• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fishing Fiend

Mad About Fishing

Fishing Fiend Ltd Logo
  • About Me
  • The Anglers Challenge

Uncategorised

Manchester Monsoon Season

13th April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Whilst Manchester is famous for its inclement weather, even the locals (me) are now starting to get browned off. Since the New year, i can only recall two seperate weeks when the rivers have been in good condition for fishing.
Recent rains have again led to high water levels and difficult fishing conditions with the water the colour of hot chocolate.
I had been hoping for a couple of hours on the river but had to settle for a tenching session at Maceys in Bury. Last summer Matthew and i had some cracking tench sessions using prawns and mussels from the local Asda as bait. There is a tendancy for the anglers at maceys to use either maggots or pellets and for anglers who are prepared to use different baits, really good sessions can be had when others are struggling to catch. Today i decided to use the remaining worms i had dug earlier in the week. So it was another feeder and popped up lobworm tail hookbait session.
I arrived at 6pm, and had to wait for half an hour or so before my tip bent round and i was into a small common carp of about 2.5lbs. In the 2 hours i was there i ended up another 6 carp to about 3lbs, but didnt have any tench.
It was quite an entertaining short session, as after i had my first fish the others seemed to line up to take my worm. Its good fun catching small carp and tench on light tackle and Maceys is an ideal venue as its only 10 minutes drive from home.

Fishing is going to be limited next week due to a heavy schedule at work, but hopefully i will get out for an hour or two on Tuesday.

Not too many signs of Spring yet.


I got one of the kids fishing nearby to take my photo as i have lots of photos of everyone else but not so many of me!

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Ullswater

10th April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Today I took a trip up the M6 and visited the Lake District for the first time this year. In all the years i have been visiting the Lake District today was the first time i have taken a fishing rod with me and for a large part of the day I wished that I hadnt bothered this time either.

The day got off to a bad start as the heavens opened as soon as i turned off the carnignition off at Howtown. Then things got worse, as the bay where i had orginally intended to fish had a new fence around it and signs saying private foreshore (whatever happened to the right to roam!). Undetered, i humped my gear to sheltered spot near a headland, and set up. Method today was chopped worm feeder with a popped up lobworm tail as hookbait.

Four hours biteless hours later i was on the brink of packing it in for the day. However, by this time the sun had made an appearance and i was now in two minds as to climb up to one of the high tarns for a nosey around, or to fish from a new spot until dusk.
I had time to decide as i had to drive around the lake, and unsurprisingly the opportunity of fishing from a new spot and not going home having caught no fish won out.

After an hour or so i had a knocking bite on the tip, which i decided to let develop, as always a bite left to develop resulted in no more tip activity, i wasnt too brassed off as hey this was my first bite in 6 hours! Next cast i didnt make the same mistake and a lovely little wild brownie hit the bottom of my landing net.

I would like to go on to tell you that i proceeded to catch fish after fish from then on, but sadly that was the last bite of the day. Re the above photo – i have big hands lol.

The scenery in this part of the Lake District is less rugged than that of the Wasdale and Borrowdale areas, but the late day sunshine made it hard for me to concentrate on the quiver tip, as my eyes were in awe of the spectacular scenery. Now i know that the fish in this lake are so beautifully coloured and marked, i think i will make an effort to come a couple more times this year, maybe next time hire a boat and fly-fish or troll some spinners.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Taking The Pish

5th April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Are you looking at me ?

Taking the pish, thats what the fish did to me today at Roughlee Fishery in the Ribble Valley.
I had a day out with Phil and Tony, and we decided to try out a new venue.
After finally finding the lake (not easy) we discovered a great little 2.5 acre venue, that was well stocked and really well looked after by the resident owner.
As we tackled up we could see fish in the lake cruising and topping taking buzzers from just beneath the surface, so there were three eager fishermen waiting to cast a line.
I used a variety of buzzer teams, sinking flies, dries and lures for 5 hours without a fish!
At the death i resorted to stripping a team of lures with which i had two good pulls neither of which producing a hooked fish. I was gutted, especially as both Tony and Phil caught two lovely rainbow trout each. Maybe it just wasnt my day, or i am still lacking the vital neccessary experience needed to catch on a new venue.
We saw fish topping all day, even during a hail storm. Whilst using lures i had a fish jump clean out of the water and over my line, and to add insult to injury one of Tonys fish jumped up and looked me straight in the eye before it was returned to the water (see above photo).
I hope you dont think i had a bad day just because i didnt catch. It was a terrific day out in beautiful surroundings, and to fish in such great surroundings with the sound of a Curlew ringing across the lake always makes for a day to remember. Next time i go i will not forget to take pictures of the lake and its surroundings as it was a really pretty place.

Tonys second fish

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Thanks Tony

3rd April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Tony, thanks for the advice and thanks for the flies.
By the end of this evenings session i had two brownies and 3 missed bites.

