A new beat on the Irwell and a hour on Bradshaw Brook 19 Mar 14

Late last year I arranged with local farmer to fish half a mile of the Irwell on his land. Today I went to fish it for the first time. The stretch has long deep pools and a long riffle, access to the water is quite good in places and impossible in others. The river bed is rock in places and there is also a lot of silt.

After yesterdays rain today was warm and sunny, the river was coming down and clearing as the day went on. I expected that there would be flies coming off the river and fish rising to them.
No such luck no sign of fish or flies, so put on a nymph and fished across and down, nothing doing all the way up and down again.

 This is looking down river at the bottom end of the stretch.

 This is looking up from the same place.

 Again looking up river at the long riffle near the top of the stretch

 Looking down below the riffle.

Despite not catching or seeing any sign of fish and the excessive amount of silt. I still think there is a good chance that it will fish ok when the weather warms up.  There was a family of mergansers on the river when I arrived, so there must be fish about if they are present.

Decided to finish the day at the Bradshaw  Fly Fishers top Beat, did not look promising as the sun had gone and it was getting colder. Tackled up with a six foot six rod and a Greenwells Glory, not much moving, ended up cutting back brambles as I moved up stream. Caught one nice fish in the new pool above the new sewer pipe weir.

 Not that big, but, it is my first fish of the season from Bradshaw Brook, first of many I hope.