ARLEY Reservoir, the middle one of the three-lake Wigan area complex, produced the goods last Friday for Del Chapman.

With water levels well down due to maintenance works and the feeder stream pouring into the reservoir at a great rate, conditions were very different from normal.

However, on the plus side, the incoming water was putting some colour into the water. Del fished a feeder and maggot but only caught a suicidal perch every cast.

Eventually, after an hour, a change of bait to a 10mm white boilie brought some real action as his tip shot round, signalling that the bream had found his pellet mix of offerings.

Casting between 40 and 50 yards, he caught eight bream ranging from four to the biggest one at 7½lbs.

After a few ‘last casts’ he had to leave, but an enjoyable four hours fishing which included the biggest fish he had caught from the water.

Our Association-owned Woodshaw Reservoir fishery hosted the Monday disabled and over 60s match this week.

Local rod Alan Brown produced the goods with a mixed net of roach and crucians for 10lbs 6ozs 0drs.

Not my ideal type of fishing, but with bites very scarce on our Saturday Mersey Series due to heavy rain and high tide conditions, Derek Bibby was more than happy to add ten slippery, slimy, small eels to his catch of the same number of roach for a winning weight of 2-10-0.

He fished a heavy groundbait feeder and maggot, as did second-placed Ray Boden with 1-5-0.

A day later, our Sunday Mersey match saw a rise in weights when Alan Morris added six skimmers, best a pound, to a net of small roach for a winning weight of 6-7-0 taken on ground bait feeder and maggot. Derek Bibby was in the frame again with 5-12-0.

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

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

n Results: Disabled and over 60s (Woodshaw Reservoir): 1, Alan Brown 10-6-0; 2, John Mills 7-12-0; 3, Jimmy Byrne 6-11-0; 4, Alan Birchall 6-6-0. Saturday Series (River Mersey): 1, Derek Bibby 2-10-0; 2, Ray Boden 1-5-0; 3, Chris Wray 0-2-0. Sunday Mersey Series: 1, Alan Morris 6-7-0; 2, Derek Bibby 5-12-0; 3, Ant Higham 4-0-0; 4, Jimmy Byrnes 3-9-0.

n Fixtures: Saturday, River Mersey Series: Draw 9am at Victoria Park. Sunday, River Mersey Series: Draw 9am at Kingsway Allotments Monday, disabled and over 60s: Draw 10am at Trent & Mersey Canal, Farm Road.