The Irwell Ladyshore 22 Sept 14

The Irwell is very low but as Ladyshore is after the Roch comes in there is usually a fair bit of water and so it proved.
Fished the weir and up with 2 spiders, nothing doing. Sat for a bit whilst i thought about a change, then tried a Copper John nymph fished across and down, same result.

Changed to a Hares ear  nymph, then saw a rise on the flat before the long riffle down to the weir. Cast all around it with no result, then another rise 10 yards down, cast above it and got a very solid take, had it hooked for all of 3 seconds.

Moved down the riffle not hoping for much, when another take which did not stay on for as long as the first one.    

I just watched the video on the blog, not very good, will try to do better.

Had a sit and a chat then went down below the weir towards what used to be a foot bridge.

No joy there, or from the weeded area below.

I have never seen as much weed as this before, should be a good sign for the young trout.

Another dry net and only 8 fishing days left.

RiverTonge 19 Sept 14

The River Tonge the valley Bolton.

 Walled, Industrialized, small weirs and some bigger ones.  

 Most the old industries have gone but plenty new ones  along the river. 

 Belmont Bakery Machinery on the right.

A Grey Heron after trout, hope he did better than I did.

 Giant Hog Weed, Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knot Weed abound and TATA Steel in the background. 

 Bit short of water but not as low as I expected.

  Fish rising just passed the tree didn't catch them.

This on on dry fly above the footbridge.

Fish came from here.

 Down river from road bridge

Up from the same bridge, bigger weir in the distance, old sewer pipe in the foreground.

 Looking down to the weir.

 Another footbridge in the distance.

Not very pretty, with a block of flats in the background.   

A larger weir next to the flats.

I am sure you guessed that I did not catch much, never mind I enjoyed the walk.  

Eagley Brook 16 Sept 14

Rubbing down and painting on instruction from my better half took care of the morning. I wanted to see a film called "Lucy" with Scarlett Johansson it did not start until 4:15 so I had 2 hours of fishing Eagley Brook which is next to the cinema complex.
Couple of fish rising, Olive dry fly got a couple of looks without anything in the net. Further up the brook, where I hooked 3 spiders in a tree last week, I could see another chap fly fishing. Decided to walk up for a chat and find out which way he was going so I could keep out of his way.

Turned out he was just about to pack in but still had time for a chat. Help me get my spiders out of the tree as well. As usual, I probably kept him talking a bit longer than he would have liked.

Anyway my "Baker" friend as soon as you left I caught a couple of small ones below and above the weir, then went to see the film. Pretty good film, hard not to be with Scarlett in it.

 Above the weir.

  Looking down from above the weir.

Eagley Brook 12 Sept Irwell Bury Ground 13 Sept 14

Had a hour on Eagley Brook in the Valley, been a while since I last fished there. Fished 3 spiders up stream and down stream and caught a couple of small ones.

This one came from the pool above, just by the tree stump.

Fishing the pool under the road bridge when I put all 3 spiders in a tree higher than I could retrieve

them from, they are still there. I will go back and retrieve them, can't leave line and hooks where birds could get caught up.

It was time for what I was in the valley for anyway which was to see the film "A Most Wanted Man" very good.  

Saturdays Bury Ground parking is a no problem and I was due a day there. Two men fishing maggots by the car park, had a quick word, they were only catching minnows.
Went up to the main weir and waded in, started with a pink gold head nymph, nothing doing in the weir pool. Caught one small one and lost another in a riffle just down from the weir pool. Moved down to the main  riffle hooked and lost two before I netted a small one.

As I got to the top end of the long glide I hook a good fish which left me after the fourth jump, I was not pleased.

As a booby prize I netted this one, better than nothing.

  The Long Glide  looking down stream.

 and looking up.

Decided to go up river to the top weir so waded up to the middle weir where there was another chap fly fishing below the weir pool. His wife and two children where on the bank watching.

Told him how I had done and where I was going, not sure he understood, think they where foreigners.

The top weir is part broken, needs to be taken out altogether. Above it is a super market trolley grave yard, some below it as well. they come of the old railway bridge that is now a foot path over the river.

