in late afternoon. Leaving my maggots in the fridge a couple of rounds of bread were hurriedly liquidised and five minutes later after cupping in two small pots I was into my first roach. It was a fish every put in with skimmers to a 1lb until either my eyesight or the failing light ended the short session.

Bites are still hard to come by on the River Mersey certainly not helped by the hordes of voracious cormorants that descended on the river during the past few weeks. On Saturday Jimmy Byrnes needed only 1-5-0 made up of a 1lb skimmer and two roach taken on a groundbait feeder and maggot to take first place. Alan Morris was in second spot with 1-2-8. Sunday saw Derek Bibby take the win with 3-7-8 helped by a bonus skimmer and a dozen roach on feeder tactics. Following weights then plummeted with Jimmy Gannon the best of the rest with one clonking roach for 12ozs.

Our Disabled & Over 60's match this week fished from the Toast Rack Bridge back towards Walton Gardens saw Lenny Dutton take the win with a cracking net of roach and skimmers for 7-8-0 taken on pole and bread punch tactics. Runner-up was George Barber with the same mix of fish taken using the same method for 6-8-0.  You needed over 3lbs for a section win all of which beat the previous weeks winning weight.

2015 memberships were posted out this week so should be hitting doormats before weekend.

Please email me your catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or you can ring me on 01928 716238. Our headquarters at 52, Parker Street are open every Friday between 7 & 9pm for subscriptions, new memberships/night permits, and any queries.

               

Frank Lythgoe                                                                                                                               

 

RESULTS:
Saturday Mersey Sweepstake

1. Jimmy Byrne    1-5-0

2. Alan Morris      1-2-8

3. Derek Bibby         5-8

Sunday Mersey Series

1. Derek Bibby     3-7-0

2. Jimmy Gannon   12-0

3. Ray Boden           10-0

Disabled & Over 60's

1. Lenny Dutton            7-8-0

2. George Barber          6-8-0

3. Jimmy Byrne             6-2-0

4. Bud Lea                      3-15-0

   COMING EVENTS:

   SATURDAY

   Mersey Saturday Sweepstake draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   SUNDAY

   Mersey Sunday Series draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   MONDAY

   Disabled & Over 60's Draw 10am at Walton Church. Contact John Dagnall 01925 630765.

10th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

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10th February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes.

Paul Floyd enjoyed a great couple of hours on the Dove at Draycott Mill on Friday afternoon when he fished a small maggot feeder packed with hemp and caster and alternated caster and maggot on the hook. Paul caught around 20 or so grayling which were his target species with the biggest a fine male specimen that equalled his PB of 2- 2-0 plus a bonus 4lb chub to add variety. He reckons that this stretch has been one of his favourite places to fish this winter.

Not too far from this stretch is the River Derwent at Darley Abbey which also holds a good head of grayling with the occasional trout from the upstream end of the fishery in the faster water. Add to these quality roach, chub, perch, bream, and even carp and you have a good general fishery. Parking is good and if the river is in flood you can always wet a line on the adjacent lake situated furthest from the car park.

Other grayling venues are the Dee and the tiny but prolific River Alyn where the later can always be relied on for a few fish whatever the weather. The Dee regularly produces fish over 2lbs to both coarse and fly tactics.

Mike Dench fished on the River Ribble this past week and spent the day wandering around searching out fish but only managed to tempt small roach and dace plus a bonus brownie using just maggots. He did have one rod wrenching bite which he missed whilst pouring his coffee.

Both our Saturday and Sunday River Mersey matches although fished with the usual good humour failed to produce a single fish on both days. On Saturday the only sign of fish was when Stan Charnock missed the only two bites of the match. The following day nobody had any hint of fish so after three hours a vote was taken and the match abandoned.

Our Disabled & Over 60's match this week fished at the A56 end of the Dead Length saw some improvement with winner Derek Bibby putting 3-3-0 of roach on the scales. Jeff Clare was the runner-up with another all roach catch for 2-7-10. There were a number of did not weighs.

