PERCH maestro Michael White set out for an early morning session on the Bridgewater Canal searching for signs of movement when he spotted roach topping and cast his lure among them.

And as he stated, he found a perch – a stunning fish during what turned out to be a brief one-hour visit.

The successful method was a FFS floating finesse stick set-up on a Texas rig.

Stuart Ripon targeted the Rixton Claypits pike on Tuesday with only one jack-pike to show for his efforts. But, as he said: “It’s nice to be out. Rixton is stunning this time of the year!”

And I would add that this fishery, along with others, is being vastly improved by the efforts of the volunteer working parties giving their time up to make angling better for fellow members.

Dave Gardner was out on the Mersey on Monday despite sport being much harder due to the change in weather as we head towards winter. He set up a float rod and in the first 10 minutes landed his only two fish, a brace of perch around the 1lb mark, caught with the hook loaded with four maggots. With nothing happening despite trying other baits he was back home after three hours to thaw out.

We have all no doubt heard about the current bird flu situation and the doom and gloom being spread that our Christmas turkey may be in short supply. Well anglers should be aware that if you see a dead wild bird please don’t touch it. If you find one or more dead birds of prey, or three or more dead gulls or wild waterfowl (swans, geese, and ducks), or five or more of any species you can help and find how to report them at gov.uk/guidence/avian-influenza-bird-flu#report-dead-wils-birds.

The Sunday Mersey Series this week drawn at Mersey Walk saw the river carrying a fair bit of extra water and started with unseasonal pleasant weather conditions, however with an hour or so to go the heavens opened, but hey that’s fishing.

Jimmy Byrne won a low-weight event with a net of roach taken from peg 70 on a groundbait feeder and red maggot, claiming his third win from the four so far fished since the problems with the weir stopped our regular series.

Ray Boden was demoted back to second place with a catch of roach and perch taken on the same method from peg 59. Eleven members fished.

Our Disabled & Over 60s fished their Monday match on the Bridgewater Canal at Walton with Mike Worley the decisive winner with 3lbs 7ozs 0drs of roach caught on the pole alternating between punch bread and pinkie.

Only three ounces separated the next three weights with Jeff Stoll taking the runner-up spot again for the second successive week with a net of roach plus perch with 2-6-0. Fourteen 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.

Get in touch with your catch reports are especially welcome at this time of the year as sport slows and not as many of you on the banks. Lots of members rely on shared information for their angling visits. Email secretary@Warrington-anglers.org.uk

Results: Mersey Series: 1 Jimmy Byrne 6-13-0; 2 Ray Boden 5-3-0; 3 Ken Hall 4-10-0; 4 Frank Lythgoe 4-6-0. Disabled & Over 60s: 1 Mike Worley 3-7-0; 2 Jeff Stoll 2-6-0; 3 Ron Durr 2-4-0; 4 Alan Faulkner 2-3-0.