ON Sunday, Tony Rough visited the River Vyrnwy for the first time on our Llanymynech stretch and started his day by going head over heels down the bank into a bed of nettles (on his own admission the result of inappropriate footwear).

However he is made of sterner stuff and encouraged by the sight of rising fish on one of the deeper runs, he caught on his first cast and the bites continued all morning.

Tony used a small stick float with maggot or a section of worm as hookbait, and fed maggot and hemp.

Although none of the fish were of any size and consisted of small chub and dace, he enjoyed a pleasant morning watching his float dip almost every cast.

Eric Smith spent a few hours at Woodshaw on Sunday and managed to winkle out about 25 pounds of fish which consisted of16 Crucians, 12 of which were over the pound mark and the best taking the scales down to just over two pounds.

A solitary tench and a raft of roach and skimmers made up the rest of the catch. Double dead red maggot float fished a rod length out over hemp and a pellet based ground bait the successful method.

Catches were also good on our Junior Woodshaw Reservoir match the following day which saw a new winner in the series when Joe Winstanley took the honours on the pole, using pellet paste to put together a net of crucians and roach for 9-14-0.

He was over 2lbs clear of second placed Joe Pimblett on 7-11-0. All paid up junior members are entitled to fish this series which usually ends with a prize-giving and BBQ.

The Disabled & Over 60s match on Monday was fished on the Cockfight length and saw Jeff Clare with a bonus bream plus bits for a winning weight of 4-2-8. Jimmy Byrne was in runner up spot with a small fish net for 3-3-0.

Jimmy Byrne followed up his Mersey third place last Monday by being top rod on our Mersey Saturday Series with 3-2-0 made up of three skimmers, small perch, and roach. Neil Buist was in second place with a couple of skimmers and small perch for 2-8-0. Both fished pole and maggot.

To quote one of our match regulars who shall remain anonymous ‘Put Jimmy Byrne on an end peg and the rest are fishing for second’.

Well, true or not, Jimmy was pleased to both draw an end peg and put together his second match winning weight in two days on this venue of 4-10-0 to take the Sid Jones Open Trophy.

His catch was made up of a couple of dace, roach, and perch taken on pole and maggot tactics. Match organiser Ray Boden was in second place with 2-15-0 of roach and perch fishing the same method.

Email catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or call 01928 716238. Our headquarters at 52, Parker Street are open on Friday between 7 & 9pm for subscriptions, new memberships/night permits, and any queries.

Results: Mersey Saturday Series: 1, Ray Boden 5-10-0; 2, Derek Bibby 4-2-0; 3, Jimmy Byrne 3-14-0; 4, Dave Brookes 3-8-0. Sid Jones Open (Mersey): 1, Jimmy Byrne 4-10-0; 2, Ray Boden 2-15-0; 3, Neil Buist/Jeff Shaw 2-13-0. Disabled & Over 60s (Bridgewater): 1, Jeff Clare 4-2-8; 2, Jimmy Byrne 3-3-0; 3, Lennie Dutton 3-1-6; 4, Alf Seddon 2-12-8. Woodshaw Junior Series: 1, Joe Winstanley 9-14-0; Joe Pimblett /Scott Roberts 7-11-0; 2, Mathew Bateson 6-3-0.

Forthcoming events: Saturday: Mersey Saturday Series draw 9am Victoria Park. Sunday: Mersey Sunday Series draw 9am through gates Mersey Walk on peg 74. Monday: Disabled & Over 60s Bridgewater Canal draw 10am Walton Church (pegs 300-330; Woodshaw Junior Series draw 5pm, car park.