Lower Irwell Silvers & A Lump !!!! Stick Float Fishing

A long over due trip on the 

Lower River Irwell
 to test out my new stepped stick floats

was tonight's mission.
Many in our club would like to know where all the silvers and small barbel have gone ?
So tonight was a scouting session to try and find them
!!!!!!!!!!

I opted for my Abu 704 closed faced reel tonight as the wind was a little gusty

coupled with my 14 foot Acolyte Plus.

Bait was two pints of white maggots, a pint of hemp.

Two stepped stick float rigs were knocked up at home and stored on line winders.

All was ready for my little experimental session.
😁

It took around 30 minutes or my first bite and fish, a lovely chunky dace of around 5 ounces.

 I shallowed my rig a little and placed a No 4s back shot on about 15 centimetres from the float to aid my presentation and got and instant response, small but very welcome.

😁

Felling a little more confident I steadily upped my feed of hemp and maggots hoping to attracted the larger fish. 

Increasing the feed seemed to work as the bites came more freely and the dace and small chub got a little larger.

I was very happy with the new sticks to, although, the green one was a little heavy for my chosen run.

I think the slim blue one would have been a better option.

😁

( One of only 3 trout caught )

I was feeling very pleased with myself as the new information would be well received by Dudds, Phil

&

Casterman

😉

 " I could do with a stamp fish to finish off the session " 

I thought !!!!!!!!!

So a quick change to a 14s Korum specialist and quadruple maggot was in order.

The light was fading now as the time was around 20.30.

Five trots on the big bait and nothing to show for it.....

arrrhh well...

Its been a good session, 

I can not grumble.

 I will just have one last cast !!!!!

(Famous last words)

Right at the end of the run, 

in the fading summer light 

my hand turned stepped stick float 

plummeted under !!!!!!

I struck instantly, the Acolyte hooped over immediately encountering considerable resistance !!!!!

I thought I had hooked a snag of some kind as there was not much movement !!!!!!!

I reeled in three turns then lent into it a little to see if it was a snag or a fish !!!!!

It was then the fish seemed to wake up and bolted down stream with tremendous power, 

it stayed deep to !!!!!

It felt like a barbel !!!!!

😯😯😯😯😯

I legged it about 20 yards down stream to keep some line on my reel in case it went again, luckily

I stopped the run and started gaining line .

" No tail walking or leaping.........

It cant be a trout !!!!!

Too much power for a chub !!!!!!

Could I have cracked it !!!!

Could it be an Irwell Barbel????

My mined was racing.....

I have only ever caught one Irwell barbel in my life, that was in 2013,

 6 years ago !!! 

She was in front of me now , 

still deep with powerful lunges both up and down stream.

Another few minutes passed. I sill couldn't get her head up !!!

I hit her with some more pressure,

 she broke the surface this time and rolled in front of me but the light was bad and I couldn't tell what species she was ........

I was getting impatient now !!!!!!

I still didn't know what I had hooked !!!!!, 

She broke the surface once more and rolled again but this time she'd had enough and was safely in the net

I have never been more disappointed in catching a beautiful wild brown trout in my life

!!!!!!!!!!

She fought nothing like her species usually do.

I could have sworn it was a barbel

!!!!!!

😞

The power of large, wild, brown trout really is quite something on light float tackle.

I rested her in my landing net and got the rest of the fish out for a quick picture.

Not a bad net for a short session on the 

Lower Irwell. 

"You have got to be in it to win it"

The old saying goes so get on the river,

you just might make a catch of a life time

!!!!!!!!

PS : Chris, nice to meet you tonight pal.

😁

TTFN

  Peanut. 

 If you would like to look at my handcrafted  click on the link below.     https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2017/01/handcrafted-floats-and-fishing.html?m=1   

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