WHAT a session Lymm Angling Club bailiff Jason Pond had on the River Severn at Atcham last week.

Getting on to his chosen peg after work at 6pm, he quickly set up his straight leger rig on his quiver rod after first baiting his swim with halibut-flavoured pellets.

He did not have to wait long before he was battling with his first barbel of the night - a lively fish of 8lbs 4ozs 0drms - and 10 more of the species followed right up to the end of his session at 11pm.

His biggest barbel was a monster of 11-7-0, with his smallest weighing in at 6-9-0. Among his haul of 11 barbel came two chub weighing 4-0-0 and 5-9-0 respectively.

Jason is a river specialist and his only disappointment was that he had to pack up when he did, when he was catching at a rate of three per hour.

He believes he would have beaten his own personal bests of numbers of barbel caught in one session as well as the biggest fish caught.

Barbel are coming from all stretches of the Severn, the Dane and the Bollin, where several fish to 7lbs have been reported over the last fortnight.

Unfortunately Village Pool has been added to the closure list, albeit for a completely different reason.

On Friday, member Paul Gandy gave us an early warning of fish gasping on the surface.

Very soon afterwards a pump and aeration equipment were running to address the problem of low oxygen levels, and fortunately we only lost a dozen or so small roach.

The cold rain of the thunderstorms on the previous Sunday are the most likely cause of an algae die-back, which often results in rapid de-oxygenations three or four days later.

Hopefully by the time of reading we will have been able to have re-opened the water - please telephone to find out before travelling to the water.

Last Monday, night bailiffs were called out to an incident involving anglers fishing on the closed Whitley Pool.

On arrival the anglers had gone, probably after being disturbed by the members who reported the matter.

Club members are asked to keep a special eye on closed waters and report any breaches in the Special Measures put in place to protect stocks from the still unknown carp disease.

There have been similar reports of angling on Tabley Moat, although the evidence may well have another cause other than illegal angling.

Spring and New Pool are fishing well at the moment, with New Pool producing the higher numbers of fish caught, and Spring Pool producing the bigger fish.

After a small lull in catfish action there now appears to be an increase in the capture rate of these interesting species.

Farm Pool and Grimsditch continue to produce good bags of fish.

I can be contacted on 411774 but be prepared to leave a message.

Neil Jupp