That Was the Week that Was.

Funny old week started poor and got better, which is better than the other way round I suppose.

Sunday 29 May went to Ewood Bridge on the Irwell to do a Kick Sample, only my second one  this year. Insect numbers are coming up even though the river was changed a lot by the Boxing Day flood. How the wee creatures survive when just about all the river bed gets moved amazes me. 

After taking the sample went up river for a fish, didn't find any. I was not surprised as most of the places that I used to catch have changed for the worse.

This weir that I always wanted to be removed has become as below.

 Will take some time to settle down, if at  all.

   The pool above the weir is now very different.

  

On Tuesday 31 May I went to Irwell the at Nuttal Park.

At least I caught if only two. 

This bit of the river is much the same as last year, but round the corner it's very different. Can not believe that I did not take any pictures of what was going on.
The council or maybe the Environment Agency, or both are repairing the left bank which partly collapsed in 2013 and must have got worse with the flood. There was two vehicles in the river, one digger changing the river bed and another moving trees. Called it a day.

Thursday 2nd June
Decided I had to catch fish went to Bradshaw Brook and fished up towards Jumbles.
Did not start very well.   It's a fish just about, at least it will grow.
   The flooding had changed most of the pools and quite a few trees had ended up in the brook.

The next one was a lot better.

This was the best of the three. 

Not a great days fishing but it got me out.

Saturday 4 June.

Bradshaw Brook again but much much further down stream.

Started off ok fish rising and me missing them or hooking and loosing them. 

First one a goodish fish for here.

If you are thinking that I was out quite early it was here that I realised that I had not changed the camera to British Summer Time.

Yes that is a settee in the middle of the brook, must have taken some effort to get it there, the mind boggles at what the less than sane will do for fun.


Thirty minutes of more misses and loosing fish before this one gave it's self up.




A lot longer than the thirty minutes before I got this one.
This proved to be the start of better fishing.


Two in quick time, made a nice change.


From the same pool.


And then another, o joy.



and another. Nice fish and they all fight like mad.


Not very wide but plenty deep.

and onother from the same place.




and still they kept coming.

Had to move up after this one.


The last one that came to the net, but not the last that I hooked. Before I caught this one a much better fish ran me around the pool for a while before jumping out and taking my fly with it.



I was hoping that the one that broke me off would take again as there were still fish rising in the same pool so had a sit and a wait.
Put the fly in the fast water at the top of the pool and thought that I had it again until I saw the fish. It was twice the size of the first one and much larger than anything that I have seen in the brook before. After a few minutes of holding the bottom it turned and stripped line as it flew down stream and under the bank. I waded down after it and found it had got tangled in the roots, tried to get it out but to no avail. Sat down and had a cry. No I didn't really felt like it.

I know where it is and shall be back in a few days time.