STUART Peters cancelled a trip to the Dee on Sunday due to the high water levels, deciding instead to switch to the River Dane for the first time in a decade.

It turned out to be a fair choice as he spent the morning roving using bread and cheese paste.

He fished three pegs towards the upstream limit, and the same number at the bottom of the stretch, finishing the session with four chub ranging from 3-3.25lbs and a cracking grayling of 1-10-0.

I had a run to a flooded Cicily Mill Pool on Sunday, chatting there to two hardy anglers enjoying the pleasant surroundings.

Noel Pennington had already stuck it out dead-baiting for pike, and decided on a switch to target less toothy quarry.

After introducing a PVA bag of corn and pellet, he was into a fish.

A bream of a couple of pounds was soon in his net which I believe will cost his mate – a fair weather angler who stayed at home – a pint because he reckoned Noel wouldn’t catch.

Some decent pike have been reported from our stretches on the Mersey where Bernard Anderson, from Warrington Tackle & Guns, enjoyed some good sport catching nine fish over two days.

All fish fell to dead bait, with a picture showing the biggest was a cracking specimen weighing in at 19-2-0.

Last week our stocking at Offa’s Dyke Fisheries went well, with 40 mixed mirrors and commons averaging 8lbs plus the same number of a similar mix around the 3lbs mark.

On the same day at Sandiway Lakes, four commons and as many mirrors - with the biggest a common at 20-4-0 - were shared between the two.

Our netting the following day saw Offa’s Dyke benefit by more than 800 (almost 1,000lbs) of roach and rudd, plus more than 100lbs of skimmers and hybrids.

Jimmy Gannon needed only 1-8-0, made up of four roach caught on groundbait feeder, to win our Saturday River Mersey match.

Second-placed Alan Morris picked up money in the runners-up spot with a meagre 8ozs.

The next day’s match saw a slight slight improvement with Derek Bibby adding to the cash he picked up the previous day.

He was followed by match organiser Ray Boden with 1-14-0.

If you thought the Mersey was bad, the Bridgewater Canal was dire as Bud Lea won with only 1-4-9.

Alan Brown, on the next peg, cruelly missed out on winning by an ounce.

E-mail catch reports to frank@warrington-anglers.org.uk, or call me on 01928 716238.

Headquarters at 52 Parker Street are open for two hours every Friday from 7pm for subscriptions, new memberships, night permits and queries.

n Results: Saturday Mersey Sweepstake: 1, Jimmy Gannon 1-8-0; 2, Alan Morris 8-0; 3, Derek Bibby 4-0.

Sunday Mersey Series: 1, Derek Bibby 2-13-0; 2, Ray Boden 1-14-0; 3, Jimmy Gannon 1-6-0.

Disabled and over 60s: 1, Jimmy Byrne 3-14-4; 2, George Barber 2-13-2; 3, Lenny Dutton 2-8-12; 4, Stu Pattinson 2-1-0.

n Forthcoming events: Saturday, Mersey Saturday Sweepstake: draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk.

Sunday, Mersey Sunday Series: draw 9am through iron gates at Mersey Walk.

Monday, disabled and over 60s: draw 10am at Walton Church. Contact John Dagnall on 630765.