IAN Parr tried his luck at High Legh Fishery for the first time last weekend, only to realise when he arrived he had left his bait in the fridge at home.

His butties got him out a hole, and he even managed to salvage the meat filling and a packet of crisps to eat for lunch.

Sparingly feeding small balls of sloppy bread near the weed and crust on the hook, he hooked and lost a carp after only 10 minutes.

Another hour passed before he landed a first carp, but he went on to catch seven others – to around 8lbs – before the half-dozen rounds of thick-sliced ran out.

Our Mersey Series match on Saturday produced a new winner when Derek Bibby, fishing with a groundbait feeder and maggot, put together a net of roach and perch weighing 10-14-0.

Martin Lenihan took second spot.

Meanwhile on Sunday it was pole tactics that produced a winning catch of mainly roach and perch for Jimmy Byrne.

He loose-fed maggot to put 8-15-0 on the scales, giving him a victory margin worth 4lbs over runner-up Jim Gannon.

The River Mersey is definitely improving, although the large bream have all but disappeared.

To use a euphemism, they have most likely ended up as ‘Tarka tucker’ as large, slow-moving targets for any stray otter that comes over the weir when the tide is high.

On a more positive note, Regular contributor Mark Pritchard enjoyed a busy session in a swim next to Victoria Park on Saturday.

Fishing a waggler, and alternating between maggot and caster, he caught more than 50 fish; mainly roach and perch, plus an odd dace.

What a different a change of venue can make!

Catches were up during Monday’s match for disabled and over 60s, fished on the Trent and Mersey Canal at Northwich.

Derek Bibby followed his weekend success with another win, produced a winning net of 8-4-12 made up of small roach and perch taken on pole tactics.

Our association’s headquarters on Parker Street are open every Friday, between 7pm and 8.30pm, for memberships, subscriptions, night-permit renewals and any queries.

Send catch reports for inclusion in this column by email to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk, or call me on 01928 716238.

Results:

Saturday, Mersey Series: 1) Derek Bibby 10-14-0; 2) Martin Lenihan 10-0-0; 3) Jimmy Byrne 8-9-0; 4) Ray Boden 7-0-0.

Sunday, Mersey Series: 1) Jimmy Byrne 8-15-0; 2) Jim Gannon 4-15-0; 3) Ray Boden 4-4-0; 4) Karl Guy 3-15-0.

Monday, Disabled an over 60s: 1) Derek Bibby 8-4-12; 2) Ron Durr 7-1-4; 3) Jimmy Byrne 5-4-4; 4) Graham Belton 4-11-0.

Fixtures:

Saturday, Mersey Series: Draw 9am, Kingsway allotments.

Sunday, Mersey Series: Draw 9am, Victoria Park.

Monday, Disabled and over 60s: Draw 10am, Farm Road, Trent and Mersey Canal.