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

 Morning all, I have managed to finish these wagglers this morning. The lollipop style float is mine for a local lake I fish for tench and mixed species, the other eight floats are for someone else. Once more balsa and hardwood make up the body of the floats. Eyes have been excluded from this build as rubber float connectors will be used. Stained, painted in slate grey with black and gold whippings these floats are now my go to still water float when fishing depths of less than six feet, a very sensitive float, great when maggot, caster or punch fishing. My self and "Salford Pete" should be having a social session on a local commie next week so I should get a few fish and float pictures fir a blog. 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  

Well . . . Today myself and " The Casterman " hit the river together for a long overdue roach session on the waggler which is l method we both have a lot to learn !!!!! ( An old pic. ) I had a slightly new waggler model I wanted to try and Casterman was itching for a good bag of roach.  ( his favourite fish ) We arrived at the river at 7.30. The first thing I did was mix the ground bait, bread crumb, PV1, corn, hemp and a little sprinkling of something special and we were ready to rock and roll. We had four orange sized balls of ground bait each to start with . All these went in about four rod lengths out. I had a 3AAA waggler to try initially. Most of the shot around the base of the float then 3 no 6's three quarters of the way down, then 2 no6's, 2 no 8's and one no 8, followed by the hook which was a size 18s Matrix silver fish Pole hook. These hooks are brilliant for small fish. ( Inserted Feather Inlay Waggler ) I fou

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