River Irwell Silver Bars - A Smash & Grab Session with " The Casterman

Work has been getting me down lately so a chance call from Derek Kenyon was most welcome and saw us meeting up at some new pegs " The boys " . . . . 

Derek Casterman Kenyon & Dave Hovis  have cut out on the Middle Irwell which gave me the motivation I needed.

Arriving first I had the pick one of the pegs. I picked one that visually looked the best but after two or three trots down I realised that the run was a little shallow and moved up one to try it out. The new swim was much deeper and I was more comfortable with it. By this time a deep thoated

 “ Aye up lad “ 

echoes through the undergrowth and a head popped out of the foliage It was  . . . 

“ The Casterman “ 

He was buzzin as was I. 

We haven’t been out together for a VERY long time and very fitting it should be on the Irwell. We both new I had the best peg. Casterman was talking me through his last Irwell session when his phone sings into life . . . .. . It was Phil Clayton returning Dereks
call. 

( That reminds me Phil. We must get out for a fish when the time is right 😊)

Derek had a good chat to Phil while I sussed out the swim with a few bait less runs through. I found some depressions and some snags to !!!!!! All good info. 

Derek was still chunering away to Phil when my float bobbed , dipped, then shot under.......with a swift strike from left to right I felt some modest resistance.....

Derek was just about to finish his call to Phil so I shouted down the phone . . . . .

I’m in Phil , I’m in . . . . . .lol

I don’t know Phil’s response was because Derek finished the call and whispered “ Is it a roach lad, hope its a rooooach “ in a broad Bury accent. 😀😀😀😀

( If you did not know the Roach is Dereks favourite fish . . . . . Lol )

“ No pal “ I replied . . . . . . . .chublet I think “

Sure enough a little chublet of approximately 2 oz came bouncing up the current as I retrieved my catch. A lovely little silver bar wiggled in my hand. Good news for the future and nice to catch something other than trout and minnows  . . . . 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

“ Right lad. That’s enough watching , time for me to get fishing. I’m off to my peg Mike. Speak in a bit “ and within two seconds he was just a rustle in the undergrowth.

I could now start to get into some sort of rhythm. I had left my bait apron at home

 ( Bit of a nightmare for a stick angler )   

so I had to bend down to my bait box every chuck. Fith trot down and I was into another fish. A small roach of 2 oz. Things were looking up. Float dipped again and I had a good little battle on my hands. I could tell it wasn't a trout.........no head shaking. It was a very big roach or a good chub . . . . . .
It was a chub of about a pound . . . . . . .
Happy days 😉😉😉😉

Irk Stick On A Previous Session

After that I had about 15 trots down with a minnow every cast. What happened next is one of the most exciting things that happens when you trot a stick on the Irwell. . . . . . .
After catching a shed full of minnows My float buried, my Acolyte arch over and line started to fly off my Abu 704 and I was into a good fish, a trout I guessed. I could feel her ragging the line with her angry head shakes as I retrieved the 20 yards of line she had taken on the first run.
A few minutes later I saw her. . . . . . .
 a big old Wild Brown Trout. Derek could see the kerfuffle and shouted

 “ What have you got on there Peanut ? Looks a good one “

“ Brownie “ I replied.

“ Stop messing with it then and get it in then lad".

 “ I didn’t see him but I could feel him laughing at the playfull jibe.

“ I'm only on 2 lb line. I came here for a silver session you old goat “.

That comment was met by silence as Derek graciously let me get on with landing my fish without further mickey taking. 😂😂

Twice she nearly got into the bushes on my right hand side but i managed to keep her out and eventually landed her. She was a well built fish and fought WAY ABOVE HER WEIGHT. Before seeing her I would have guessed her weight at a 5 lb ish . . . . . .

She weight 3lb 3oz. I couldn’t believe it !!!!!!!!!
I have caught quit a few big Irwell trout and didn't expect to be this far out on my weight guess.
 Derek popped over for a look and smiled.

“ They scrap well above there weight in this stretch don't they Mike. I have had a few I could have sworn were heavier “.

" I would have put my mortgage on her being at least four and a half pounds Derek !!!!!! “

After some snaps I slipped her back and we both got back to fishing.

It was then I receive a phone call from

 “ Salford Pete “

“ Where are you ? I cant find you ?

I gave him directions and “ Casterman “ kindly offered to meet him on the path as Salford would never find it on his own. Ten minutes later the “ The White Wizard “ AKA “ Salford Pete “ bounced and rolled down to the base of my peg. No damage was done but his decent was rather in-gracious and we all had a chuckle at it. . . . LOL

My first peg.

Some time out was taken to show my dad the picture of my brownie. He was suitably impressed. I then had a few more trots catching “ Irwell Silver Bars “
when a bloke over the river started a conversation about fishing the Irwell with Derek. It was Lee. Derek had fished with him a few times and we all put our two pennith in about the river and where to fish.

What had turned out to be a short
“ Smash And Grab Silvers Session “
had turned into a mini social as well and was enjoyed by all. 

Derek said his goodbyes after that as he hadn’t had any tea. I had another half an hour before the light totaly faded. I was hoping for a big chub or even a barbel but, alas, no such luck.

 A few more pictures were taken by

 " The White Wizard "

for the blog then we packed up packed up, enjoyed the sunset and headed for home.

Until the next time . . . . .

TTFN . . . .

Peanut.

If you would like to look at all of the hand crafted floats I make please click on the link below and it will take you to my float page.

http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/hand-crafted-floats-float-making-by.html?m=1

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