Purplepeanut007 PP007 FLOAT MAKING & FISHING ADVENTURES - THE RIVER IRWELL AND BEYOND.

Another upgrade to my shallow fast water trotters. The Shouldered Irwell Sticks are wider for more turbulent water than the MKIIs, have a bigger body and have a large step in them to stop any movement of the rubbers. This pair have been finished in a favourite metallic blue paint that I like with a feather plus red, gold, blue and black threads. This float really is my cup if tea and I am gagging to use a few !!!!!! Just have to wait until the 16th..... DAM IT !!!!! LOL.. 🤣 I can see me making a few of these for the coming season not to mention the Bridgenorth trip with my dad. 😁 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        Join our club......Its FREE  !!!!!!!     http://salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk/join/ ...

After two of my mates cried off this weekend ( Shame on you.....lol )  🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I didn't have a plan of where to go !!!!! I have been struggling to get motivated to fish for quite some time now but I had to go and test out my new stick float so I chose to go local hope for the chub or the newly stocked silvers to show. The wind was up but I chose to use my Trudex pin coupled with an Acolyte Plus. I fancied fishing over depth slowing the bait right down using a large domed stick and the pin is great for this method. The first choice of swim I chose was a bad one. The swim had changed quite a lot since the last time I fished it. It had a lot of depth but with changing currents steams and an eddy on the far side.....very difficult to get in a rhythm and keep your bait in one run. I did manage one trout........but this was the only bite I had in 45 minutes so I packed up and off to the next peg. This run was also very slow...... two bites..... two trout...

I have been playing with the lathe again. 😁 Below are a prial of  " Irwell Sticks " With feather inlays.   I have quite a few of these at various stages of completion  and have some in my float tube for when I eventually get back on the river. 😁  These floats are best suited for fishing shallow runs for chub, grayling etc. Casterman  aka " Derek Kenyon " has been on the phone reminding me we are long overdue a river session together. He has already got one of these so hopefully we will have some fish and float pictures before christmas. TTFN Peanut. If you would like to look at my handcrafted floats just hit the link. http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/handcrafted-floats-2017.html?m=1 Join our club......Its FREE !!!!!!! http://salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk/join/

I kicked of my river season yesterday on the Ribble trying out a new waggler plus a few sticks floats. Traffic was good for a change as I made way up the M61. I couldn't wait to see the river again. . . that wait seamed like years.... !!!!!! When I arrived the river was one her bones !!!!! I had never seen the Ribble this low before !!!!!! Most of the pegs were unfishable for me with the floats I wanted to use.  There was either no flow or too much pace. I opted for a gravel run at the end of a deep,  virtually still pool.  There was more pace on my peg as it shallowed up to about three feet . . . at least it would move the sticks along. As I was running a new stick float through the swim there was a massive CRASH !!!!!!!  I nearly jumped out of my waders !!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯 A fish had leaped clean out of the water and crashed back into the deeper part of the pool to my left. I got a clean visual of it as crashed down the second time. It was ...

I have just completed a new  " Balsa, Domed Stick Float With An Alloy Stem " I have given this particular float a day glow red/ pink tip and a white contrast band plus black, scarlet and violet whippings. The dome is twice the width of a standard  " Retro Stick Float "  to enable use with bigger baits or for trotting at distance. Great if your eyes are not the best . . . . . . . .   like mine !!!!!!! This is a prototype and takes 7 no 4s to cock it. I am very happy with the way it looks so I have left the float featherless for a change as I feel it would detract, not enhance the floats appeal. I am sure Andrew will let me know how it performs. In the meantime I think I will make a few more of these for when we hit the  River Ribble  on opening day of the season if all goes to plan. . . . . Lol I have also personalised the float with the nick name of his new born daughter. Until the next time. . . . . ...

With a LOT of encouragement from Casterman aka Derek Kenyon I sorted out my kit for a chubbing session on the Irwell. I have lost my mojo a bit lately what with losing My Acolyte...........then having it returned by Andy Hart.....  ( Incredible I know ) eventually sorting out a session on the Ribble with Andrew Boyne, watching him pull out a double figure barbel while I toiled for four hours on the stick for one  dace !!!!!!! I had a slightly different Irwell stick to try out. It is wider, therefore, more visible than the previous ones and taking little more shot. ( 12 no 4's) I spent a fruitless two hours on a couple of secret runs Casterman always does very well on. I nearly went home there and then as I wasn't feeling it today and was just going through the motions really. " Come on Cootesie, make an effort " I mumbled to myself. I still had a few hours left so I swiftly..... BUT CAREFULLY packed my kit away..... ALL OFF IT .....before...