Frank Lythgoe’s Warrington Anglers Association column

IT is with sadness that I report the passing of Peter Cummings this week.

Pete served on Warrington Anglers Association’s management committee from March 1990 to September 2004 until he moved to enjoy retirement in Cornwall.

Pete was a modest man full of fun and always doing some job or other for our club even before he came on our committee. He was responsible for affixing match pegs to the edging stones every 15 yards or so along the Bridgewater Canal from Preston Brook through to Altrincham – no mean feat for one man.

He was committed to match fishing and he took charge of both organising and managing ladies angling for the club along with being involved with the senior national squad and even finding time to help out with the juniors.

Pete ran weekly matches for our lady members and even stretched to organising both national and open contests like The Queen of the Cut.

His ladies teams had many wins under his guidance, one notably headlined ‘The Golden Double’ when our team retained the Embassy Ladies National Championship for a second consecutive year.

He also managed the Senior National Squad for a period and his hand-picked team, which included two of his children Kev and Trev, came up trumps when they won the 1999 Embassy Division Two National Championships to gain us promotion back into Division One. We send our condolences to his family.

Warrington Guardian:

Pete Cummings, holding the trophy

Sam Brennan fished our Grey Mist for the first time on Saturday and was rewarded with an altogether personal best carp of 27lbs 4ozs 0drs.

He caught the lump using an 18mm boilie tipped with a piece of fake sweetcorn using a PVA bag. Well done Sam – I think this is one of the biggest in the fishery, hope this is one of many.

Warrington Guardian:

Sam Brennan with his personal best carp caught at Grey Mist

It was like ‘Groundhog Day’ on the Bridgewater Canal on Friday when my daughter Wendy took my granddaughter Francesca for a practice session at Grappenhall Trees in preparation for the Canal & River Trust Cadets National Event the following day on the Shropshire Union Canal.

As I was sitting observing the proceedings, my mind flashed back over 30 years to when I was sitting behind Wendy ‘encouraging’ her to do the very same things she was teaching Francesca, including the vitally important ‘watch your float.’

The next day’s result? Well she didn’t win, but the same competitive spirit has definitely passed down through the genes and I was very proud of her efforts on her very first match.

Warrington Guardian:

Francesca with her catch at Grappenhall Trees

I chatted to a few members fishing the Bridgewater who were ‘drop-shotting’ travelling light and well kitted out with the necessary unhooking mats although they were mainly catching perch.

An hour later, word came back from a passing dog walker that he had witnessed one catch a decent-sized pike which amazed him that any such fish were even in the canal!

Sunday's Mersey Match Series was held this week at Victoria Park where Bob Campbell fishing ‘bolo’ and maggot put together a cracking net of roach from ‘lucky for some peg 13’ for a winning weight of 10-7-0.

John Green drew peg 17 at the opposite end of the match and fished the same method to take second place with 8-11-0.

This week, our disabled and over 60s Monday match on the Bridgewater Canal at Delph Lane was won by Alan Brown fishing the pole using pinkie and caster for a weight of 3-14-8 made up of a skimmer, small roach and perch. Ron Durr took second place with 2-11-10. Nineteen fished.

WAA headquarters at 52 Parker Street remain closed on Friday evenings until further notice.

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

If you need any further information, please give me a call or email as below.

Please keep those catch reports coming – they are all very much appreciated by fellow members. Email frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk or give me a call on 01928 716238.

Results:

Mersey Match Series: 1, Bob Campbell 10-7-0; 2, John Green 8-11-0; 3, Neil Buist 6-12-0; 4, Jimmy Byrnes 6-5-0

Disabled and over 60s: 1, Alan Brown 3-14-8; 2, Ron Durr 2-11-10; 3, Jimmy Byrne 2-7-0; 4, Rod Frazer 2-4-10

Fixtures:

Sunday, Mersey Championship: Members only (23 pegs). Draw 9am at Mersey Walk, Peg 45 up. £5 pool or £10 all-in. No coins and exact money only, no change given

Monday, disabled and over 60s: Draw 9.45am at Trent & Mersey Canal, Billinge. £5 all-in. No coins and exact money only. No change given.