IT was the turn of Lymm Angling Club member Peter Sawer to land a catfish on Lymmvale.

Both his friend and his friend's daughter had already landed fish of 27lbs and 19lbs respectively.

Peter, fishing close to the boathouse, hooked his fish and truly felt that it must have been the big one, due to the long and hard fight it gave. However, this was not to be, although he was not too disappointed as his fish registered a pleasing 23lbs 9oz 0dms on his scales.

River ace Ste Daly, making the most of a week's holiday, made a few trips to the River Severn and turned up a couple of surprises. On his first outing he set out his stall at Atcham to catch chub and barbel and was soon into them using his beloved trotting methods.

However, as darkness fell he hit a bite which was different to the others and latched into what he thought was a lazy chub. It was only when it was ready for the net did he realise what it was when he shone his torch into the water. The torch beam showed his mystery fish to be a bream of 7-2-0.

On his second trip to the Severn at Atcham he was, as usual, catching chub, roach, dace and barbel in good numbers. His surprise came as he was playing in a barbel of about 3.5lbs when he was startled by an explosive pike strike, which took his fish and snapped his line immediately.

A pike taking a fish of this size must be of considerable size, something which some of our pike anglers may wish to bear in mind when considering somewhere different to fish.

Still on the rivers, committee member Dave Shard reports that the River Dane has been fishing very well with chub, dace, roach and barbel the species most dominant.

However, this river holds one or two surprises, such as the 12.5lbs mirror carp landed by bailiff Mike Wilkinson.

Reports from the River Bollin and Wincham Brook have also been very good.

Due to the drawing in of the nights, bailiffing activities continue to intensify. This extra work has caused the club to engage in a bailiff recruitment drive.

The work undertaken by bailiffs is simple in principal, and that is to protect the rights of each and every member by discouraging poor behaviour and poaching.

If you can help with such activities, and can work as part of an organised team, then get in touch with head bailiff Kevin Peers, who can be contacted on 574248 before 8pm.

I can be contacted on 411774.

Neil Jupp