Irwell Stick - Chub On The Yarrow

January 29, 2022

Hi all,

I got out last week will an old fishing mate John Derbyshire.

We havent been out together for ages due to covid and family commitments but managed a few, cold hours on the low and clear River Yarrow last week.

John kindly offered to take me to a new stretch of the Yarrow. I always like trying out new places, especially small rivers.

As soon as I looked at the the river I new we were in for a tough session. As I said it was very low and very clear but John assured me we would do well as we tackled up at the car......thats when the banter began in ernest....there is never a dull moment fishing with john....if there is a short silence between us it will soon be followed by a verbal deconstuction of my set up and my gear..........even my cloths !!!!!! lmao

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

We were both using

"Irwell Sticks"

John was using the older more visable version and I was using the newer, stepped version both taking around

8 No 4s.

We both started on the double peg which John said was a nailed on certainty to catch from...................

30 minuets later we where biteless and fishless......

John was scratching his head,trying to understand why the fishing was so poor...." I'm not using you as a guilly ever again" I laughed.

Un-characteristicly John was quiet, shook his head, put his head down and muttered, just loud enough so I could hear....

"It's that blood Cootes curse" giggling a little as he did so.

I shoved him across the grass laughing imitating John.

"Come to the Yarrow its great Mike its solid with fish" !!!!!!

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Laughing John said " I will show you the rest of the stretch"......and the banter commenced!!!!!

Quiet a few more runs were tried as we leap froged up the stretch without so much as a nibble.

We were both feeling a little bit defeated as I dropped into a very good looking run..... but the trouble is the whole stretch looked great !!!!!

I introduced some bait, sat down and had a sandwich. Once I finished the non- discriped Tescos butty I was fishing once more. My aim was to hold back the float before the willow roots and let the bait drop, then let it drag on the bottom for the last few feet then hold it back once more to make the bait flick up off the bottom at the end of the trot.....nothing else was working so I gave it a shot.

At the end of the trot right in the willow roots the float slammed under, acolyte doubled over and I was into a Yarrow chub.

The fight was a classic chub battle. I just had to hit and hold due to the gnareld willow roots. She headed striaght for snags, which were plentyfull and a real problem on this stretch if the river.

I had the proper kit on 5lb main, 4lb hook length so I new I would be ok unless it was a creature !!!!

I gave John a shout who promptly came over to have a look at the 2.5-3lb chub I had just tempted from a very clear Yarrow.