Secret Cliff Peg - Chublets & An Irwell Dunking !!!!!!!!!!!

I had forgottento do this write up. . . . . .

I decided to have another quick hour on the same peg I caught that nice brown trout from  but, unfortunately, it didn't go according to plan. Two chublets and the rivers full population of minnows graced my net. After of arm aching minnow bashing session I packed up and moved to pastures new.........

I have been getting out a little more lately so I decided for a change. There is a little known run on the middle Irwell that I have never fished that was going to be crossed of the bucket list today . 😉

I had been warned about the rivers current here  because you have to wade accros it and the river also narrows up next to a sheer cliff face.
 I carefully inched over the bedrock to the other side of the river to gain access to the run only known by a few.
The journey to the run was not to bad, as I have said, I crossed the river in around two foot of water. It was not as bad as I was expecting it to be to be honest and I couldn't understand Castermans words of warning !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 On the other side, near the cliff face is a ledge about a foot wide, six inches under water which you can inch yourself along . . . . .

 IF you are careful !!!!!!!!!

With the dangerous part behind me I cautiously waded down stream still on the foot wide ledge heading to the run I have been told about.

I could see the large bush on the opposite bank, half submerged in the fast current indicating I was in the right spot. The bush is at the head of the run as it deflects the current out and down, away from the opposite bank to form a deeper channel in the river bed. This was not always the case though . . . . . . 

Last year Casterman fished it and reported that the flow was on my side of the river away from the bush at a 45 degree angle. Looks like mother nature has had a change of plan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a few exploratory trots down without bait on my hook to find any snags or depressions in the river bed. Once I had a mental map of the run I started to feed. I held off fishing for 20 minutes and just trickled in some maggots to give the fish some confidence after all of the commotion I made on my arrival.

I decided to fish double worm on a 12’s hook and a10 no 4s

" Irwell Stick Float "

 to see if there where any big fish feeding right from the off.

My first trot down proved to . . . . . . 

be biteless. . . . . .  . . 

On my second trot down my Irwell Stick only half cocked then float thundered under, taking me by surprise. I hit the bite a little late but connected into a nice little brownie with eyes bigger than its belly !!!!!!!!!!!

I missed three bites after that and came to the conclusion that the fish in front of me where on the smaller side. I changed my rig to a 16 s hook and a lighter hook length intending to flish single and double maggot.

First trot down on my revised rig and I connected with another brownie. Next trot I had a lovely little chublet about 3 oz, then another, then another.  This will be the fifth peg that small chublets have come out of this year, great news for the rivers future !!!!!!!!!!

A few more fish followed but nothing huge.

Over the last couple of years I have started to take in the moment a great deal more while fishing, making more of an effort to slow it all down and enjoy it for what it is.
As I was reminding myself of this promise a Kingfisher flew down the run no more than four feet away from me. A flash of cobalt and crimson and she was gone. I smiled to myself. . . . . . . 

“ This river has come a long way since my

 youth “

A few more chublets obliged and entered my keep net and all was good in the world !!!!!!

As the light started to fade I remembered I didn’t have the easiest journey back to the car !!!!!!!!!!!

Quickly I took some pictures of the days catch and packed up my kit. I then started the ledge walk next to the shear cliff face I talked about earlier.
 All was going well, even though it was getting dark now. I just had to cross the river, over the bedrock and I was home free. As I started to crossing the river It felt stronger that before and within 3 seconds I slipped on the bedrock and went straight in !!!!! 😲

There is no big story here but even after all these years fishing I can still get caught out in two feet of fast water !!!!!!!!!!

A little embarrassed, I franticly checked my phone was still in working order. It was . . . Lucky me !!!!!!!!!
Another quick look around to see if anyone had witness my aquatic tumble, which they hadn’t , thank God, I walked back to my car, dripping wet with more than my pride bruised. . . . .
😂😂😂😂😂

You did warm me Casterman and the current still got me . . . . . . . . Lol

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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