8th November 2022 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

8th November 2022 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

Some sad news to start this week's column is that member Keith Hay passed away peacefully last Thursday. Keith was a longstanding member of our management committee and certainly left his mark on many of our fisheries, no job was too big or too small whether it be peg building, netting, or stocking fish; if there was a problem, he would always find a solution. My first meeting with Keith when he came along to help with our annual trout introduction. I watched with amazement as he lashed a rope to the stocking bin full of water and trout and lower it hand over hand into the River Gowy from the A56 Bridge, normally it took two of us to do the job! Our condolences to his wife Ethel and family at this time. The funeral is at 3pm on Tuesday 29^th November at St Helens Crematorium.

Last Thursday morning Phil Hughes was in his words 'just having a look' walking along the Bridgewater Canal searching out some likely spots which may hold decent sized pike as his best on previous visits peaked at 7lbs. He had with him a light bait casting rod with a salmo jerk bait lure at the business end and occasionally tried the odd cast not expecting much action as he moved slowly along the bank. Suddenly he hooked into what was obviously a sizeable fish and after some heart stopping moments landed a cracking looking pike. The fish sent the scales round to 22lbs but after taking off the weigh-net Phil settled on 19-8-0.

Committee member Andy Burrows accompanied by our head bailiff James Makin, Keith Starkey, and Trevor Royle spent the best part of Wednesday working clearing branches and repairing a peg at Grey Mist. Jobs completed Andy and James set-up for a night session already armed with the knowledge that a few carp had been caught that day. It was really windy making casting a bit hit and miss and the night was spent devoid of any action. However, the reward came at least for Andy at 8am on Thursday morning in the shape of a mirror carp weighing in at 18-4-0. Successful method was Sticky Krill 4mm pellets and groundbait in a PVA bag and a 15mm banoffee pop-up on the hook.

Our Sunday Mersey Series this week saw a change in conditions with the river carrying a fair amount of extra water. It was fished at Mersey Walk where Harry Billing who missed last week's match drew peg 58 from where he won two weeks ago. Well guess what, no he didn't draw the same peg but drew next door at number 58 and secured another win with a weight of 16lbs of roach and perch. His successful method was the pole at 9metres and maggot. Ray Boden took second place from peg 74 two weeks ago and uncannily repeated the performance by drawing it again this week. Ray fished the tip with a groundbait feeder and maggot for a weight of 12-6-0 made up of nearly all skimmers to 2lbs. Thirteen members fished.

The Disabled & Over 60's fished their Monday match this week on the Bridgewater Canal at Moore where the winner Paul Aston put together a net of roach and a small skimmer on pole and bread punch for a weight of 3-12-0. Runner-up Alan Faulkner using the same method with an all roach catch for 3-10-0. Seventeen anglers fished.

Our WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains closed on Friday evenings but members can simply post to this address or put their membership book or request in an envelope with their payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT 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.

Your catch reports are more than welcome as many members rely on your shared information for their visits to the bankside. Email secretary@Warrington-anglers.org.uk

Frank Lythgoe

Results:

Mersey Series:

1)      Harry Billing     16-0-0

2)      Ray Boden       12-6-0

3)      Jimmy Byrne     8-1-0

4)      Peter Jones       6-9-0

Disabled & Over 60's:

1)       Paul Ashton      3-12-0

2)      Alan Faulkner    3-8-0

3)      Alan Brown        2-12-0

4)      George Hollis     2-9-0

Coming Events:

SUNDAY:

Members Mersey Series draw 8-45am Victoria Park peg 34 down.

MONDAY:

Disabled & Over 60's Match Bridgewater Canal. Draw 9-45am Houghs Bridge, Walton. (£5 all-in, exact money only, no change given).

