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

 Hi all, I had a short session to test some Mini-Alloy Stem Avons out this morning and ... BOY.......AM I GLAD I DID !!!!!! I hoped down to the SFAs stretch of the Irwell to hopfully grab some grayling pictures with my new trotters. It was a smash and grab raid as I was taking out  T.O.W.M.B.O. (THE ONE WHO MUST BE OBAYED) out for an early Valentines Dinner. (So Im frantically witting this blog as Dudds has put me under some considerable pressure to get it to you tonight) 😆 I got up late to throw a spanner in the works as well. I managed a few coats of paint on some other floats I am currently making then it was off to the river. I had a few grayling within the first ten minutes so my pictures were in the bag early doors. 😁 I checked my pictures and concluded they where what I was after and therefore could now relax for the next hour, enjoying the peace of being out in the fresh air as the new avon meandered along then bobed under  "Hmm another lady I thought"...... the...

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 fis...

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...

The Summer Solstice Thursday 21st June, the hottest day ever recorded in Great Britain, 38°C and I had chosen this day to meet up with the ..... “ Casterman and seriously try for a big River Irwell Bream on . . . .” “ The Creature Reacher “ I wasn't that confidant let me tell you !!!!!!!!!!! We had arranged to meet at the pegs as Casterman  finished work earlier than I. He was bringing one of his pals along, “ Pete The Fireman “ who had never fished the Lower Irwell before and was also looking forward, hopefully, to a nice, big, lump. The two friends where already fishing when I rocked up. “ How do Derek, you had out yet pal “ “ Noooor maaate. I haven't been in long Mike “ came the deep Lancastrian reply. I was set up and fishing within fifteen minutes. Creature Reacher, pin & a heavy, alloy stemed, inserted stick float were the tools for my first plan of attack. Four small balls of feed and a constant trickle of hemp. I have 6lb Drennan Floa...

Both myself and my dad ( Aka Salford Pet ) have both been  " Star Wars " fans for many years now. Ever since watching   " The Empire Strikes Back " ( The best one of the lot in my opinion ) on holiday in Cornwall in 1980 we have been avid fans and watched all the films. One morning, while we were setting up my new lathe  we were talking about the first three films and how they compare to the latter ones when my old man pipes up . . . . . . . Hay Son . . . . . Here's a challenge for you, try and make a float with a  " Star Wars theme " We both laughed and carried on with the work shop tidy up but an idea had started brewing. 😈. Later while float fiddling I said to my dad . . . .  " Were you serious about the Star Wars theme before because I have and idea  😊😊😊😊😊😊. " I was kidding but if you have an idea go with the flow and lets see what you can come up with " said my dad...