HEAD bailiff Jay Makin kicked off his session on Grey Mist on Tuesday with four cracking tench, the best around the 7lbs mark.

Also later in the afternoon, he managed to tempt one of our recent stock fish – a mirror which went in at 23lbs – but he couldn’t weigh it as the batteries had gone flat in his scales. A lesson learned!

His fish came to solid PVA bags filled with Sticky Baits 4mm manilla pellets and groundbait with the business end loaded with their 14mm chocolate orange pop-up boilies.

Regular contributor Mike Pritchard was out again on Saturday as he enjoyed a three-hour session on the Bridgewater Canal near Houghs Bridge, reporting a catch of over 50 fish, mainly chunky roach along with two perch and four hybrids.

He started on bread but as bites slowed changed to pinkie and was on a bite a chuck fishing a small waggler on the far side of the track.

He landed some decent stamp roach and hybrids until he ran out of bait…but he still managed to catch six further roach on his last two pinkies until they were just skin on the hook!

Thanks to the torrential rain, our last members Mersey Series of the river coarse fishing season was able to take place on Sunday.

Winner Jimmy Byrne described it as at best a two-hour match as from the start nobody caught beyond that period due to the worsening flood conditions, with tree branches and general debris coming down the river making fishing more or less impossible.

Jimmy caught all his fish in the first 90 minutes with not a bite after that time as was the case for the majority of anglers.

His catch from peg 54 consisted of seven skimmers and two roach for a weight of 8-6-0 all taken on a groundbait feeder and maggot at about 15metres.

Neil Buist was the runner-up from peg 58 with a net of roach plus a bonus 1.5lbs hybrid for a total 0f 5-7-0. Fourteen anglers fished.

Finally, many thanks to Al Faulkner, Jimmy Byrne, Ray Boden and all those who helped to run this series often under trying conditions.

Monday’s disabled and over 60s match this week was fished again on the Bridgewater Canal at Walton and saw The Breadman himself (George Barber) the winner with 7-2-0 of roach caught on pole and the white stuff from a peg just to the right of Walton Lea Bridge.

Pete Jones was in second place from the adjacent peg with a similar net weighing in at 5-7-0. Fifteen anglers fished.

Our 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, 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.

Please get in touch with your catch reports, which are especially welcome at this time of the year as sport slows and not as many of you are out on the banks.

Lots of members rely on your shared information for their angling visits. Email secretary@warrington-anglers.org.uk

Results:

Mersey Series: 1, Jimmy Byrne 8-6-0; 2, Neil Buist 5-7-0; 3, Chris Wray 1-15-0; 4, Eddie Frangleton 1-8-0

Overall Series Weights: Jimmy Byrne 188lb-2oz, Ray Boden 175lb-14oz, Ant Higham 107lb-3oz, Al Faulkner 91lb-13oz.

Disabled and over 60s (Bridgewater Canal): 1, George Barber 7-2-0; 2, Pete Jones 5-9-0; 3, Al Faulkner 4-0-0; 4, Dave Blears 3-15-6

Fixtures:

Monday, disabled and over 60s, Bridgewater Canal: Draw 9.45am at Walton Church. £5 all-in, exact money only, no change given