1st November 2022 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

1^st November 2022 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

It is some seven months since Cameron Daly aged 9years headed this column but he's back, this keen young angler with a preference for pike fishing was back on the Bridgewater Canal last week. Using the method of drifted baits, he caught two of the predators on the far shelf and another plus a perch from the towpath side. His dad Ste was no doubt as in the past demoted to 'camera kid,' tea-boy, and using his words, 'netting Noddy'. However, Ste did manage a trip on his own to Grey Mist this week targeting the tench from this prolific fishery. It didn't work out as such for he eventually realised that all the liners and line twitches weren't his species of choice so in the last hour a desperate change of approach was needed to save 'a blank'. Rummaging in his gear he put together some 5lbs mainline and 4lbs BS flouro along with a tiny 30g feeder and 16's hook baited with three red maggots. The change thankfully saved the day as he caught fourteen cracking looking roach which are probably rarely targeted in this fishery.

Gary Whitehead managed to fit in a three-hour piking session on the Bridgewater Canal last week, trying a different area on this occasion. Using fresh sardine as bait on size 6 hooks he was quite happy when ending up with three lovely marked specimens, two as he was about to pack up. This winter Gary is mounting a pike campaign on the canal so watch this space.

On Tuesday afternoon I spotted an angler, obviously predator fishing walking along the Bridgewater. I cannot help myself and stopped Mark Clare on his return to both check that he was a member and if he had caught anything. It was positive on both counts, as he reported catching five small pike, best a female of around 8lbs, all taken on a Rapala minnow lure.

Anthony Rough enjoyed a few hours float fishing for perch on The Mount at Buckley on what was a nice sunny afternoon. He caught twenty-five perch presenting large prawns as bait to avoid the smaller fish.

A late report from Appleton Reservoir from Steve Wright who has caught small carp in the past whilst match fishing but this was his first ever targeted carp session when specifically, set-up with the right gear. He was rewarded with a mirror of 18lbs tempted on a 15mm wafter.

Sunday saw the second of our River Mersey Series for some time due to higher following the damage to Howley weir. This week it was fished at Victoria Park where there were again some cracking catches with the winner Ray Boden putting a net of mainly roach plus a few perch on the scales for a weight of 21-10-0. He fished peg 26 using maggot on the pole at 11metres. Nick Burrows who drew peg 31 was the runner-up fishing the same method for 18-15-0. Unusually only four skimmers were caught throughout the match with roach by far the predominant species. Fifteen members fished.

The Disabled & Over 60's fished their Monday match this week on the Bridgewater Canal opposite Daresbury Laboratories and saw 'The Breadman' (George Barber) the winner with an all-roach net for 3-10-0. He drew the first peg past the Bridge opposite the Labs and as you would have expected caught all his fish on bread punch and feeding liquidised Warburtons. Second placed Alan Faulkner drew the short length which by appearance always looks the better choice, but after starting off on bread punch and only a few tiny fish he changed to maggot alternating with worm to take perch and roach for 2-10-0. He reported lots of pike striking which didn't help but good news for our winter pike anglers. Eighteen anglers fished.

Our WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains closed on Friday evenings but members can simply post to this address or put their membership book or request in an envelope with their payment and a stamped addressed envelope, through our HQ door at 52, Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT 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.

Your catch reports are more than welcome as many members rely on your shared information for their visits to the bankside. Email secretary@Warrington-anglers.org.uk

Frank Lythgoe

Results:

Mersey Series:

1)      Ray Boden       21-10-0

2)      Nick Burrows  18-15-0

3)      Bas Chambers 17-2-0

4)      Jimmy Byrne   16-5-0

Disabled & Over 60's:

1)       George Barber 3-10-0

2)      Alan Faulkner    2-10-0

3)      Ron Durr            2-9-0

4)      Paul Ashton       2-8-0

Coming Events:

SUNDAY:

Members Mersey Series draw 8-45am Mersey Walk peg 75 back.

MONDAY:

Disabled & Over 60's Match Bridgewater Canal. Draw 9-45am Tramps Grave, Moore. (£5 all-in, exact money only, no change given).