River Tonge 28 May 15

The last two mornings have been spent cutting my privet hedge, two thirds done. Was going to finish it tomorrow but the rain has come and is set to stay until tomorrow. I will just have to be content with going fishing instead.

I did have short trip to Bradshaw Brook yesterday, not very enjoyable, dogs in the brook again.

Today I went to the Tonge, which started very frustrating. The Giant Hog Weed has gone mad  and the Japanese Knot weed also.

 But that was not what was frustrating me, up by the tree on the right what looked like at least a dozen fish were rising. No sign of what they were taking and after five different flies I still had no idea. I did manage to get one or two to come and look at my offerings, but nothing took until I tried Hares Ear dry and I had a take first cast. 

    First fish of the day, thought problem solved but not so fish still rising but nothing else would take. Moved up stream.

 The Hog Weed is really thriving.

The seed heads are about to open any day now, I have not seen any this far advanced on the Irwell.`

 Caught another on the same flies, a little happier but still only getting the odd fish.

Tried a spot of deep fast water under tree cover and was into a good fish.

In fact I don't think I have had much better than this one from the Tonge.

Got it back in the river as quick as I could, I know were it is now I will see it again next year.

I was going to continue on up stream but a family of Canada Geese were moving up in front of me and we were getting near to a large weir which would cause a problem for the little ones, and there is no where that I could get passed them without causing panic.

 Got out of the water and walked down stream, which was not easy as the path is lined with Hog Weed and in places I could not see the path, yes I did take care not to get the Hog Weed on my skin.

Had a few others but nothing of much size. 

This outlet is one of many that still put stuff into our rivers.

It started to rain so I walked back to the car, glad I did as it came on heavy. I was not dressed for rain I only had  a waistcoat and a cap, no weathers.

It's put down a good bit of rain with more forecast over night, just what the Irwell needs.    

River Douglas 24 May 15

Very little rain overnight, the Irwell needed more. That meant I could fish the Douglas, which would  become unfishable , due to the high banks and fast deep water, if there had been heavy  rain overnight. 

The day started cold with a blustery wind, which makes the Douglas doubly awkward  to fish.

 Fished a 7 foot rod and started with a Peasant Tail Nymph down stream. 

 Still hard work with the wind and the amount of Starwort, did not expect there to be as much as there was at this time of the year.  

Had the odd snatch but no fish, changed to a Hares ear nymph same result.

Change to dry fly, Greenwell's, and started back up. The wind was mostly up stream, which did not help the back cast and caused a few tangles and hooks in the back of my jacket. Fish rising to what I could not see. Several fish coming to my fly but not taking it.

Change to a BWO and caught the one below.

Very nice fish for the Douglas, in my opinion, more colour than the Irwell trout. 

The bank side growth is quite low as yet as the Himalayan Balsam is only just starting to grow.

Still had to do my fishing  in the water to try to get some relief from the wind

Caught an 9 inch one here, tried to take it's photo one handed, didn't work. Hooked and lost a couple of  others here.

Moved farther up and managed to get a few more takes but could not get anything to stay on the hook in the shallow water. As soon as I lifted they came out of the water and came off the hook. 

Still cold, especially in the water, and the wind was getting no better, home to watch the Grand Prix and warm up.

Snagged  my chest waders, near the backside, on barbed wire. Two small puncher's fixed with with Aqua Sure, great stuff highly recommended. Remembered to do the repair on the inside this time looks much better than on the outside.   

Irwell Bury 23 May 15

After big fish here two days ago, back for more.

No rain to speak off so the river is going down day by day, tonight and early tomorrow rain is forecast so it could be coming back up, which will be welcome. 

Fished eight foot rod with a dry Iron Blue Dun.

 Started down here which is lower down than I have caught fish before, saw a fish rise so in I went. 

Not that big but pleased to get into a fish early on.

 Hooked and lost another before moving up.

