Frank Lythgoe's Warrington Anglers' Association column 2023

PHIL Hancock started off his four-hour session on Grey Mist on Tuesday with a tench, landed just as Phil Brown joined him carrying only a fold-up seat.

Phil H had two rods set up, both with a maggot feeder and maggot on the hook. However, it wasn’t too long before Phil B raided H’s biscuits and coffee and even during a brief go on one of the rods, he landed a tench and lost a carp!

H ended up with seven tench and lost two with 90 per cent being caught on one rod. It goes without saying that it was a very enjoyable day for both members.

Phil Hancock with one of his Grey Mist tench, accompanied by Phil Brown (Image: Contributed)

Garry Whitehead had a morning pike session at Sandiway Lakes on Thursday where he moved around fishing both lakes using Fox Replicant lures, which accounted for two of the toothy predators. A change to drifted dead-bait accounted for a third.

On Monday, Neil Plunkett sat for a bite-less three hours at Rixton Claypits until he sorted out the right approach for the day to end up with 10 bream and a bonus tench of around 3lbs.

He noted that the methods and baits that had worked well for him four weeks ago (groundbait and maggot or liquidised bread with bread punch) couldn’t buy a bite.

On the day, all fish came to method feeder with micro-pellets and 8mm punched luncheon meat on the hook.

Mike Pritchard was out again on Saturday as he enjoyed his weekly three-hour session on the Bridgewater Canal.

This week, he was at Walton opposite the rhododendrons using his favourite 9½ft rod and home-made waggler set-up with pinkie on the hook.

He ended up with five to 6lbs of roach and perch with the best chunky silvers caught from his caster swim.

The Dynamic Duo (Ken Hewitt and Dave Gardner) decided to try their hand at Phoenix Park Lake this week.

Ken stuck with his favourite two methods of float and feeder and after five hours had managed only a single perch on maggot.

Dave was after something bigger and ended up with a transparent gudgeon plus a 2½ pounder, pity it was a terrapin!

I will keep the promised golf clubs for another week – they both reckoned that its still a cracking place to go.

The Monday disabled and over 60s match this week was fished again on the Bridgewater Canal at Walton and saw the return of Bud Lee to the series for the first time since he won it on the 16th March 2020, just as Covid kicked off.

Well true to form, Bud clocked up another decisive win with an all-roach catch on bread punch with a weight of 3-12-0 from a peg opposite the rhododendrons.

Jimmy Byrne was in second place with 2-15-4 of roach using both bread and pinkie. Eighteen anglers fished.

Our 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, 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.

Please get in touch with your catch reports, which are especially welcome at this time of the year as sport slows and not as many of you are out on the banks.

Lots of members rely on your shared information for their angling visits. Email secretary@warrington-anglers.org.uk

Results:

Disabled and over 60s (Bridgewater Canal): 1; Bud Lee 3-12-0; 2, Jimmy Byrne 2-15-4; 3, Alan Brown 2-9-8; 4, George Hollis 2-7-10

Fixtures:

Monday, disabled and over 60s, Bridgewater Canal: Draw 9.45am at Jacks Bench, Grappenhall Trees. £5 all-in, exact money only. No change given.