Tuesday 23 February 2021

23rd February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

23rd February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

After a number of weeks with very few catch reports this week thank
goodness it has changed for the better.

On Friday James Lafferty enjoyed a fantastic session on a flooded Grey
Mist Mere when he caught eighteen tench with five over 7-0-0 and a
total weight of easily in excess of 100lb. The highlights of the day
being a 7-12-0 (new PB) and a 7-7-0 male fish, certainly James reckons
a catch of a lifetime considering the time of year, and session he
will never forget! All fish were caught on maggot feeder.

Andrew Sangam hadn't fished on Worthington Lakes for four years and
didn't know what to expect but on Saturday, his first session of 2021,
he need not have worried as he managed to catch a common carp of
14-8-0 followed by one of 17-11-0. Both fish fell to a snowman rig
baited with a garlic flavoured boilie. He also caught two bream in the
two-to-three-pound bracket on Krill pop-ups.

This past weekend also saw mystery angler Matt R out on his first
session of 2021 when he decided to try his luck at Rixton Claypits. He
set-up near the car park and was soon glad of the fact that he
remembered to pack his wellies! During his four-hour session he only
had three bites, the first of which came after ninety minutes but was
worth the wait when he slid his landing net under a 3-8-0 tench. Only
two small roach followed but at least Matt was out on the bank
enjoying his sport despite all the mud.

Mike Pritchard really struggled for a bite on the Bridgewater Canal
when on Saturday he fished the dead-length. He ended up with four
roach taken on pinky and had decided it was time to call it a day and
started packing up when he noticed his float go under and he managed
to reach it and struck into a good fish. Snap! A few pike are being
caught from the Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater Canals to spinning and
drop-shotting.

A few roach being reported from Appleton Reservoir but not exactly
hectic sport. On Friday Martin James had a session on Appleton
Reservoir for a few hours which he described as hard work for only a
few bites on the feeder, but it still beats sitting at home!

There is a working party for essential maintenance at Sandiway Big
Lake this Saturday 27th February 2021. Please would volunteers email
Carl at carlwallace16@gmail.com in order that he is aware of those
attending. Meet at the lake at 9am also please book in with Carl
Wallace on arrival. The fishery will be closed during the day from 9am
to 3pm to all who are not involved in the working party.

Our WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains
closed on Friday evenings until further notice. Members can simply
post to this address or put their book or request in an envelope with
their payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door
where mail is collected and dealt with most days. Alternatively, you
can post to Warrington Anglers Association PO. Box 71, Warrington WA1
1LR where mail is collected weekly.

You can still renew memberships along with your night permit online
from our Warrington Anglers Association website. It works a treat on
mobile, tablet, or laptop. You must use the required numbers from both
your postcode and membership number as printed on your booklet address
label. Most tackle shops advertised in your membership book are open
for click & collect.

I would really appreciate members to send me any of your pics,
reports, or stories as at this time of the year there is not a lot
happening, so good, bad, or indifferent they may help fellow members
to plan any trips to the bankside. Email
frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.

Stay safe,

Frank Lythgoe

Tuesday 16 February 2021

16th February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

16th February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

There is currently not a lot happening what with the recent monsoon
weather, followed by most fisheries being covered in ice, a thaw, and
the Government travel restrictions, so I have put the clock back and
dug out a few reports from this same time last year pre- Covid-19 when
life was normal.

February 2020:

The rivers are definitely not fit to visit this week until we lose
this monsoon type weather. I was not at all surprised when our bailiff
on the Dee sent me a picture of the river where the fields were part
of the river and definitely not even safe to approach. Jeff Morgan
sent me a photo of our stretch of the Wye showing a car 'parked' in
the river behind the sewage works. It definitely will take some
removing as there is no access except on foot.

Jason Griffiths braved the muddy conditions at Appleton Reservoir on
Sunday and was more than happy when he landed a cracking 20lbs mirror.
There was a downside however for when he landed the fish it was
trailing helicopter rig complete with lead and a length of line. The
problem with what should have been a safe rig was that the beads had
been put on wrong and were not for moving. Thankfully the fish did not
suffer any obvious ill effects.

On Saturday Simon Oldfield had a wander along the River Dane at Holmes
Chapel and with the river showing a little colour and fining off the
conditions looked promising. He fished a shouldered alloy stemmed
stick-float set up on 5lbs line and a 16's hook. Loose-feeding maggot
with double red on the business end he ended up with a couple of chub,
two nice grayling, and a brace of trout and an enjoyable session in
pleasant surroundings.

Gareth Wright visited the River Dee at Shocklach on Thursday and
finally had some fly-fishing success with a decent grayling taken on a
nymph. Certainly, the Dee holds some cracking grayling and our
stretches are worth a trip no matter what method you chose.

This weekend 22nd and 23rd February our 'display team' will be on our
stand at the Northern Angling Show taking place at Event City,
Manchester, postcode M17 8AS. Warrington Anglers stand is near the
main stage so hope to see you there. Will it ever be back on the cards
in the future?

Present Day:

Report from our head bailiff of a 26-8-0 pike being caught from our
stretch of the Ribble at Hurst Green on Tuesday. Lots of plastic waste
left on the banksides having been swept down with the floods as the
level dropped.

There is a working party for essential maintenance at Sandiway Small
Lake this Saturday 20th February meet at the lake at 9am. Please book
in with Matt Akery on arrival. The fishery will be closed for the day
to all who are not involved in the working party.

After the longest membership post-out I have experienced for some time
due to Covid-19 approximately 99% are already in the post and the
remaining few will be posted tomorrow. Thanks to Ade, Bob and his
lovely wife Sue who certainly did more than their share to achieve
this. Please be mindful that our postal service is likewise under
similar strain, some areas more affected than others.

