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

I have been lucky enough to meet many talented people over the last two years. A chap called “ Andrew Boyne “ was one of these such people. Andrew is a talented angler and has a 15lb plus River Ribble barbel to his name. Not to mention the River Irwell brown trout record with a 10 lb plus fish. Andrew and I did a little testing on the Ribble one day when I noticed one of Andrew lovely tip rods. “ Where did you get that rod “ I asked? “ I built it myself Mike, here, have a proper look “. I did just that and it was looòovely. I have made a few rods in the past but nothing like this. “ Do you like it Mike ?  I’ll make you one if you like " !!!!!!!! I nearly fell off my chair !!!!!!!!!!! Are you serious !!!!!!!!!!!!! " Deadly "  came Andews forthright reply. Over the next few weeks we had numerous conversation regarding my style of fishing, venues I fish and my requirements for the new rod build At first I decided on a shorter

For the last few months I have been trying to get John Derbyshire to join Little Britain Anglers. Two weeks ago I showed him and his pal Paul Johnson around our little club. Both were impressed with the set up and promised to join in a couple of weeks time. Today was that day. . . . . I arrived at 08.15 having already organised our session with Eric Owen & Mick Doddman. The lads weren’t their when I arrived so I took the decision to fish an un-favoured peg. “ The Sunken Tree Peg “  (The one I caught my first  Irwell chub on in fact) Leaving the fliers for the newbies. 😉 I decided after a quick try to put my favoured Irwell sticks back in my bag and took out a loafer as the pace of this peg is fierce to say the least as the run is spawned from some shallow rapids bellow the willow peg. It is a very difficult peg to fish on the float. The river cuts into the near side where there is a submerged tree. This peg screams big fish but only fish to about 3 lb

Well . .  . Its here again. . . Boys and girls . . . . .  The opening day of the river season has arrived. I had decided on visiting my local club stretch “ Little Britain Anglers “ on the River Irwell in Radcliffe to see if I could winkle out a barbel or a chub. I quickly loaded myself up with my trotting kit and ambled over to peg one on my club stretch. There was an umbrella already stationed there and with a quick shout of  “ Hello “ A well know voice answered back “ Alright Cootesie. How you doing “ This is a sight as rare as a River Irwell barbel . . . . It was the Little Britain Anglers Chairman . . . Eric Owen . . . To see Eric here is not unusual at all . . . . . But . . . . To see him fishing was a rare sight indeed. . . . Lol. He was also after an Irwell Unicorn. . .  . Without any luck so far. A few tentative plucks but no proper bites. We had a quick chat and decided I should try “ Barbel Bend “ the place of my only river Irwell barbel capt

The Last Day Of The Season  - 2016 Well, it’s come full circle again and it is the last day of the river season. I was at Salford Pets for 7.30 to make a few floats. One pike pencil for Kaden McCarthy who is a 14 year old prodigy, a member of Salford Friendly Anglers and is showing the adults how the catch pike in the Mancunian canals and a pair of Perch Bobbers for a competition in one of the groups I am a member of. By the time the floats were ready for lacquering it was 10.30. I had yet to sort out my river kit. It was a right mess from my last blank on the Douglas. (Something terrible has happened to that lovely little river) By 11.30 I was in the “ Mighty Megan “and off to a quite stretch of the Irwell, hopefully to bag a few chub…….may be even a barbel. Here’s hopping …. lol I wanted to christen my new Avon float which I had rigged up the night before. Knowing the run I introduced some freebies as I tackle up. The river looked spot on with a ting