Rossendale on the Irwell 30 April 13

Still not  much rain, river getting lower. At last the sun came out and the cold north east wind has let up.

Not many flies coming off the river, but one or two fish rising. Started with usual Adams caught two down by the sewage farm.

Went up river, nothing moving until I got near the motorway bridge, two nice fish 10 inches moved again.

Nothing rising on the weir pool, as usual since the weir was holed. Top of the next pool several fish taking olives, but they didn't seem to want my Adams. Thought one last cast then try a coachman, yes of course one took, didn't put up much of a fight until I tried to net it.

 Big fish but look like it had had a hard life, part of his tail missing and what looked like bruising on the back.

Next one that took tried to fly then broke me off, didn't look as big as the one above but was in much better condition.

Moved down river again, changed to a coachman took a 12 incher down river of the bridge, and that was it.

Eagley and Bradshaw Brooks 26 Apr13

Started with a recce of Eagley Brook in the Valley, not fished it this season, not much water and no sign of fish. Well disappointed, usually do well on the valley stretch. I will have another look when we have had some proper rain.

Went to Bradshaw Brook at 7 Acres Park, Started up stream from the road bridge. Caught a ten incher just above the bridge, Adams strikes again. Not a bad fish for this pool. Carried on up stream had a nine and a six before the hail started. Funny old day hail, rain and sun, sometimes all at once, the cold wind didn't help either.

Didn't go to far before starting back down, fished a nymph from the bridge down, not a touch. Thought with this weather and cold wind, "I will be glad when I have had enough of this". So legged it back to the car and off home.

One bright spot to the day was "Swallows" the first I have seen this year, if it had been nicer I could have just  watched them flying up and down the brook, perhaps summer is really on the way.

Oh forgot to say I used my seven foot split cane brook rod with a Youngs 31/2  Pridex. Worked well even in the blustery wind, makes a change from glass and carbon, I like to swop about just for the fun of it.

Bradshaw Fly Fishers Beat. 25 April13

Weather forecast said rain morning fine afternoon. Why do I even look, mind you it did come nice late in the afternoon. The rain didn't stop the flies rising and the trout coming up for them.

Bradshaw Brook is a small brook with some good pools, heavily tree'd and well used by the public and their dogs, the Fly Fishers beat is from Printers Lane down into Longsight Park.

The flow of Bradshaw Brook is controlled by Jumbles reservoir so there is nearly always a steady flow, heavy rain does have an effect, but not as much as on some streams.

Fished the lower stretch late morning early afternoon, in the rain. Caught five small trout, nothing like the size of what can be caught in the Irwell though, but there are some good fish to be had. Moved to the top stretch by the cricket pitch lost count of how many very small ones I caught.

Might sound as though its not much fun catching fish four inches up to perhaps eight , but when you are using a six foot six inch three weight in shallow water with trees every were, I just love it.

 

Close Park Radcliffe and down stream 24 April13

Still no rain , well not enough to effect the river, a little warmer but still the wind blowing up river.

Was surprised to see trout rising with some vigour, the wind was rippling the surface so couldn't see what they were taking, spotted one or two olives on the wing, so started with an Adams.

Casting was a problem wind was all over the place, casting across the flow missed a couple, problems keeping in touch with the fly. Got one at last, or did he hook himself, no it must have been me. Good fish tried flying and then went off down the river, isn't it great to hear the reel screaming. Got him to the net at last. 14 plus inches well pleased.

Caught another in same swim then moved up river caught another four from a couple of other swims, all good fish around the same size as the one above. Funny there don't seem to be any small ones about a the moment. Not that I am complaining. 

The fish continued to rise all afternoon but they stopped taking my Adams, so tried four different flies, to no avail. So packed in went home for my tea.

The Irwell at Nob End 21April13

Well I couldn't wait until later in the week to try the the stretch down by the aqueduct. Took some getting down to the bank, over a gate and a fence, careful not to catch my chest waders.

It didn't  fish as well as I had hoped, or maybe I didn't fish it well. Anyway caught one smallish trout on a nymph. Cold up stream wind and some rain, decided me to leave, time I got to the car it was looking a lot better. So went to lower Radcliffe and had a try there.

When I arrived there, a man and women were "fishing with magnets on long ropes" the fellow said he had seen it on TV, they didn't catch anything while I was there. Didn't surprise me, what can you get but old iron?

There were fish rising below the weir, couldn't see to what for the foam. tried nymph and a dry coachman, nothing doing. Further down had a take on the coachman, it came off at the fifth jump, looked a good fish.

The rain came back and this time for real, made a hasty return to the car and called it a day.  

Ladyshore Little Lever 20 April 2013

Great to have some sun, won't last of course.

   Started above where the weir used to be, looks very fishy , not the first time I have tried it without catching anything. Started with Copper John fishing across and down, nothing doing.
 Flies started to coming off the water, changed to a winged adams dry and cast to a rise three quarters across.
     Thought he would never take but kept trying as there was nothing else rising, gave him a rest, then started again. Bang, he was on and off he went, thought I was into something large, turned out to be a 14 inches.
      I was well pleased with it, being the first one for me since the weir went down in last years flood.

      Walked down river nothing rising until I could see the canal aqueduct, long good looking streamy swim, but not all the length is accessible on right side. Caught one, same fly as before, 12 inches.
      Getting late so walked back and went home.

       I will go to fish above and below the canal aqueduct on the left side some time next week if the weather stays OK, or maybe if it does not.

Fishing the Irwell in Radcliffe Friday 19 April 2013

Caught and released seven good trout, fishing a Copper John goldhead nymph on a floating line.

Some fish rising but to what I don't know, so I just cast above the rise and let the current take me through. Worked fine and saved trying different dry flies, later noticed blue wing olives coming down. Tried three different dry flies, not even a look. Was getting late (for my tea) so I packed in and went home.

 This one was missing part of its tail fin, didn't stop it trying to fly, as you can see it's very light in colour and short of spots. A lot of the Irwell fish I catch are very light in colour.

 This one is a better fish going about 16 inches ( I don't weight just measure, the first mark on the rod handle is 9 inches) still light in colour but a lot more spots.

The river was up a couple of inches on last week running fairly clear, still loads of the nasty brown slime on the rocks. One or two signs of the trailing weed starting to grow.

The Giant Hogweed is everywhere wont be long before the banks will be blocked by it and the Knotweed

Going to try Ladyshore Little Lever tomorrow, third time lucky I hope, since the weir got washed out it looks very fishy to me, but I have, as yet, not had a touch. Just hope its warmer than today, at least the wind has dropped.