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

The first  " Irwell Stick MK2's " Were tiny taking 2 & 3 no4's This pair are more of a standard size taking 8 and 6 no4's respectively.  I use this size for most of my shallow water trotting on the Irwell and other northern  spate rivers. With fluorescent orange and red/pink tips, black, Jade, violet and gold whippings this pair of trotters will be perfect for maggot, casters and bread fishing in the shallows this winter. I have another one in red/pink for a good friend of mine Derek Kenyon AKA " Casterman " taking 5 no 4's as requested mate. 😉 All my stick floats are getting a make over this winter do stay tuned for new colours and patterns. TTFN Peanut. If you would like to look at my handcrafted floats just hit the link. http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/handcrafted-floats-2017.html?m=1 Join our club......Its FREE !!!!!!!

 A lot of my friends like fishing for roach and dace on maggots and casters in the winter months on the River Ribble. With that in mind I have made a shouldered stick float just for this purpose.

After my recent grayling session with  Adam Mack we sat down at the car and had a chat. http://purplepeanut007.blogspot.com/2018/09/chasing-ladies-with-adam-mack_2.html?m=1 The subject revolved around the shop bought, shouldered, 2 no4's stick floats we were both using. Adam liked them. I didn't. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought the fine tip needed removing for the fast runs we were fishing as they where of little use. I decided to make some miniature " Irwell Stick Floats " ( Larger versions to follow )  to try out the next time we go together. The two below are hand turned from balsa with an aluminium stem taking two and three no4's respectively. These also have quite a steep tapper to reduce weight capacity and give a wide visible tip. I have some larger ones under construction for larger rivers I'm looking forward to trying these the next time we go Adam. 😉 A twenty pence piece was added to give the picture some scale.7 H

I have been meaning to go roach and bream fishing with John Derbyshire for  AGES  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We finally got to go a couple of weeks ago. Conditions where far from ideal. Flat calm weather did not help either if us. John was on the tip and I opted for the waggler. The waggler was one of my own, a foot long, glow in the dark, straight, loaded waggler to be more accurate. I have wanted to try it out for ages and today was the day. John mixed a few kilos of ground bait while I set up my two float approaches. Waggler as mentioned previously and a short perch swim using chopped worm and a perch bobber about a rod length out. It was a slow start. !!!!!!! John was picking up quite a few fish on the tip but I was struggling. At five rodlengths out I was fishing double red maggot on the bottom at nine feet deep. I had NOTHING for an hour. !!!!!!!!!!! John had around 5 lb by now and was giving me some stick. " Looks like your flashy floats aren't wo

I cannot believe it has take me this long to get out with my mate " The Casterman" AKA  Derek Kenyon. On this outing we had decided to meet at the venue as I had to be home early so two cars were necessary. Derek arrived first and I rocked up about ten minutes later. " How do " We said to each other. " Its been too long since the last time we wet a line together. We got our kit out quickly and started off towards the river. As we arrived we started looking for some likely holding areas. One run hit me straight away but it was three quarters of the way across the river. Castetman only had thigh waders on, mine were chest waders so, luckily I had the option for that run and I took it gratefully. 😊 Casterman opted for the slower water in the shade of a row of Horse chestnut trees in the hope this would be the home of a shoal of wary chub or even his favourite species . . . . the roach. We both opted for stick floats. I chose a 8 number 4&#

As we set off to out on our grayling hunt Adam said . . . .  quite matter of fact. . . . .  " Do you fancy grabbing your rainbow trout and River Irk pb in one hit before we go searching for the ladies ? I can guarantee you a two pounder at the very least. !!!!!!!!! " Lets do it " I said.  " Its took us long enough to get a fishing session together " Lol. Ten minutes later we were stealthily, crawling though the undergrowth looking for some local trout action. As Adam had declared it did not take long. He spotted a good fish straight away and with a couple of well aimed casts put the bunch of maggots right past its nose . . . . . .  and the bait was readily ignored on every occasion  !!!!!!!! " Cootesie, pass us a worm mate " came a whisper deep inside the undergrowth " I quickly did his bidding and after few more trots down and we were still without a bite. On the last couple of  casts I noticed Adam jig the worm o

Well. . . . . . . . . For the last month or two I have seemed to have lost my fishing mojo for one reason or another. A few phone calls from my old chum " The Casterman " had fallen on deaf ears . . . .  I was just not feeling it at the moment !!!!!!!!!! I had put a comment on Facebook about grayling on some site or another . . . . I forget the exact one when my phone pinged and a message from Adam Mack anounced itself in my inbox !!!!! " Fancy taking your pin for a spin " ?  . . . . . . . . " I know where the Ladies are ". The message was a little cryptic but I new ķexactly what he meant and a little smile appeared on my face as I read it. 😁 I had only recently caught my first grayling or  " Lady Of The Stream " so another session for these wonderful looking fish got my attention. A few phone calls later Adam and myself had sorted a time date out to reclaim my fishing mojo. We met up, got some gear from the loca