WITH some waters frozen over the weekend, one member was living in hope when our bailiff found his pike float and dead-bait that the mystery angler had cast onto the surface of an iced-over Rixton Claypits. Eskimo style or what?

Thankfully waters are now ice-free, and if you fancy some predator action those pike will be on the hunt on the Bridgewater Canal so wrap up well and enjoy.

Chris Connell enjoyed a brilliant day’s fishing at Woodshaw Reservoir on Saturday, with an abundance of good stamp roach.

He initially caught on a small method feeder and groundbait with double pinkie on the hook.

A change to the pole at nine metres, using pellet fished over micros, attracted a smaller stamp of fish before a further switch to maggots and pinkies brought in the skimmers and bigger roach.

Chris even found time to share his salmon butties with the resident swan, and things really looked up when his wife arrived with a hot cup of pea and ham soup and the end of a perfect day on the bank.

Jim Gannon clocked up an early new year win on our Sunday Mersey match series with a catch of 10 roach weighing 1lb 8ozs 0drs.

Al Morris was in second place with eight roach for 1-3-0. Roy Everson put his catch of six small roach and an eel on the scales for a weight of 0-12-0.

Ground-bait feeder and punch bread was the winning method used by Jim, whereas Al used feeder and maggot.

One bit of insider info was that Ade Green missed out for third place when he found a perch in the bottom of his net after the weigh-in.

The first of our 2018 disabled and over 60s series kicked off on the Bridgewater Canal on the Dead-length between Houghs and Walton bridges on Monday.

Match organiser Jimmy Byrne won from peg four with weight of 3-10-14 of roach. Trevor Bainbridge was the runner-up with 3-5-10 and all of the top four weights were over 3lbs.

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

Our headquarters at 52 Parker Street are open every Friday, between 7pm and 8.30pm, for night-permits, membership renewals, subscriptions and any queries.

Results:

Sunday Mersey Series: 1, Jim Gannon 1-8-0; 2, Alan Morris 1-3-0; 3, Roy Everson 0-12-0; 4, Ade Green 0-11-0.

Fixtures:

Sunday, River Mersey Series: Draw 9am at Kingsway Allotments.

Monday, disabled and over 60s: Draw 10am at Woodshaw Reservoir.