       That's just about all of the river coming through the gap in the weir doesn't look like a lot of water but that's  all there is.

Looking down from the weir. 

I fished this bit and caught the smallest trout in the river don't know how it got the nymph into it's mouth.

Then I waded across and climb over the weir into the top pool, not very deep but plenty mud, trolleys a wheelchair and lots of other rubbish.

They knew to build bridges in the old days, not much chances of this one falling down.   

Drowned Trolleys.

Moved down below the weir and changed to a Olive, fish were rising down by the sunken tree.

 After two or three came up for a look without my being able to hook one, I landed this.

 Small Chub, I think, the next was definitely a Chub.

With the Olive still in places. They don't fight like trout but at least I was catching.

Caught a couple more before it went quiet then back up river wadded across and back down to the car.

  

The family had gone from the middle weir but there was a a man of my age by the river near the car park. We talked about how the river had been cleaned up and from when we were young and how the wild life had improved, to prove it two Kingfishers flew up and then down the river as we talked.

I mentioned that I was born not far away and mentioned the street, he looked at me and said what is your name. I told him and he told me his, we had not met for more than 50 years when we were best pals at school and when we started work. The last time we had seen each other was just before I joined the army in 1961.

I told him that I had mentioned him only last week when I was with my sister talking about our younger days, what were the chances of us meeting again so soon after I had been talking about him.   

  

Where Have I Been Since the 23rd

Here we are on 10 September and it's over 2 weeks since my last blog. Have I stopped fishing, NO have I stopped catching, JUST ABOUT.

Fished? the Irwell at Summerseat on the 27 August hooked and lost 2 fish and took a photo of the East Lancs stream train.

31st I went to Ewood Bridge to do my monthly Kick Sample, insect count well down for the time of year, possibly due to the diesel leak we had several weeks ago. Went up river for a fish afterwards, shouldn't have bothered.

The river looked fine never had a touch. 

The Blackberries were ripe and tasty.

Tuesday 2 September.   I was told that the weir on the Croal at Moses Gate Park had been removed, went to have a look. The weir was still there. 

Also checked the Combined Sewer Outlet whilst I was there.

 The ladder is new, must be so that the detritus can be removed from the metal grid. A lot cleaner than the last time I checked it. 

Salford Friendly's pressure on United Utilities seems to be working. Once the trout season finishes at the end of this month I will have to check a few other outlets, hopefully they will also have been cleaned up.

Went from there to the Irwell in Radcliffe and had another very disappointing session with no fish.

 The weir below still sends water to a factory via a goit on the left of the weir, so there is little chance of it being removed anytime soon.

 Looking down river from below the weir.

Wednesday 3 September.   Back to Summerseat and actually caught 2 fish, both less than six inches and not worth a photo, at least I caught.

Friday the 5th.   Caught 2 very small ones in Bradshaw Brook down by 7 Acres Park.

Tuesday the 9th.   River Douglas is good for a few fish and I always enjoy getting snagged  up on the Balsam. Not. 

I did manage to get a couple of fish to take my fly but, did not manage to get them to the net.

Better than staying at home but not much.

Today the 10th.    Intended to fish the Irwell at Bury Ground, when I got there, nowhere to park.

Change of plans off to the Roch at Gigg, Only to find that the fly tippers had struck.

I have sent these pictures with an email to Bury Council I hope they will have cleared it up when I go again.

I went down river much further than I usually do and waded up from Goshen Sports, never done it before.Was surprised that I could as it looks pretty deep in parts, mind the river is quite low for the time of year.

  

Yes it looks wonderful and on another day perhaps it will fish good, but today nothing. Plenty of Minnows and small fry, 2 Kingfishers and a Heron. And some large caterpillars, well large for around here, just under 3 inches in length munching away on the leaves of a Cobnut tree.

I would think that they are moth caterpillars, too big for butterflies.

They where only eating the leaves so I could still fill a pocket with Cobnuts for later, like Hazelnuts but not quite as big.

To finish I will confirm that I did not catch a fish I did not see one rise and I did not see any in the river, except Minnows.

I won't be glad to see the end of the season, but I will not miss it as much as most years. 

A Blog I read mentioned the term "Awful August" for me it has carried on into September.