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

Hi all,  I have been meaning to get on the banks with Craig Lutner for ages so when he asked for a specific loaded stick float for the shallow runs on the middle River Ribble I seized the oppotunity. The trip resutled in me popping my River Ribble Grayling cherry, four in fact. Craig had a lovely brace of chub one after the other plus multiple dace. Im happy with the floats performance so I will be getting some more turned today. Link to float blog below: https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2022/09/loaded-shallow-water-stick-floats-with.html No barbel this time .....but gives us an excuse to get out together once again. ☺ Can anyone ID this fish for me please? I have not fished the Ribble for while but I will be on the Lower Ribble this winter for silvers. Tight lines everyone. TTFN   Peanut.  Please subscribe if you would like regular updates of my adventures with the floats I make.  If you would like to look at my handcrafted floats click on the link below.  ...

Hi all. After sorting out  my fishing gear after a two month lay off it was time to christen my new ...... B.J. Centerpin Real. I fancied a grayling and chub session using my Acolyte Plus for the christening but as I arrived at the tackle shop........ HORROR struck..... it was Closed !!!!! " Well, thats that " I thought. I drove home sulking as the earliest I could get bait was 10.00am Sunday morning. I gave  " The Casterman " a bell to see where he was off to on Sunday and inform him of my situation !!!!! " Don't worry Mike. I have enough maggots for the both of us ". With that problem solved we discussed where we were going to fish. I wasn't to bothered so Casterman chose the Ribble as he was after big roach as per usual !!!!!! When we arrived it was hammered !!!!!! We managed to find two un-fancied areas.....not real pegs.....just nice looking glides. I quickly realised that I didn't have a float in my bag for the job as it was a very deep g...

I have been struggling to get on the river I want to lately due to the rain but a conversation with Andrew Boyne got my batteries charged and my mojo firing !!!!! The Ribble was at least 2 metres up at 12.00 pm last night so this was going to be a proper gamble !!!!!! The alarm went off at 5.30 and a quick check on the river level revealed that is was dropping fast !!!!!! " This could pay off "  I thought. I headed off down the M61 to meet Boynie. He was waiting for me at the some noted pegs. " She dropping fast but still high Mike" came the enthusiastic deep mumble from Mr Boyne as he scanned the rivers features. We both pondered the runs in front of us for a moment. " These are not for me today Mr Boyne " said I. " I am going further upstream "  Boynie fancied a further walk so we left the well know fliers and headed to the pegs we thought more suitable. Boynie was the first into a fish, a good dace, then another an...

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 ...

A long awaited session on the River Ribble finally came off this week. I had arrange to meet Pete Bell A.K.A  " Ribble Pete " A great float angler who knows the lower river like the back of his hand. I arrived at the river at 07.30 . . . . around an hour after sun up. " Ribble Pete "  was there since 06.00 with his usual set up. . .  Tip rod upstream and his stick rod in front. As I arrived Pete was netting a lovely roach of around 10 ounces. " Arite Miiiiike. Long time no see " Came the friendly reply in a broad Bolton accent from beneath the olive green umbrella. " Glad you made it Mike......they are really having it this morning surprising really as the river is well up but if it rise more than another six inches on top of what it is now it will kill the fishing so don't mess about and get fishing next to me. Having received my instructions from the  Ribble float master . . . . . . .  I jumped on the peg upstr...

I was not going to blog about this until I saw Andrews picture of the floats I had made for him. I really like the picture he took below so I wrote a quick blog of our meet for you all to read. I hope u like it. 😊 ___________________ Today I had a morning out to visit Andew Boyne  ( Of Boynes Custom Rods ) maker of . . " The Creature Reacher " I had made him a few floats for the Ribble. I had a window so drove the 10 mile trip to his house to drop them off as he had been to mine on many occasions while building the . . . .  " Creature Reacher " He was waiting at the door while I struggled with my float boxes up the garden path. The kettle was on quick sticks and I opened up my box of surprises. I pulled out a small bag and showed Andrew what I had made for him. I wont tell you all exactly what I gave him but I will show you all his complete collection of my floats which is only three quarters finished. Andrew himself took a l...