Bradshaw Brook 27 Mar 15

Fished the top end of Bradshaw Fly Fishers beat and up to Jumbles reservoir. 

Bright sunny day again but still cold, especially when  the hands are wet. Glad to say I did get my hands wet and caught a few fish.

7 Foot 3 weight rod with a Iron Blue Dun, walked up towards the top weir with just a couple of casts as there was nothing on the rise. As I got to the glide a bit below the weir a couple fish rising, could not see to what. Had a touch but hooked nothing.

Moved to the fast water below the weir, could now see Olives hatching. 

 This was the first one not a bad fish, well pleased.

and then another one from the same place.

Sad sight Mallards abandoned nest full of eggs. I first saw it earlier in the week and had hoped that the duck would come back, the eggs were cold then and are now. The duck would have covered the eggs if it was coming back. It's in a bad place for a nest, as three or four yards away is a favourite spot for dogs going in the water.

 Tried to unhook this one whilst it was still in the water, not that easy ended up getting both my hands wet instead of one.

After this one I moved up stream.  

The flow has gone down some 4 to 6 inches in the last few days, as can be seen by the wet stones. We have had rain so the drop most be due to United Utilities reducing the flow from Jumbles Reservoir. Down to summer level already.

I moved off the BFF beat up passed Printers Lane, took my life in my hands getting down to the brook above the bridge.

 The path is up behind the wall  on the left, so it's quite a drop down to the brook, no I did not climb down the wall. That's the bridge in the background.

This is  looking up from the same spot.

 Lost a fly in the trees, then caught the one below.  

A better fish but not by much.

All coming to the Iron blue and then the best fish of the day.

Not a monster but better than 12 inches and  very good fish.

Carried on up to the Jumbles and caught a couple more, nothing to shout about. Which was a shame as there are good fish up there. Never mind a good day was had. 

Bradshaw Brook 24 Mar 15

I intended to fish the River Roch in Bury, when I got there the weather was awful, rain, hail and sign of more to come. Thought I would be better off going to the pictures, headed back to Bolton where I found sunshine and Bradshaw Brook at Thicketford Bridge. 

Fished up river of the bridge, did get a couple of hail showers but no fish. Flies coming off the brook and a couple of fish taking them.

 Fly tipping is and has been a problem, the road is only a couple of yards from the top of the bank.

The town dump would have been quite happy to take this TV, I had forgotten how heavy they used to be. I moved this one out of the brook which wasn't easy.

More debris up stream but this time woody debris which is good cover for the smaller fish. Just above this, in a backwater there was a large amount of frog spawn, some was nearly dried out so moved what I could to deeper water, tadpoles are good food for trout, and I like frogs as well.

Moved down below the bridge and had a go with a nymph. 

  Hooked and lost one here, persevered and hooked and landed one, not very big but not a blank. 

  

Irwell Bury Ground 22 Mar 15

Bright sunny day but still cold. As I arrived a cormorant took off from the river not a good sign as far as fishing goes and so it proved.  I usually go up river to the middle weir, instead I went down to Bury Bridge and the lower weir.

 Not much room to cast even now and much harder once the undergrowth is up. In fact it is very difficult to even get down here in the summer unless you approach from the bridge.   

   That is Kirklees Brook joining the Irwell.

The pipe is a sewer over flow for when we have a large amount of rain and the sewers can not manage.

No sign of fish back up river to the middle weir where I wade across and fish down the other bank.

 This is the weir that a Community Hydro-power scheme is being proposed, I am not in favour, the weir should be removed and the river returned to its natural state as far as is possible.

   

This the the part that I fish, I go as far down as I can safely wade. I had one take and that was it. Plenty of flies coming of the river but no fish rising to take them. 

Went back to the car and listened to Manchester United giving Liverpool a lesson on playing football, really enjoyed that.

River Irwell Summerseat 20 Mar 15

I hear that most of the UK did not see the eclipse due to cloud. Not so in my bit of Bolton, just enough cloud to allow one to look at the sun without going blind and see the moon do it's job. My first and probably only chance to to see one, most likely be dead before the next one.

After two days of good and quite warm weather today took us back to cold plus intermittent drizzle.

The Irwell looked fine which just goes to show that looks aren't everything.

 Started with a dry fly even though nothing was rising and the only flies were the ones trying to get up my nose, in my ears and under the peak of my cap. What is it that they want under there.

