LAST year, members removed bags of cannabis plant, the waste product from skunk cultivation, from Appleton Reservoir.

This week, our volunteers were in action again removing bags of litter from every area of bank. The discarded items even included a bike frame and a car tyre along with some real disgusting stuff.

The amount was so great that it filled the load space on our Ford Ranger pick-up. I have to hold my hands up and admit that some was attributable to anglers at specific locations but the vast majority was most certainly not.

Our members face immediate expulsion from the club but we have no jurisdiction over others. Anyway, it is now as clean as a new pin, just how it should be.

The 2017 membership books have been delivered from our printers and should be posted out towards the middle of next week, so if you have moved house this is your last chance to let me know so your membership record can be updated to be included on the postal list.

Around our fisheries, I believe a few carp have been caught at Grey Mist Mere over the past weekend so good news indeed.

The Bridgewater Canal produced a brace of pike for new member Sean Oriain to dead bait. Also, Ian Rogers reports a catch of three small jacks and two perch taken on a small Mepps.

Plenty of roach action it appears at Statham pool, which at this time of the year is a real bonus.

Roy Everson won this week’s Mersey Series match held at Kingsway allotments, using a ground-bait feeder and maggot catching 10 small roach for a weight of 1lbs 1oz 7dr.

The runner-up spot was taken by Martin Lenihan with an identical catch but weighing less at 1-0-11.

To these anglers, no matter what you are catching, a match is a match and with the majority of large fish taken by seals it is a battle for bites from small fish that are hardly worth the effort of these animals hunting.

People talk about endangered species, but absolutely no consideration is given to our native fish stocks which in effect are captive to a large degree between the two weirs.

Years of stocking this river that not too many years past was an open sewer have gone down the drain just when the efforts of the Environment Agency Fisheries and ourselves were bearing fruit.

The Disabled and Over 60s match on the Bridgewater Canal at Houghs Bridge was another tough event with the vast majority of the field failing to weigh.

Winner was George Barber, who fished with pole and punched bread for a weight of 1-12-10 of small roach.

Committee member Graham Belton was second off the adjoining peg with 1-0-11.

WAA Headquarters at 52 Parker Street is open as usual every Friday between 7 and 9pm for new members, subscriptions, night permit renewals, and any queries.

Please email catch details to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a call on 01928 716238.

Results:

Mersey Sunday Series: 1, Roy Everson 1-1-7; 2, Martin Lenihan 1-0-11; 3, Alan Morris 0-13-3; 4, Ray Boden 0-10-1. Disabled and Over 60s (Bridgewater Canal): 1, George Barber 1-12-10; 2, Graham Belton 1-0-11; 3, Derek Bibby 0-12-5; 4, Dickie Wernham 0-9-5.

Fixtures:

Sunday, Mersey Series: Draw 10am at Weir Lane. Monday, Disabled and Over 60s (Bridgewater Canal): Draw 10am St Peters Church (Walton Arms).