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Showing posts with the label mike cootes

Roach Avons With Alloy Stems

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 Hi all, I have been working on some new "Roach Avons With Alloy Stems"  for a few weeks now and finally finished them last night. There are twelve floats in total, all taking appromimately 1.0 gm or 5 no 4s Made mainly for finicky feeding roach on slow to medium pace rivers at close range, up to two rod lengths out in the right conditions.  All these floats have balsa bodies, alloy stems and neutral densisty hardwood tips. I have mae a similar float previously. https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2019/09/stained-slimline-roach-avons.html I found the float in the attached link great but the tip was a little too long and fragile so altered the design slightly to make them more robust. Hunter Green, Earth Brown, Slate Grey and Crimson Red where the colours of choice for this group of floats. All were finished with fluorescent orange tips and black / gold thread. I will be trying them out in the next week or two, I am just wainting for the fish to settle once they get used to t

Hunting Wild Stream Roach with Adam Mack

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 Hi all, After a fishing free month for me (to much going on at home and work) I finally manage to get out this weekend with Adam Mack. We fished a new stretch of river to Adam and a totally new river for me. Both fishing Irwel Sticks (Adams standard & mine a loaded stick) our targets for the day where roach and chub. I have not seen Adam for ages so we had plenty of catching up to do. I love exploring new stretches of river and this session didn't dissapoint me. Fighting our way through ivy and dense nettle beds we found a lovely glide with a little more depth than the rest of the small stretch we had found. I stayed on the run introducing free offerings of liquidised bread and maggots while Adam nipped back to the car for the gear...... Fifteen minutes later Adam comes creeping along the bank like a heavily burdend ninja trying to keep as quiet as possible while carrying two lots of roving gear. 😆  "Any signs of fish Mike"  said Adam as we were both altering the de

New Glow In The Dark Double Ended Pike Pencil

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 Hi all, I haven't made any pike floats in a very long time. So was pleased when I was asked to create a new slider based on a float I set asided many years ago. The original float the slider is based on is a double ended, reversible pike pencil with brass eyes which I have just completed. The new pike slider float is a straight through float designed to be fished flat, at depth and made from balsa. These floats are also reversible so each colour give the user options in different light conditions. The slider floats are still under construction but I have just completed the original double ended, eyed pencil style float and is pictured below. Paints used are glow in the dark yellow and fluorescent pink plus a brass eye. Only black thread was used in the construction of this version. 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.      https://purp

New Shallow Water Stick Testing Session Plus An Irwell Grayling

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 Got a call this weekend from John Derbyshire asking to fish a certain stretch of the River Irwell. We arrived on the river at 09.00 I set up the new "Shallow Water Loaded Stick Float " and my Acolyte Plus.  ( New section aquired).  🙄 The run was only two and a half foot deep so ideal for these floats which are almost fully loaded. The Ginger Assassin was on the next peg up with a MK I Irwell stick. (You have that some years pal) so at least we could take the piss out of each other if we blanked.....lol The previous night I had been grayling hunting (pics below) on a stretch higher up river so I had a rig nearly ready. The liquidised bread went in first followed by some seed. Maggots  and seed would the be dripped in constantly with the odd ball of bread to top up the swim when it died a little. Basically I caught from start to finish. 09.00 - 14.00. Plenty long enough for me as I am not getting any younger. All caught on a centerpin and stick float set up. https://purplepea

Loaded Shallow Water Stick Floats - With Craig Lutener

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The floats below are for Craig Lutener, a mate of mine from Elton Tackle In Radcliffe. Two for him, three for me. He has asked me to make some Almost, Fully Loaded Shallow Water Stick Floats for fishing with partical baits/maggots, and casters. Not identical but slightly different in sizes and weights. We will be after two species with these floats, grayling and barbel. First will be grayling I think.....it will all depend on river levels and clarity but should happen in the next couple of weeks. 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.      https://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2021/02/handcrafted-floats-fishing-equipment.html?m=1     Join our club......Salford Friendly Anglers...........Its FREE   !!!!!!!  http://salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk/join/