DESPITE the glorious weather enjoyed on the weekend, water temperatures are dropping steadily for Lymm Angling Club members.

This is something of a relief because during these slow and steady reductions of temperature, algae dies at a steady rate, allowing waters to cope with the resulting breakdown of this organic matter.

Rapid diebacks, often brought about by frosts, are something to be dreaded due to the resulting de-oxygenations.

Unfortunately, even slow algae diebacks have a detrimental effect on anglers on the bank by producing a clarity of water which makes the catching of fish more difficult.

Fining up of tackle is essential during these periods in order to maintain a reasonable catch rate, alternatively members who make use of their night permits do not suffer the problems of tackle-shy fish.

Whitley Pool and Lymm Dam are our most reliable still waters at present.

The Dam has produced a lot of specimen carp and bream over the last week with most of the sport enjoyed by day ticket anglers.

Members who do not normally fish this water, give it a go, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Longbarn Pool continues to fish steadily with plenty of roach and small carp reported, along the odd bonus bream and bigger carp.

On the carp scene, things have livened up over the last three weeks with fish in excess of 20lbs reported in Lymm Dam, Shakerley Mere, Tabley Moat, Statham Pool, Whitey Pool and the Sankey Canal at Halton.

Not too long ago carp in excess of 20lbs were quite rare, so why the change in recent years?

This will be due to a number of factors - including higher carp populations, their apparent ability to grow bigger in recent years and the high-tech methods used by today's angler.

Last week club official Dave Inkson spent some time talking to anglers fishing on Marbury Mere. They informed Dave that they had done well over the season, catching some specimen bream, their best being a fish of over 8lbs.

The club has secured a lucrative sponsorship deal with the Angling Club Insurance Company, who will contribute to the cash prizes to be won during a Winter League series of matches on the Sankey Canal.

The matches will be fished by teams of four. For further details give Ray Boden a ring on 632271.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the venue for this year's annual meeting has been changed to the Railway Club which is situated next to Central Station. The date remains October 19.

I can be contacted on 411774.

Neil Jupp

results:

Tuesday's Sankey Canal at Carterhouse: 1, Ray Boden, 6lbs 15ozs 0drms; 2, Bob Brander, 5-2-8; 3, Dave Forbes, 3-7-8; 4, Dave Rowe, 3-5-0.

Thursday's Sankey Canal Match at Sankey Bridges: 1, Ray Boden, 16-3-0; 2, Ian Armstrong, 14-1-8; 3, Albert Malcolmson, 9-5-0; 4, Bob Brander, 7-4-0.

Sunday Junior Series at Statham Pool: 1, Mark Bibby, 6-5-0; 2, Neil Pope, 3-8-0; 3, David Smith, 11-12-0; 4, Neil Etherington, 1-10-0.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.