WELL the river season opened on Monday and first reports are looking good, Phil Hancock had a four-hour session on the Mersey and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of early season sport.

His catch included a dozen skimmers between 1 and 1.5lbs, a bream of at least 6lb and plenty of roach and perch all on maggot feeder.

Match catches were good, too, with plenty of bream to 7lb and nice mixed nets of chub, hybrids, perch and roach also on maggot.

Geoff Maddock decided after much pestering from his daughter Madonnaraye that she was old enough for a fifth birthday angling trip.

The venue, Offa’s Dyke fishery where she had a nice catch including a decent chub and a common carp of about 3lb.

Ian Williamson chose this fishery for his first outing of the season, a two-hour session on the middle pool corn fed tight to the island produced nothing for half an hour, before a chub of about 2lb took his pole elastic out full stretch.

This was followed by a mixture of 20 chub, bream to 3lb and a carp of about 6lb.

Eric Smith visited Sandiway for the first time on Sunday, he was so delighted with the lakes that he, 12-year-old grandson Callum Postill and mate Terry `Fishless’ Fletcher decided to have a few hours fishing.

They raked their pegs and balled in 12 balls of groundbait each laced with corn and hemp. Callum and Eric shared a peg, first cast Callum had a new PB bream of 5.9lbs they finished up with five more bream around 5lb a tench of similar size and an 8lb mirror. Fishless was overjoyed with a mirror about 7lb. All fish caught on hair rigged corn or mini boilies.

This is also a favourite venue for Mark Atchison for his target tench, fishing two artificial maggots on a hair rig and two live maggots on the hook he landed a pristine roach of 2.5lb.

Keep catch reports coming in. Call 01928 716238 or email frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk. HQ 52, Parker Street open Friday 7pm to 9pm.

Results: Woodshaw Junior Series: 1, Matt Dawber 10.0.0; 2, James Brown 9.2.0; 3, Garry Barrick 6.14.0. Disabled & Over 60s: 1, Jimmy Byrne 17.8.8; 2, Derek Bibby 8.7.12; 3, Jimmy Gannon 7.1.12. Harold Parker Shield: 1, Tom Oliver 3.5.7; 2, David Smith 1.11.0; 3, Andrew Carmen 1.1.4; 4, Ethan Owen 11.0.

Forthcoming events: Saturday: Junior Match, Ackers Pits, draw 12pm on bank. Book with Helen Dagnall 01925 635486. Mersey Sweep, draw 9am on bank at allotments, contact Ray 07790317714. Sunday: First Association Contest, River Mersey, draw 9am, Victoria Park. Monday: Disabled & Over 60s, River Mersey, draw 10am on bank at allotments, Contact John Dagnall 01925 635486. Woodshaw Reservoir Junior Series, draw 5.30pm car park. Junior/Intermediate Series, Phoenix Park Lake, draw 6pm. Tuesday: Minnows, Euclid Avenue Bridgewater Canal draw 6pm on bank, contact Helen Dagnall 01925 635486.