Frank Lythgoe’s Warrington Anglers’ Association column

I’LL start with a tale about ‘Big Bad Barry’.

Tom Fahey visited Ackers Pit with his youngest in tow, Alfie, seven, and elder brother Ryan to spectate.

Dad set Alfie up with a whip and half a pint of mixed maggot and he was away, eventually losing count of how many fish he had caught.

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Guardian:

But numbers didn’t matter as he was absolutely over the moon with his angling experience on his second visit to this pocket-sized fishery.

Tom reckoned that there was nothing over 4ozs in the mixed bag of roach, rudd and perch.

As a bonus he also managed to squeeze in five minutes himself and landed a lovely mirror around 8lbs on float fished curried meat.

He had spotted a load of carp mooching and grubbing around in the margin and literally dropped his bait on their heads and it was fish-on.

Alfie named it ‘Big Bad Barry’ after the fish from his favourite Ben and Holly cartoon!

For Tom it was a nice way to christen his new John Wilson Avon travel rod, and a memorable couple of hours on the bank with his boys.

Head bailiff James Makin and his friend Trevor Royle, who was accompanied by his son Zack, eight enjoyed an overnight session on Grey Mist.

James managed a brace of tench and a 16lb mirror but young Zack outshone the pair of them when he added another personal best to his collection.

He already has a recent PB mirror of 22lbs 5ozs 0drs under his belt to which he added a PB common of 20-3-0.

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Guardian:

All fish were caught using a Korda KD rig with krill wafter over a bed of boilies.

Graham Ryan, a longstanding member and septuagenarian, decided that he needed a change from his favourite Ackers Pit where apparently at the moment younger anglers seem more successful.

He chose the River Mersey near the allotments for his first visit to the river where he fished a waggler and maggot to catch a dozen big perch and roach between 12ozs to 1lb. Happy with his catch he will soon be revisiting this newly ‘discovered’ fishery.

While on one of my visits around our waters I bumped into one of our ex-junior match squad members, Jason Best, at Appleton Reservoir.

He was just starting to tackle down after an enjoyable four-hour session. Jason had started off on the tip with a groundbait feeder and maggot but soon sussed out that a waggler with loose-fed maggot would work just as well.

The result, which I witnessed, was a net of quality roach caught on his first ever visit to ‘The Res’ but it definitely won’t be his last. Carp sport has been slower this week but I have heard rumours of a 27lb fish.

> Check out the carp caught by Bobby Clough

The Sunday Mersey Match Series fished this week at Mersey Walk was won by Ray Boden who fished pole and maggot for a weight of 14-5-0 made up of mainly roach and perch.

Derek Bibby was in second place with 11-1-0. After starting on the tip and catching a couple of roach he soon changed over to the pole and maggot at 11 metres where he had virtually a fish every put-in made up of roach and perch.

He struck into one fish which he thought was a pike that had grabbed his roach that immediately headed for the centre of the river stretching his elastic to the limit. When it surfaced Derek realised it wasn’t a pike and eventually slipped his landing net under a cracking 2.5lbs perch which was followed by a few further quality stripeys and roach.

Quite a few pike were hooked after grabbing a hooked roach, in fact Bas Chambers holds the record with seven and Ade Green close behind with four. Unfortunately, landed or not, pike don’t count.

Association owned Woodshaw Reservoir was the venue for our Disabled and Over 60s match this week. Alan Brown fished the pole alternating between maggot and caster to win with exactly 9lbs made up of roach, perch, small skimmers plus two bonus crucians.

WAA headquarters at 52, Parker Street remain closed. Members renewing can simply put their book or request in an envelope with their payment, a stamped addressed envelope, and post it through our HQ door where mail is collected and dealt with most days. If you need any further information give me a call or email.

Keep those catch reports coming as they are all appreciated by fellow members. Email frank@war rington-anglers.org.uk or call 01928 716238.

RESULTS: Mersey Sunday Series: 1 Ray Boden 14-5-0; 2 Derek Bibby 11-1-0; 3 Ant Higham 9-0-0; 4 Martin Lenihan 8-9-0. Monday Disabled & Over 60’s (Woodshaw Reservoir): 1 Alan Brown 9-0-0; 2 Jimmy Byrne 8-11-6; 3 Ron Durr 7-10-8; 4 Joe Garry 7-6-10.

FIXTURES: Sunday: Mersey Match Series, members only (23 pegs), must book on, draw 9am, Victoria Park. (£5 pool or £10 all-in, no coins, no change given). Monday: Disabled & Over 60s, draw 9.45am, Bridgewater Canal Pickerings Bridge. (£5 all-in, no coins, no change given).