Not a lot of water here I could walk across without getting too wet. 

Another smallish one with the dun still in it's mouth, the slow shallow water meant one caught the rest down.

 Bit deeper here but no fish.

Took the next fish in the pool above the fast water.

 15 inches and fat as a pig, very pleased with my self.

Fish rising here a couple came to the fly but I missed them.

Missed a couple here as well, not too pleased with myself. 

Moved down river to more rising fish but not to my fly so changed to a nymph, copper john. No fish. Changed to a pheasant tail same result. Had a Adams dry in my nymph box so put it on.

Result at last.

and then another.

Missed more than I caught today which is not very different from the norm. 

It was overcast to begin with and then became very bright and sunny, which does not help with the shallow clear water, not complaining it's good to be warm for a change. 

Irwell in Bury 21 May 15

Interesting day, had a long chat to a young at heart fellow fly fisher called Harry who is also from Bolton.

Bright day mostly warm but the wind seemed to be coming from all directions at the same time. I started fishing the fast water with a Iron Blue Dun size 12, needed a big one so that I could see it in the ripples. Nothing doing as I moved up river until I got to a long fast glide where a couple of fish were rising and taking Olives. The first one came for a look but did not take and stopped rising, moved on to second one which took on the third pass. Twenty five minutes later I landed my first fish of the day.

 What  a fight it gave me, I was fifty yards down river when I finally netted it. Very glad I took my large landing net, the last time I had one this big I only had my scoop net. 

 

Three times whilst I was playing it, it came up behind me and stopped under my net, which was in the water ready, perhaps it thought it was a good place to hide.

After resting my weary arm I moved up stream to Harry who was also having a rest though not for the same reason as I was. He told me that there was a couple of fish rising where he was but that he was getting no response to nymph or dry fly. Whilst we were talking the fish continued to rise, so I had a cast at one of them and, sorry Harry, caught the one below.

Not the size of the first one but still a very nice fish.

After a while I went further up stream and caught this small one.

And then moved back down to Harry

Gave him an Iron Blue Dun, which was working for me, hope it worked for you Harry and then left for home. 

Irwell Springwater & Dumers Lane 15 May 15

Not been to Springwater since last August, decided to walk the Irwell and the Roch to see if the winter had changed anything. Looked pretty much the same. Up the Roch the balsam is over powering everything apart from the trees.

 That's all Himalayan Balsam, only a few inches tall at the moment, next month it will be taller than me.

This little family seem to be doing alright.

The Roch looked OK but no sign of fish, so I walked back to the confluence with the Irwell. Got in to the Irwell and waded up  to Close Park which is on the other side of the river and farther up stream.

 The Irwell is quite low at the moment and not very deep, one fish did rise under the trees on the left.

 A couple were rising here, put on a Iron Blue Dun and caught a six incher.

Climbed out of the river on the left and walked up to a spot that I caught some nice fish last year, nothing was showing this year. 

Decided not to wade back down from here, instead walked back down the right bank until I was level with were I began wading.

This side has balsam and knot weed but the main problem is the Giant Hog Weed, I had to edge my way through it to get back in the river and wade down to the island.

 Looking back at the confluence with the island on the left.

 I intended walking down the Island, which is on the right. The invasive weeds are so thick I spent most of my time in the water.

 Looking back at the end of the Island.

 Now passed the Island and were I wanted to fish, took the dry fly off and tied on a Copper John, which brought me the one below.

 Decided that I had had enough of Springwater and went to Dumers Lane.

In the car park before I left had a chat with a gentleman who was about to fish the bottom end of the park, he asked me if I new about Salford Friendly Anglers, which of course I did he said that his son ran it. So I met Mike Duddy's dad, what a nice man.  

 A Dumers Lane I fished the Copper John and hooked and lost a good fish. Then lost my fly on the back cast and tried a Drowned Daddy which got me a couple of snatches but no fish.
 Not my day, home.