Don't forget you have moved address and haven't yet informed us then do it now.

Please email me your catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or you can ring me on 01928 716238. Our headquarters at 52, Parker Street are open every Friday between 7 & 9pm for subscriptions, new memberships/night permits, and any queries.

               

Frank Lythgoe

 

RESULTS:

Disabled & Over 60's

1. Derek Bibby               3-3-0

2. Jeff Clare                    2-7-10

3. Trev Bainbridge        2-4-0

4. Pete Critchley           2-3-4

   COMING EVENTS:

   SATURDAY

   Mersey Saturday Sweepstake draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   SUNDAY

   Mersey Sunday Series draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   MONDAY

   Disabled & Over 60's Draw 10am at Walton Church. Contact John Dagnall 01925 630765.

    

    

3rd February, 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

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3^rd February 2015 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes.

Cheshire Angling closed its doors for the last time last weekend and I amongst many others will miss the banter and advice given out by England International, Helen Dagnall, her dad John, and mother Dot. There was always something going on or a tale to tell and the bait was second to none. But Helen is still in the angling trade as she now manages what used to be Challinors Sports Ltd and now trading under Challinors Ltd. At 146/8 Padgate Lane, Warrington.

On Saturday evening the 31^st February a robbery took place At Warrington Tackle & Guns 20, Parksway, Woolston during which a member of staff was injured and required hospital treatment. If anyone has any information please contact the police on 101. In true angling spirit it is business as usual this week.

Both our Saturday and Sunday River Mersey matches were cancelled mindful of the previous weeks poor results and with the river carrying extra snow water expectations of even getting a bite were not too great. However I will say that pleasure anglers have reported some cracking winter roach being caught further upstream behind Grey Mist. The fish were not there in numbers but the quality more than compensated. All were taken on feeder tactics.

Last weekend and again on Tuesday our bailiffs and working party volunteers started a winter clean-up on Grey Mist Mere where a tiny minority who have the gall to call themselves anglers had taken more trouble in hiding their rubbish than it would to take it home like decent members. Winter of course had exposed their outright disregard for their club, nature, and their surroundings. I often wonder what sort of conditions they live in at home. The team have also trimmed overhanging branches and removed the tree that had blown into the fishery.

The cold weather doesn't bother Danny Rhodes who reports catching a tench from the Mist on Friday morning. I was chatting to him and his mate on the bank on Saturday afternoon in a biting wind that froze me to the marrow in minutes so I beat quick retreat to Warrington Tackle & Guns for a hot cuppa.  Danny had another of around 7lbs on Saturday evening.

Our Disabled & Over 60's match this week was definitely one best forgotten as Derek Bibby needed only 14ozs of roach and a few perch to win. Twelve slightly mad anglers turned out on the Dead Length but two thirds did not weigh.  Runner up George Barber worked hard for his 9ozs of tiny perch and a solitary gudgeon.

The rumour mill is in overdrive at present with the story of a 32lbs pike caught from Grappenhall and I am reliably informed that there is a photograph doing the rounds. Any information would be really welcome as this is a catch of a lifetime.

If you have moved address and haven't yet informed us then you have only until early next week to do so as the 2015 memberships will then start to hit doormats.

Please email me your catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or you can ring me on 01928 716238. Our headquarters at 52, Parker Street are open every Friday between 7 & 9pm for subscriptions, new memberships/night permits, and any queries.

               

Frank Lythgoe

 

RESULTS:

Disabled & Over 60's

1. Derek Bibby               14-0

2. George Barber             9-3

3. Graham Belton            5-0

4. Alan Brown                  4-10

   SATURDAY

   Mersey Saturday Sweepstake draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk

   SUNDAY

   Mersey Sunday Series draw 9am Victoria Park Allotments

   MONDAY

   Disabled & Over 60's Draw 10am at Walton Church. Contact John Dagnall 01925 630765.