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

Pole Rig Spring Clean - An Intimate Reunion - Unsworth Anglers. Had a few days holiday to take before the end of April so I thought I would have a drop on my new / old club waters Unsworth Anglers. I had been a member of this club for over 20 years back in the day and it has just been re- stocked with f1's and tench on one of the ponds. I hand a 2.5 hour window to fish so I opted to fish the tiny pond called Carvansons, named after the fragrance factory it sits behind. (Funny, in my capacity as an Aerosol Development Technologist I recieve samples from this company on a regular basis - small world ay )  This was a favourate destination when I was a wee niper. Salford Pete would announce that we would be going fishing in the morning - usually a Sunday - and I would litrally be awake all night with excitment. A good day in those days was 5 fish a piece, usually perch roach and gudgeon in that order. If you were lucky and I mean really luck you would catch a Crucian Carp...

12.03.15 River Irwell Barbel On The Centerpin & My Own Floats. Today was the last day of my river fishing season. I was planning on going to the river Tame but I got up late and the Traffic was really bad so I headed  off  to the Irwell to christen my Okuma Aventa VT 1002 Centerpin Reel.  instead. My first peg looked good but unfortunately no bites were forth coming and after two hours I called it a day. It was interesting though because Mick Doddy - an LBA member - came down for a while to get some idea of how to use a centerpin. Why he chose to watched me on the pin I will never know as I am shite.......pmsl. I gave Mick a stick float as he’s is going to supply me with some elder pith for float making. He also gave me some new lures to try.....Cheers Mick. My first swim drew a blank. I was off to a new peg when Mick left further upstream. My new peg was a shallow fast run, ideal for the Irwell sticks. On my fourth trot down" Boooooo...

22.02.15 Peanut & The Casterman Handcrafted Stick Floats Vs Shop Bought. I didn't know where to go fishing this morning, first it was the River Croal then I decided on the River Tame. Just as I was about to leave home for the Tame I got a call from The Castsrman. " Where are you off to Peanut " he states in a broad bury accent. I told him I wasn't sure and what were his thoughts on the matter . "Any where will be as bad as the next Peanut. We have had some snow on the hills last night so any extra water coming down will be freezing cold, but at least there is some colour in her, that's one saving grace " he replies. We decided on a secret stretch that we fish rarely, you can fit three people on this run so there was more than enough room. Rigged up and ready to rock and roll........ A great time saver on the bank is to rig up your stick floats  ""Pole Float Style" I arrived first and had pick of the pe...

20.02.15 Another Stick Float Test By The Casterman. Friday I finised work earlier than normal when on my way home I received a call from my pal to see if I fancied coming to watch him throw one of my new stick floats around the River Irwell .....  lol so ........straight from work I walked along the peg to where the Casterman was fishing. He didn't hear me approach and I keept quiet as I noticed a healthy bend in his rod. The line was singing as the fish put even more pressure on the line and his trusty Daiwa 125M. One of my floats which I had giffted to C.M. was also dacing and bobbing around as the fish kited and board further down stream." I'm good luck for you I am " I said as he pumped the fish slowly upstream  " Your right there Peanut " came the reply. " I've been here for over an hour and I've had nowt up until this fish As I got in position to take some action shots the Casterman realises the fish is foul hooked in the tail.  ...

18.02.15 S.F.A. Meeting.  Float making Demonstration. It was with some trepidation when I clocked out of work on Wednesday 18th February 2015 that was the night of my float making demonstration for Salford Friendly Anglers. Michael Duddy - our club chairman - can be  very persuasive at times, two weeks ago for example when I receive a PM from Mr Duddy stating :  " I have put you down for a float making demo on the 18th of Feb....ok pal "  omg........lol Now, as you all know I only started making my own floats at Christmas and an expert I most certainly am not,  especially lecturing to the very people I have admired over the last couple of years such as Michael himself AKA " Manchester Fishing Fiend " David Parr AKA " The Meddy Man "  & Adam Mack AKA " Manchester Percheur "  not to mention " The Casterman " & " Bald Eagle " so , we can safely say.......I was a s...