Frank Lythgoe's Warrington Anglers’ Association column

SOME sad news to start this week’s column is that member Keith Hay died 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 for him 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 was 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 then 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. Keith’s funeral is at 3pm on Tuesday, November 29 at St Helens Crematorium.

Over the past week 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 19lbs 8ozs 0drs.

Committee member Andy Burrows accompanied by our head bailiff James Makin, Keith Starkey, and Trevor Royle, spent the best part of a day clearing branches and repairing a peg at Grey Mist.

With 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 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

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 60s: 1 Paul Ashton 3-12-0; 2 Alan Faulkner 3-8-0; 3 Alan Brown 2-12-0; 4 George Hollis 2-9-0.

Fixtures: Sunday: Members Mersey Series, draw 8.45am, Victoria Park, peg 34 down. Monday: Disabled & Over 60s match, Bridgewater Canal, draw 9.45am, Hough’s Bridge, Walton (£5 all-in, no change given)