River Irwell Match - The SFA Lads Hit Town

July 21, 2015

River Irwell Bream......

Sunday was the Salford Friendly Anglers gathering on the River Irwell in Lower Broughton and I was really looking forward to it as it was my first session on the river this season due to work and family commitments.

We were meeting at 4.30 next to the river . I gave Casterman a buzz to see if he had set off about 4.00 ish “ I am already here lad “ came the reply in a deep Lancastrian accent……..My car was already loaded and with a quick good by to

“ Salford Pete “

I was on my way to a bit of river I have been meaning to fish for years.

As I pulled up there were already 3 or 4 cars parked up………but where was Casterman ???????????

A quick phone call was made to assertain his location ……….. typical………….he was out rekeying the pegs to let other people know which pegs where worth fishing.

I meet a few people I have talked to on face book but never met in person, Craig was there to , so we had a quick wonder upstream to give me a quick visual of the suggested length.

The colour of the river was pretty dammed good …..but the weed……..there was shed loads of weed coming down …..it must have been dislodged by the rain the night before……..it would play havoc with our fishing, especially for the lads who wanted to fish the tip. We all had a quick discussion and a good giggle about the condition of the river and it being “ Typical” of an SFA organised fish in…but the decision was unanimous……we would give it a go. We did not draw for pegs, but, instead treated it as a kind of rover and mooched about, picked a peg and got fish in. I had just set up when all the local SFA lads came down for chat, Andy Gorum, Michael Edwards, Simon Davis just to mention a few. We had a quick chat about the weed coming down and that if we would have come yesterday we would have bagged up but it was the general consensus by the local lads that we were in for a trying evening of fishing.

They gave me a few pointers of which I was very grateful said their goodbyes and mooched off downstream to visit the rest of the boys. Right I said to my self

“ Time to get your head down Peanut and catch a few”

After the first bite less hour I was beginning to question the decision to fish the peg I had chosen. Time, after time, after time I reeled in about 2 lbs of River Irwell Silk Weed……………I was seriously thinking of moving when I thought I would try a lobworm trotted down on one of my retro Sticks…..just to save the blank really.

First trot down and……..

WHOLLOP !!!!!!!!!!!

My rod arched over and I was into a fish…….It didn’t go bananas like the middle Irwell fish usually do but played the long game and kept low for a considerable amount of time, so much so I was considering it may possibly be a barbel …..
“ The Fish That May Not Be Named “ …….lol…….
but it wasn’t………a descent trout arose from the murky depths and I scooped the bugger up quick sticks.

With the blank well and truly exorcized I could relax a bit into my fishing. I dispensed with the worms.....mainly because I had none left....Then next trott down my stick sailed awayand my strike was met witth solid resistance, I just couldn't move it. After about five mins I got it infront of me in my peg.....It was a bream and a big one to. As she broke the surface a huge clump of weed wrapped around my float !!!!!! I nearly lost the fish there and then. I managed to stear her into the slack water on the inside of my peg and started to clamber over the boulders to net her. Luckly for me Andy Richardson was on his way over to see what all the fuss was about....

" Do us a favour Andy and net this big bugger for me mate " I shouted

I threw my landing net to Andy .....nearly hitting him ( Sorry Pal ) and he skipped over the boulders like a moutain goat when he saw the size of the bream I was into. He netted her as my hook length gave way, lucky me......without further a do he left me to un -hook her and carry on with the match....

River Irwell bream.....6lb 11 oz......

Did I mention I caught the bream on one of my Hand Crafted Retro Stick floats......LOL

This is the inserted Stick Float I tried first - mainly for silvers. Nowt doing but the float performed great.

These are the little beauties that did the damage.

My Retro Stick Floats......

A good all round river float.

Un-fortuately that was the end if the action for me. Salford Pete came down to see me at the end of the match and brought my mum down to...".Normskie " ....lol. They are both originally from Broughton so they had a good mooch around their old stomping ground.

Greg and Casterman showed up for the weigh in and my bream was 6lb 11 oz probably the biggest bream I have ever had.

Casterman Had had a good bream and lost one but Dave won the match with three big bream for 18 lb 4oz.