Irwell Kersal 27 Sept 13

The banks of the river had been cut so there was lots of flotsam floating down. I fished a 10 foot rod with sinking line and Goldhead Copper John. Nothing for quite a long way down the river then I thought I was caught in weed but then I felt a fish shake its head, off it went off  down river. I was fishing in a strong current and the fish used it to stay well away from me
Took quite a while to get it to the net and I was well pleased when I did.

A 15 inch  Irwell brown trout, I just wish I could catch a few more on each trip.

One worry I have, is that I do not catch any small trout on the lower Irwell. Could it be that the Sawbill Ducks and Cormorants are getting them all, but not the larger fish. 

There are plenty of very small fry in the river, today I must have seen thousands. What they are the fry of, I don't know. They can't all be minnows, or perhaps they are. But then if there are lots of minnows there must be food and conditions for all kinds of fish one would think.