Bradshaw Brook 18 Sept 15

Before going to fish the brook I went to check the sewage going into the River Tonge that I reported to the Environment Agency in an earlier blog. Glad to say the flow had stopped but the river bed will need a good flush through to clear it. Of course when that happens the pipe will send more sewage into the river. It's a no win situation and we are stuck with it.

Anyway Bradshaw Brook caught a few mostly small ones. What got me going was that unlike yesterday most of the fish I hooked came off seconds after I hooked them. I also had loads of rises to the fly,Adam's dry  as usual, with out being able to set a hook.

 Sewer Pipes everywhere, I started fishing a few yards above this one. 

 This pool always let me down, it's deep and quite fast moving, must hold some good fish.

 Only caught this one, missed and lost two others

 Three fish rising here caught none of them.

 This is just around the corner from the previous picture usually  good for a few

 This is all I got.

 Same here hooked and lost two 

 then caught this one.

 Same again here just the one below

 Hard work casting here

 This was the only one of four that I hooked that got to the net from the run below and I got stuck in the trees Twice. Didn't loose a fly though.

Just above the foot bridge same story rises and some hooked nothing to the net, was ready to go.

Top of the picture where the trees start on the left was the last place I tried. All casting up there is flat under the trees, not much more than three feet of head room. On a good day I usually manage not to get into the trees to often, casting with great care. Today after missing so many fish my casting was not very good,  third time I got stuck in the trees I decide it was time to go and cut my privet hedge and mow the lawns.  

Bradshaw Brook Fly Fishers Beat 17 Sept 15

Fished the top beat by the cricket club, brook was running a little higher but still murky. Decide to try down by the bridge, don't usually do very good down there, but the day was a good day for a change.

  As you can see it does not look very pretty looking down to the weir. It's deep and muddy here and as you can see no chance of seeing fish unless they rise. which they were doing. 

Looks much better looking up steam. Though there is not a lot of room for casting.

My first fish was soon in the net and good size for the brook, soon to be followed by a few others.

Five good sized fish all on an Adam's dry, I think it is the first time that I have caught 3 fish over 12 inches in the on one day on the brook, plus two that were not far off 12.

Looking back towards the top of the glide that I had just fished,

 and then up to the next deep pool. The bottom end of the pool is shallow and usually has small fish rising, which I never can catch. Then goes very deep, again with fish on the rise, larger ones, usually, again hard to hook. The top end is shallow fast water, the bank with no trees and above, is the place that I get most of my fish. But not today.

The stretch below is one that I do not fish often, looking down stream to the foot bridge. The left bank is someones garden which runs right to the brook bank.I have never seen anyone in the garden, or the house come to think of it. They must all work during the week and I have never fished it at the week end.

Yes that's a raft that somebody tried to sail down the brook did not work as there is not enough water.

This pool at the top end is usually the best bit for fish.

Caught a few all about the same size as this one before moving on up.

These are the best of the ones that I caught on the way up to the top pipe, where I left the water and went looking for more invasive weeds to photograph for
  http://www.planttracker.org.uk/about-planttracker-project

It never ceases to surprise me how places that I catch fish one day produce nothing on another. One place that I usually walk right past, today produced three fish and a good one missed and not a rise to tempt me, I just cast in hope.

River Tonge 15 Sept 15

Went to fish the Tonge in the lower Valley area, as soon as I saw the river I new there was a problem. The river bed was coated with a grey brown sludge and the water was an unhealthy murky colour.

I went up river looking for the problem and found it along side Waters Meetings Road at a Combined Sewer Outlet (CSO)  that was discharging raw sewage into the river.

Not a pretty site. (tried to put a video of this on the blog, did not work)

I phoned the Environment Agency and reported it, I just hope that they get United Utilities to sort it out. The outlets are only supposed to discharge into the river in storm conditions and not on dry days.

Did not bother fishing, but waited to see if any action was forthcoming and to show anybody who turned up where the CSO was and how the get to it. I waited in vane. Will check tomorrow.

Got the video to work at last.

Wednesday 16th Lunch time, went to see it had stopped discharging, but it was just the same as yesterday. Phoned the Environment Agency again.

Friday 18th Went down to see if sorted glad to say that it was though it still looks nasty.

Bradshaw Brook 13 Sept 15

 The brook again but not the same places as on Friday, I started a lot further down stream this time. I forced my way into a place that I have not fished for a long time. I say forced because that's what I had to do, the Japanese Knot Weed and the Balsam are only part of the problem. Stinging Nettles and Brambles along with Willow and Sycamore saplings all had to be pushed through before I could get down the brook some 100 yards before starting back up.

   It looked like I should be into some fish and the first one came from this stretch.

Nice fish to start caught on a Adams, in fact the same fly that I used on Friday. Thought I was in for a good day, but it turned out that it was the only fish for some time. 

Carried on up stream until I got to what is usually good beat for fish but still nothing, changing to a Olive and then to a Greenwell's on the way. 

The next bit of the brook I have never fished before as I have always treated it as private land, there was usually signs of work being carried out there and some kind of workshop back from the brook. It had become very overgrown since the last time I was there, the Japanese Knot Weed had taken over most of the banks of the brook along with lots of Himalayan Balsam. I decided to give it a go, glad I did.

The first bit look ok and was quite deep, but to my surprise it produced nothing.  Round the corner I came to a weir.

 Still nothing.

Above the weir is not my favourite type of water, sluggish with a muddy bottom. Anyway I waded in and as I did a fish topped, I cast to it and caught the one below.

 Oh I was back to the Adams, size 18.

This better fish soon followed.

   I will be back there again mind you it might have to be next year, Only just over two weeks of the season to go.

Went back to the car and drove up to another part of the brook and started again.

Not the prettiest part of the brook but there be fish there, well a bit further up actually.

 Like here.

 Not that big but a few of them.

 Camera shy.

 and a little one to finish.

Met and had a chat with Wes who was fishing a bit further up stream hope you had a few mate.

Well after a slow start I ended up well pleased with the day.

Bradshaw Brook 11 Sept 15

Started at the Fly Fishers beat below the tennis club with a 6'6" rod and Olive dry fly, looks OK down there, as you can see.

For some reason I do not catch much down here and today was no different.

Once above the bridge I change to an Adams and started to catch.

I then noticed that my line was not through the bottom snake eye, or so I thought, when I checked I found that one of the legs had come loose and I was about to loose the eye. Put the eye in my pocket and continued fishing, it didn't look to good but it didn't stop me catching.

 This one did not want it's photo taken

 So I turned it round and took it again,

 The fish below, which was just over the 12 inch mark came from the water above.

 When I got back level with the car park and went and changed rods to my 7 foot one, glad to say it did not change my luck.

Whilst at the car having my lunch time apple a chap came asking about places to fish in the area. Told him about 7 Acres and Eagley Brook and Salford Friendly Anglers. 

Fished up from the cricket club and then photographed more invasive plants, mostly Himalayan Balsam on the way back down.

It was still quite early so I went to 7 Acres Park.

 First fish was a nice one and I was soon into plenty more.

 Not very big fish and it is not easy getting at then. 

 This is up above the road bridge.

 Yep he ended up back in the river, to slippery to hold. 

 Got it back out and took a proper photo. 

  Not the biggest fish but it is great fun catching them, as long as you keep out of the trees and undergrowth. Which I managed to do today, for a change. Never lost a fly must be a record for me.