THE coarse fishing season starts on Lymm Angling Club's river stretches tomorrow, Friday, and this year the buzz in the air is just like the old days.

Members venturing on to the rivers should be aware that they may have to do a bit of jungle bashing to get to the pegs.

Because we have miles and miles of rivers, it is not practical for the club to cut and titivate the pegs, as we do on the still waters, so be prepared.

Members wanting an information sheet for The Retreat, our new water at Bollington, can request one by sending a note to our PO Box address along with a stamped addressed envelope. Some will also be placed around our waters in catch return boxes.

The weather over the past week has been scorching.

So, when you pack your sandwiches to go fishing, take plenty to drink and remember to take some sun block cream with you, as well as sunglasses that cut out the sun's harmful rays.

They are all simple precautions that can help protect your short-term and long-term well-being.

Fishing has been steady over the past week with tremendous bags of fish reported from numerous Lymm Angling Club waters.

Enjoying that action on one of those waters was Dave Perry, who landed seven carp to 21lbs, with his biggest fish breaking his personal best record.

Knowing Dave, he will already have laid plans to further increase his record.

At the beginning of the weekend, it became evident that a lot of fish were dying in Shakerley Mere and initial reports suggested that they were carp and bream.

However, as the situation became clear it was only large bream that were involved.

Environment Agency officers were very quickly on site and indicated that the problem was likely to have been caused by the fish being spawn bound.

All the dead fish were bream ranging from four to 10 pounds. To lose any fish is bad enough but to lose fish of that size is heartbreaking.

Water tests indicate that there is no problem with water quality, although there is some concern over the high water temperature, the lowest of which was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius.

Shakerley Mere is a shallow water and heats up very quickly, and these elevated water temperatures seem to particularly affect big bream. A similar event took place on Belmont Pool a number of years ago when bream weighing up to 12lbs died.

On a lighter note, Founders Pool has been producing some decent carp with many coming from the margins to floating baits.

That method of fishing is very exciting, with anglers holding their breath as fish approach their hook bait.

When the fish takes and then feels the hook, the action is explosive and often startling.

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

Neil Jupp