28th April, 2020 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

28th April 2020 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

Picked from my archive reports:-

This week I have gone back to some of my columns written in 2001 where Geoff Gauton was mentioned in my report of 11^th April. He was a past WAA Head Bailiff, Committee member, but sadly past away last year. He was also an active member of the PAC and reckoned that the Bridgewater Canal was without doubt the best specimen pike fishery in the Northwest. He stated that the proof of the pudding was a string of double figure fish over recent weeks. On Tuesday the 10^th his legered oil injected sardine accounted for a cracking brace weighing in at 25-12-0 and 19-0-0 from the Lumb Brook area. Both came from a featureless peg, one caught on the far shelf and the other from the towpath margin.

The same week after a short session Ian Davidson was well satisfied with his catch of 13lbs and 15lbs mirror carp from Grey Mist. As he was leaving his swim a youngster took over his peg and asked Ian to cast out for him. Within minutes an 11lbs mirror took the offered boilie! The best catch of the week went to Jes Steel who caught mirrors of 23-8-0, 21-0-0, and 11-0-0. I wonder how many of these carp are still present?

Members were catching tench at Rixton Claypits and reported that plenty of fish were moving in the margins. It rained all day during Martin Stuart's visit but he was still singing the praises of the fishery after netting a 20lbs mirror taken on a Peach Melba boilie. Woodshaw Reservoir was producing small roach and perch with the occasional crucian starting to show as the weather improved.

Whilst on the small 17.5 lake at Sandiway tench were predominant plus a few bream. I reported that a member fishing this lake had included three specimen rudd in his catch. They were all like peas in a pod at around 2lbs plus apiece and took float-fished corn from one of the few dry swims near the car park. With the flooded conditions members were advised to take a platform and waders! The following week Eddie Cardus legered double pinkie over a bed of groundbait and caster to take some decent tench. The water was still so high that he was fishing from the car park area.

On 25^th April I reported that the specimen catch that week must go to member Tony Fielding. He was fishing on our 53acre lake at Sandiway targeting carp with boilies when he connected with a bite that soon saw a massive bream of 15-2-0 in his landing net. Truly a fish of a lifetime. Prior to this he had already caught slabs of 8lbs and 9-8-0 plus a tench of over 7lbs.

Some of the 'youngsters' mentioned in the below results from the Andrew Davies Memorial Match that was fished at Euclid Avenue on Saturday 21^st April 2001 will have grown some since then. What are you all up to now?

Back to present day and the fact that members who wish to join the Warrington Anglers Facebook Group must register and agree to the group rules and provide their name as it appears on our database and their current membership number to be accepted.

Thanks to those members who reported persons fishing this past week to the police on their 101 number. I live in hopes there were some prosecutions as a result as it is the only way these people will learn. We are logging incident numbers and outcomes so would members please take a note of the number and email it to me.

WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street remains closed on Friday evenings until further notice. If you need any further information please give me a call or email as below.

Due our fishery closures any of your notable past catches or amusing angling stories are welcome. They will hopefully surprise or entertain fellow members whilst the country is in lock-down. Email frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.

Frank Lythgoe

Match Results:

Andrew Davies Memorial Match Series (Bridgewater Canal, Euclid Avenue):

1)      Dale Lowndes    3-7-0

2)      Neil Jones           3-4-0

3)      Paul Savage        2-7-10

4)      Steven Hirst       1-6-10

21st April 2020 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Column

21st April 2020 Warrington Anglers Association Guardian Notes

I am continuing to pick from my archive reports:

However, this week I am starting with the current situation where irresponsible idiots think that it is alright for them to fish and that the Government Covid-19 restrictions do not apply to them. On Tuesday two chancers were found fishing on Moore Quarry whilst earlier in the day I reported three to the police for fishing on the Sankey St Helens Canal at Carterhouse. I really hope that the police fully exercise their authority to prosecute these persons in every case.

This same week in 2019 Dave Stansfield managed to slot in a brief two-and-a-half-hour session on Budworth Mere on the Wednesday where he half expected to 'be going through the motions' but at least he would be out in the fresh air. Well, with expectations not too high his catch of eleven decent roach with one he estimated at around the 1.5lbs mark plus a single bream were very welcome. Dave fished a heavy groundbait feeder and double red maggot.

Seven days later Grey Mist proved irresistible to returning member Bill Stanley who christened his new membership after a thirty-year absence from WAA with a PB tench of 5-12-0 and followed this up with a 6-10-0 specimen. A smaller one of 4-8-0 followed but then his PB went again for the third time with a fish of 7-6-0. He was very appreciative of fellow anglers who kindly put him on the right method and caught all his fish on maggot. Bill commented, "All in all a spectacular introduction to WAA."

Also Tom Fahey had a half-decent day on Grey Mist but unfortunately, he had to cut the session short when his bed-chair collapsed and he injured his back. But not before catching a 21-3-0 mirror topped by another of 26-4-0 plus a tench just under 7lb. All caught on Sticky Baits Krill boilies.

This piece is an account by member Steve Cox who in the mid-to-late seventies fished the Bridgewater Canal fairly regularly. He used simple float tactics with maggot or bread as bait. Roach were the main target and a 10oz fish was a good one. During one session he connected with something that was definitely not a roach. In fact, it snapped his 2 lb. bottom with ease so he stepped up to 2.5 lb straight through and managed to hang on the next fish for a minute or two but lost it under a moored boat. Determined not to be beaten the following weekend he was back on the canal in the same swim armed with a spinning rod and 4lb. reel line tied direct a size 10 hook and a basic leger rig. He fished with a big piece of bread on the hook as close as he could to the far bank. It wasn't long before the bottle top he was using as a bite indictor shot up and the strike met solid resistance. The fish shot up and down the canal for a couple of minutes but was soon lying in his landing net. His first ever carp and absolutely chuffed even though it was only about 2lb. in weight. Over the next three- or four-years Steve frequently fished the Bridgewater for carp. The fish got bigger every year and soon his luncheon meat was being taken by fish around 8 or 9lb and most visits resulted in two or three in a session. He longed to catch a double and eventually landed one of exactly 11lb not far from where he had landed his very first carp.

WAA Headquarters at 52, Parker Street remains closed on Friday evenings until further notice. If you need any further information please give me a call or email as below.

Due our fishery closures any of your notable past catches or amusing angling stories are welcome. They will hopefully surprise or entertain fellow members whilst the country is in lock-down. Email frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a ring on 01928 716238.

Frank Lythgoe

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