Frank Lythgoe's Warrington Anglers Association column

THERE has been a report from our head bailiff of a 26lbs 8ozs 0drs pike being caught from our stretch of the Ribble at Hurst Green on Tuesday.

Also, lots of plastic waste was left on the banksides having been swept down with the floods as the level dropped.

There is a working party for essential maintenance at Sandiway Small Lake this Saturday, February 20 – meet at the lake at 9am. Please book in with Matt Akery on arrival.

The fishery will be closed for the day to all who are not involved in the working party.

After the longest membership post-out I have experienced for some time due to Covid-19, approximately 99% are already in the post and the remaining few will be posted tomorrow.

Thanks to Ade, Bob and his lovely wife Sue who certainly did more than their share to achieve this.

Please be mindful that our postal service is likewise under similar strain, some areas more affected than others.

Our WAA headquarters at 52 Parker Street, Warrington WA1 1LT remains closed on Friday evenings until further notice.

Members can simply post to this address or put their book or request in an envelope with their payment and a stamped addressed envelope through our HQ door, where mail is collected and dealt with most days.

Alternatively, you can post to Warrington Anglers Association PO. Box 71, Warrington WA1 1LR where mail is collected weekly.

You can now renew memberships and night permits online again on Friday, February 19, on our Warrington Anglers Association website. It works a treat on mobile, tablet or laptop.

You must use the required numbers from both your postcode and membership number as printed on your booklet address label.

I would really appreciate members sending me any of your pics, reports or stories as at this time of the year, there is not a lot happening.

Good, bad or indifferent, they may help fellow members to plan any trips to the bankside.

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

There is currently not a lot happening what with the recent monsoon weather followed by most fisheries being covered in ice, a thaw and the Government travel restrictions, so I have put the clock back and dug out a few reports from this same time last year pre- Covid-19, when life was normal…

The rivers are definitely not fit to visit this week until we lose this monsoon-type weather.

I was not at all surprised when our bailiff on the Dee sent me a picture of the river, where the fields were part of the river and definitely not even safe to approach.

Jeff Morgan sent me a photo of our stretch of the Wye showing a car ‘parked’ in the river behind the sewage works.

It definitely will take some removing as there is no access except on foot.

Jason Griffiths braved the muddy conditions at Appleton Reservoir on Sunday and was more than happy when he landed a cracking 20lbs mirror.

There was a downside, however, for when he landed the fish it was trailing helicopter rig complete with lead and a length of line.

The problem with what should have been a safe rig was that the beads had been put on wrong and were not for moving.

Thankfully, the fish did not suffer any obvious ill effects.

On Saturday, Simon Oldfield had a wander along the River Dane at Holmes Chapel and with the river showing a little colour and fining off, the conditions looked promising.

He fished a shouldered alloy stemmed stick-float set up on 5lbs line and a 16’s hook.

Loose-feeding maggot with double red on the business end, he ended up with a couple of chub, two nice grayling and a brace of trout – an enjoyable session in pleasant surroundings.

Gareth Wright visited the River Dee at Shocklach on Thursday and finally had some fly-fishing success with a decent grayling taken on a nymph.

Certainly, the Dee holds some cracking grayling and our stretches are worth a trip no matter what method you chose.