Our WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains
closed on Friday evenings until further notice. Members can simply
post to this address or put their book or request in an envelope with
their payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door
where mail is collected and dealt with most days. Alternatively, you
can post to Warrington Anglers Association PO. Box 71, Warrington WA1
1LR where mail is collected weekly.

You can now renew memberships and night permits online again on Friday
19th February, from our Warrington Anglers Association website. It
works a treat on mobile, tablet, or laptop. You must use the required
numbers from both your postcode and membership number as printed on
your booklet address label.

I would really appreciate members to send me any of your pics,
reports, or stories as at this time of the year there is not a lot
happening, so good, bad, or indifferent they may help fellow members
to plan any trips to the bankside. Email
frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.

Stay safe,
Frank Lythgoe

Tuesday 9 February 2021

9th February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

9th February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

After a report of a small carp under a pound being caught from
Appleton Reservoir last week, I asked the question if the Ocean fish
which we stocked some years back were successfully breeding? As it was
the first that has been reported I was interested if there were any
further catches. Well, this week one of our bailiff's friends reported
another hand-sized carp amongst a catch of roach taken from the wall
area on maggot. Another member reckons that some were caught last year
so it looks good for the future.

Nicholas Williams fished at Ackers Pit this weekend and was pleasantly
surprised that his first fish was an absolutely pristine bream of
3.7lbs. I explained to him that although the odd small fish may have
been amongst stockings of crucians and carp that we have not
purposefully stocked bream. The reality is that the water supply to
the fishery comes direct from a small overflow into a manhole from the
Bridgewater Canal continuing by pipe under the road and eventually
ending up in the pit. Tiny fry is very often found within the
inspection chamber where some inevitably find their way to our
fishery.

I had a report this week of two pike caught on dead-bait from the
Bridgewater Canal at Walton. Evidently one was around 8lbs but the
biggie was 18lbs. With the current weather any fish is a bonus as the
member who passed on the information can appreciate…..he blanked.

Our bailiffs Trev and Barrie were out on Tuesday morning on their
daily visit checking a partly iced over Woodshaw Reservoir. The wind
coming off the old slag heap was bitter but it didn't deter one member
who had been catching roach from peg 29 and landed a decent bream
witnessed by the dynamic duo.

The first batches of membership cards have now been sent out, however
due to Covid-19 it is a longer job than normal. As I mentioned last
week, we have temporarily suspended the renewal option for a couple of
weeks while we attack the task of enveloping, franking, and posting.

I even liquidised myself some bread this week with the intention of a
canal session but sadly the licence post-out has but paid to that…but
next week watch this space.

On receipt members can simply post their 2021 books for renewal to
this address or put their book or request in an envelope with their
payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door where
mail is collected and dealt with most days. Alternatively, you can
post to Warrington Anglers Association PO. Box 71, Warrington WA1 1LR
where mail is collected weekly. If you normally pay at one of the
tackle shop depots it may be worth ringing first to see if they are
open.

I would really appreciate members to send me any of your pics,
reports, or stories as at this time of the year there is not a lot
happening, so good, bad, or indifferent they may help fellow members
to plan any trips to the bankside. Email
frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.

Stay safe,

Frank Lythgoe

Tuesday 2 February 2021

2nd February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

2nd February 2021 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

A catch of Ribble chub by committee member Mike Dench headed my last
week's column, although it had occurred twelve months ago almost to
the day. Well, back to present day when on Sunday in company with Des
Boyd it was decided that they both needed to escape four walls for a
few hours and headed for Appleton Reservoir. It was muddy and the
water levels were understandably high so they fished from the dam
wall. Des set-up with a feeder and swing-tip with liquidised bread and
maggot and was soon into the roach from a swim 20 to 25metres out from
the wall. Mike had a slow start with only a couple of roach to show
for the first two hours despite trying both feeder and waggler
methods. He had now and again been loose-feeding a few red maggots at
a couple of rod-lengths and decided to change to an 8metre whip to
hand. He started catching roach, some chunky specimens and ended up
with 6 or 7lbs of fish, interestingly the last cast brought a surprise
tiny hand-sized mirror carp which he carefully placed in full view for
a pic of his catch. Des ended up with a similar catch minus the carp.
Are the Ocean fish which we stocked successfully breeding? This is the
first that has been reported ……any further catches please let me know.

Last Thursday Woodshaw Reservoir regular angler Johnny Johnson managed
after a slow start to eventually get the fish biting on this popular
well-maintained venue. It took until dinner time for them to respond
but he managed to tempt two decent Crucians and a few silvers, all
falling to maggot and punch.

If everything goes to plan, we should be receiving the delivery of the
2021 membership books anytime soon but because of COVID-19
restrictions at HQ the post-out will no doubt be slower. If members
wish to renew online so their cards are sent out stamped paid you will
need to get a move on as we will be suspending the renewal option for
a couple of weeks while we attack the task of enveloping, franking,
and posting.

Our WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains
closed on Friday evenings until further notice. Members can simply
post to this address or put their book or request in an envelope with
their payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door
where mail is collected and dealt with most days. Alternatively, you
can post to Warrington Anglers Association PO. Box 71, Warrington WA1
1LR where mail is collected weekly. You can now renew memberships and
night permits online from our Warrington Anglers Association website.
It works a treat on mobile, tablet, or laptop.

I would really appreciate members to send me any of your pics,
reports, or stories as at this time of the year there is not a lot
happening, so good, bad, or indifferent they may help fellow members
to plan any trips to the bankside. Email
frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.


Stay safe,

Frank Lythgoe