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

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

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 c

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.  (

A planed trip with John Derbyshire to the Rivers Douglas & Yarrow did not happen due to “ John The Pussy Derbyshire “ Having been bitten by a fly while working on his landscaping business. John was quoting for a job in Middleton first thing in the morning and as soon as he fished he asked if I fancied a few hours on the River Irwell. “ Anything is better than nothing “ I thought...... Within 30 minutes we where at a local stretch of mine. I put John on a peg I new fished well last week and I headed further upstream hoping for some big chub. The river was very low and clear, so low I could wade out to the run I wanted to fish. Maggots and hemp were the baits plus a small amount of ground bait to tempt any small silver fish, if present. A 4 no8's “ Irk Stick “ was my float of choice.  These are great for trotting under the rod tip fishing with a pin on the drop. I had a few exploritoritory trots down without bait on my hook to get a feel for the run. I was

I have managed ( eventually ) to put on the blog the video of the only River Irwell barbel I have caught from march 2015. I was playing the fish fine until realised what I had hooked then I fell to pieces with nerves.....lol The fish was caught from a private stretch of the Irwell run by  Little Britain Anglers Just thought we would warn viewers there is some colourfull language as we was a tad excited........😆 Below us a link to Little Britain Anglers Wbsite http://littlebritainanglers.co.uk/ Below is the link to the day I caught an Irwell Ghost !!!!!! http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/river-irwell-barbel-another-dream.html?m=1 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 TTFN Peanut

BLACK OPS MISSON - CHUB ON THE STICK. I had a three hour window on Sunday morning to extract an Irwell chub. Got to a " Deep Cover " out of the way peg that I have only seen in the winter. Casterman & myself trimmed the branches on the opposite side so you could trot under them. When I got there it was like the Amazon.........Hogweed, nettles and brambles were the enemy ....I had to fight my way through  100 meters of this shite being extremely careful not to get stung off the Hogweed. For those of you who do not know about Giant Hogweed it is an invasive species that grows all along the river Irwell making some sections of the river almost impossible to fish in the summer time. When stung by this plant it can produce huge blisters that can re-occur for seven years, is light sensitive so it comes back when the sun shines upon the infected area …….as I said…..NASTY STUFF INDEED………I could go on but I will leave it for know as this is a topic on its own. I