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

LEDGERING FOR CHUB. A SMASH AND GRAB RAID BY BALD EAGLE. Bald Eagle phoned me today and said he was having an hour after work on an SFA stretch of the River Irwell. I didn't need telling twice so a quick call to Casterman so he could come down and meet my old mate for the first time. Thirty minutes later I finished off what I was doing - float fiddling -, jumped into the " Mighty Megan " and high tailed it off to Radcliffe to meet the Eagle. When I arrived I nearly missed Eagle he was the well camouflaged in his " Ripped to shreds " fishing suit. We said our hellows and settled down, sitting on Eagles coat to keep my arse dry. Eagle mentioned that the last time he fished this peg he had about 15 bites and no hook ups so he was after revenge. He reeled in and put some liquidezed bread in his feeder then russled in a bag and brought out the smelliest cheese paste I have ever smelt. " Jesus Eagle , what have you put in that"  I asked , grimac...

Bald Eagle - A Man On A Mission. I have not been fishing today as it is my first day back to work after the Christmas break but my old pal Bald Eagle has come out of his River Irwell retirement and has been at it again with old rubber lips !!!!!!!!! From left to right: Eagle, Peanut & The Rat.....lol. John Doran, Mike Cootes & Daz Morrison. Eagle is one of the laziest river anglers I know. He would rather sit behind a tip all day rather than skillfully guide a stick float through a run. It is not that he can't do it, it is more that he can't be arsed doing it ......lol. Even I have to admit, regarding Rivers he is probably the best tip angler I have ever fished with. That includes one very famous river angler that taught us both our trade back in the eighties. Myself, Eagle & Casterman usually fish the River Irwell around Whitefield, Prestwich & Bury simply because that is where we all live respectively. Lately we have been concentrati...

Salford Pete & The Casterman - A Dream Realised. Approximately thirty five years ago - 1976 ish - I caught the bus every other Saturday with my dad AKA  " Salford Pete "  to the old Victoria Bus Station off Chapel Street in the centre of Manchester. On our walk to the Arndale Centre I would always ask my dad to stop on Victoria Bridge, so I could dreamily look down at the solid, dark depths of the River Irwell and think" One day, one day I will catch fish from this river with my dad " I would then be dropped back down to earth with a bang by my dad as his answer was always the same.....  " It won't happen in my lifetime son ".  This answer always saddened me simply because I new my old man would love to catch fish from the River Irwell as he remembers what it was like in the 50's & 60's, a stinking cesspit !!!!!!! Victoria Bus Station.   Victoria Bridge. Manchester Town Center.   Little did I know tha...

Sarah - Sam & Mike - A Chance Meeting The Mrs was off to Bury today to get some bits and bobs as we were going out larging it. Which nowadays adds up to going out for a curry at the Lime Tree Indian Restaurant in Prestwich - Very nice to - ( There is your Plug Johnny. Free beers tonight ....... lol ) I usually work on Saturday but due to the Christmas holidays I was off and getting under Mrs Peanuts feet. " Why don't you bugger off for a walk " says Mrs Nut........Well you lot know me. Off for a walk was the peanut with my 10g dropshot rod, a telescopic landing net and my lure bag in the boot of my car..........lol. My setup.  Berkley 10g lure rod Rod. Shimano 1010 Reel & 6lb Maxima Line Plus A 15 lb Trace. I stopped at Elton tackle in Radcliffe - your plug to fellas ....lol - for some traces and spare lures then I high tailed it off to the local reservoir for a spot of lure fishing before "The one Who Must Be Obeyed " got home.....