Soon changed to a spider and a nymph.

 Still nothing, all I was getting was cold and a little damp. Carried on down to the end of this stretch.

and then called it a day, getting soft in my old age. Never mind plenty of better days to come.

  

River Tonge 18 Mar 15

Frost over night but a sunny and quite warm day, could it be that spring is starting to spring.

The River Tonge was today's choice, close to home and usually good for a few fish, but not today. 

7 foot 3 weight rod with an Iron Blue Dun, worked yesterday  so it gets another chance.

With the sun out there were a few flies on the water but nothing rising to take them, just cast to likely spots.

 These two stretches are usually good for a fish or two but not today.

Moved up stream to here usually a fish just short of the bridge and so it turned out.

Quite a good fish for this area of the Tonge and by far the best fish I have caught in that spot.

Farther up stream there is an old mill lodge by the river where I found a chap pumping water from it into the river. He told me he and a few friends had got the rights to fish it and they were getting the level down so they could clear the rubbish and excess weed. They had already cleared the banks of rubbish and cut back the undergrowth, hope it goes well for them.

Oh by the way no more fish. 

Keep the rod up and stopped at Bradshaw Brook on the way home and had a couple of casts and was lucky enough to get this one.

That's just just a bit of leaf on it's side nothing nasty.

I might not be catching many but it's good to be out and the fishing is bound to improve as the weather warms. 

Well I certainly hope so.

Irwell Ewood Bridge 17 Mar 15

The Irwell was up a little and still had some colour, in fact it looked a bit sick. The day was overcast and cold, but not as cold as it has been, probably due to there being no wind to speak of, which always helps.

Started down from the bridge fishing a copper john nymph which produced total nothing except a lost fly on the far bank.

 Got out of the river and walked up passed Ewood Bridge, Taking a few pictures as I walked

 This is just above Ewood Bridge not very deep and hard to fish, you must be in the river gets even harder once the Knot Weed is up..

 This is a bit easier once  you get down the bank. 

Bank problems again, but normally worth the effort once you get to the other bank..

The weir pool looking down river not for wading from this bank..

 I intending to not to fish until I was above the motorway and that's what I did, not expecting to see any rising fish and that's how it was until I got to the top of the weir pool above the motorway bridge where a couple of fish were taking flies on the surface.

 The fish were rising in the water on the left, which made it difficult to get a fly at them without being noticed.

The nymph came off and on went an Adams dry, usually gets results early on in the year. But not today,changed to a Iron Blue and tried again and caught a good fish.

In a lot better condition than the fish I caught on Sunday in the Croal and a bit bigger as well. Put up a good fight and put the other fish down. Moved up to the next pool to another rising fish. No Joy. 

 Came back down to the weir pool, but no fish on the rise. Started back down river looking for rising fish and casting to likely spots with no results.

Getting colder so of home for a warm up.

New Season fishing the Croal 15 Mar 15

Yesterday went to check the river Croal, prior to opening day, to see the changes resulting from the removal of the weir last year in Moses Gate Park and the winter rains. The river was coming down after last weeks rain and looked OK to fish.

The remains of the weir, I would have liked them to have taken a lot more of it but at least the fish can move up stream to the next weir now. 

 This is the bottom of a long deep glide that starts 150 yards above where the weir used to be. It's to deep to wade and just about unfishable without wading, due to Knot Weed and the height and steepness of the banks. I had hoped that the removal of the weir would make it wade able, will have to see what happens in the summer when the the levels are lower.

 This bit is now better for fishing, the weir is down passed the trees on the right, except that the dogs like to take a dip here.

Decided to spend opening day here.

Sunday 15 March started with a cold wind and overcast, and stayed that way for most of the time I fished.

Started here under the Wilson Bridge, eight foot rod, Youngs Beaudex floating line, not very deep, Goldhead Copper John Nymph. Worked down stream passed the stone buttress caught no fish.

Started moving up stream, not easy fishing  unless you get in the water.

Which I did where I could, still no fish.

Got nothing but cold until this pool not far down from the weir.

Where I caught my first and last fish of the day. Quite long but thin, hope it had used it's energy in spawning.

 This is further up stream at the top of the long deep glide, looks promising but provided nothing.

 To the left of this Knot Weed is the river and the long glide I mentioned, not that you can get to it.

Back further down nearer to the weir.

  

Yes it's smelly sewage water the you cannot get away from it on every stream and river in the area.