Bradshaw Brook Fly Fishers Beat 29 Jun 15

Managed to get a couple of hours on the brook this early evening. It's been warm and sunny most of the day and I expected there to be a good hatch. Maybe it started after I left, never mind I still caught a few on dry fly.

 This was my first one, came to a Adams from the pool behind the score board. I had missed a couple and then the fish stopped rising to my fly and was about to move on when this one came to the net.

Moved up stream were the Adam's was getting no response, changed to a Blue Winged Olive, had two smallish ones and then this one. 

 Came from just below the island on the left.

 Moving up caught another couple of small ones but missed loads, very frustrating.

 Up near the top of the beat when I caught this one, it gets quite dark up there, far to much tree cover.

 Started back down still missing rise after rise, until I hooked this tiddler, then I 

realized. what it was that I was missing all the time 

 I do not like catching the very little ones but it is good to know that they are there, lots of little ones grow into big ones.

How things Changed on the River Irwell 27 Jun 15

I was in Bury by the Irwell today, the change in the river bank over the last few months is amazing.

  The pictures above were taken on 8 April, the ones below are from today.

The white on the bank top left are the same flowers as the white ones below.

 I think nature has done a good job, but there is a  problem 3 non native invasive plants are also growing along the river bank, Giant  Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed  . 

Hard to believe it's the same place.

Irwell Ramsbottom 26 Jun 15

I was surprised to find that I had not fished this piece of the river since April last year. Why I stopped going there I can't remember, it used to be one of my regular haunts. It can be a problem to fish when the river is up, which it wasn't today. Nice and dull again with a forecast of rain, which did come but not enough to change the river.

Fished a Peasant tail nymph down stream and was soon into a fish.

 Not monsters but better than the average Bradshaw Brook fish.

 All had much better colour than the silver ones that I have been catching further down the river.

What a change this is how the same bit of river, above, looks today, 2 years and a couple of days later. The floods caused lots of damage and tha Envirement Agency ordered the repair and what a great job was done.

 Once I was down to the rail bridge I changed to dry Adams and started back up, missed a couple,

 Then caught this one, by far the best of the day

 Carried on up to the Ramsbottom Road bridge without any luck.

Above the bridge is a weir, as I went under the bridge I was herding a family of  Malards towards the weir. The mother went up the weir and the dozen young tried to follow, all but two made it, the last two were in a panic and kept slipping back down. I tried to help but this upset the mother so I left them at it. 

Two Sunny Days for a Change 23/24 Jun 15

Went to the Irwell in Bury yesterday, I am trying to limit the growth of the Giant Hog Weed, with some success. If I can keep the stretch, that I am working on, from having hog weed that stops you getting to the water, this year and hopefully the next few years, I will be very pleased. It helps that it is one of very few parts of the Irwell's bank, below Bury Bridge, that is not as yet totally over run by the weed. For a change it was sunny and warm, in fact to warm for the digging and chopping that I was doing.

Had a little fish as well, nymphing for a change, had a couple of snatches and was about to give up when I hook the one below.

     


Today fished the park stretch of Bradshaw Fly Fishers, started near the car park and fished down stream nymph, gold head peasant tail.

 It's amazing how different the trout in the Irwell look compaired to the brook fish.

 Still running dirty but still not seeming to bother the fish.

 The last of the ones on nymph, changed to a dry fly and started back up. After eating my lunch, an apple. 

 First on the Adams, it took the fly as it hit the water.

 Far to much tree cover down here even on a sunny day like today it's quite gloomy on this stretch.

Plenty fish but not much for size until I caught my last and best one under the road bridge

Just over 12 inches a nice fish to finish