The river was a normal height and running clear. There was evidence of the recent iron salt pollution in the pools at the edge of the river, but the aquatic invertebrate life doesnt seem to have been affected. Hey whats a bit of iron poisoning when you swim in a river thats contaminated with lead, mercury, pcb’s etc.
The first fish came just as Phil arrived and i caught it in the car park swim on the point fly you gave me on Tuesday.
The second fish came on my last cast of the night to a snipe and purple on the dropper, and rose to the fly as the fly hit the water – great stuff!
I am amazed as i thought i was going to blank for weeks.
Pity the weather forecast for this coming weekend is so bad – lets hope they get it wrong again.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Pollution Alert

2nd April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Alert as Irwell turns orange

Chris Osuh 31/ 3/2008
THE River Irwell has turned orange again – sparking a major Environment Agency investigation.An 18 to 20 mile stretch of the river has been affected in what the agency describes as a `significant pollution incident’.
Officers were sent to a part of the river between Bacup and Bury, after concerned members of the public began contacting their switchboard at 7.30am today.At this stage it is suspected the problem has been caused by an underground mine collapse at Bacup and the weekend’s heavy downpours. It is believed water is flowing from underground workings at the mine, overwhelming the nearby Old Meadows water treatment plant. This has led to untreated water tainted with iron salts, flooding into the River Irwell and staining it ochre.At this stage it is not known whether the problem will affect household water supplies or if any fish have been killed. Environment Agency experts are taking water samples and photographs from the scene and are assessing the impact of the pollution on the river and its wildlife. A deeper ecological survey will follow.The River Irwell ran bright orange in Bacup for thirty years until 1999, when a clean-up operation was completed. The £1m engineering scheme was launched after a 1997 Coal Authority survey identified the stretch as as having the fourth worst case of minewater pollution in the country.

now you know why the irwell is a catch and release water!
Hopefully the fish and other aquatic life have not been affected as proved by Tonys catching the day after this pollution incident took place. When i go fishing tomorrow i am going to go bug hunting to check that food sources are still alive there.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Two Trees And Two Plastic Bags

1st April 2008 by Mike Duddy

Tonys first fish was very slivery for a brown trout. Most of the trout that i have caught on this section have a lovely lemony colour about them.

Had my first evening session of the year on the river. It only takes 15 minutes drive from my office to get to a fantastic streamy stretch of my local river.
Met up with Tony in the car park just after 4pm, and he told me that despite an extra 12 inches of water and a fair amount of colour in the water, he had been watching fish rising in one of the pools nearest to the car park. Sounds promising!

We walked up to the mill race pool at the top of the beat, where Tony had three lovely fish to my none. We were both fishing using similar tactics, but Tonys river craft is so finely honed i think it will take till the next millenia before i out fish him on a river.

After a couple of hours we slowly worked our way downstream with Tony catching another smaller fish from the Viaduct Swim.

By now i had caught two trees and two plastic bags, i did however get the opportunity to watch two young stoats playing about on the river bank whilst i was untangling my flies from a tree.

As planned we ended up in the swim nearest the car park just as the light was fading. In my opinion this is one of the best swims on the river, but neither of us got a touch. But the river was up and coloured so maybe i will do better here on Thursday.

Am still waiting for a bite let alone a fish whilst using fly gear on the river, but refuse to get disheartened. I hope to get out again on Thursday, and hopefully as long as i leave my flies in the water for long enough, i will eventually come across a brownie daft enough to wolf down one of my poorly presented offerings.
I am still having fun though.

Biggest fish of the evening was about 1.5lbs and it looked as though it had been in the wars recently (heron or cormorant?)

Its not as easy as it looks this fly fishing business, but is quite addictive.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

A Day In Littleborough

27th March 2008 by Mike Duddy

As Matthew is off school for the Easter holidays, he came out with Big Dave, Phil and myself for a day at Pennine Fishery in Littleborough.
The minimum size of fish stocked in these lake is 3lb so both Phil and I would catch a personal best Rainbow Trout, if only we could tempt one.
As you can see from the photo above and the big grin on Phils face, he got his new pb within the first half hour of the day.
I had to wait an hour for mine to arrive, i would like to say it was worth the wait but it fought like a sack of spuds on the end of the line and was nothing more than a dissapointment. (it might redeem itself in the frying pan tonight).
We had nine fish between us with only Matthew missing out on catching a fish.
He did really well considering it was his first ever fly fishing trip. By the end of the day his casting had improved, and he was clued up about the different weights and retreival styles of different flies. Life was difficult for him casting into the wind but he coped admirably with the conditions. We all wanted him to land a fish, but when i caught my two he was either at the loo or getting a cup of tea. When he was fishing with Big Dave (of red latex fly fame) he had 4 or 5 good pulls but didnt connect with any of the fish. Better luck next time Matt 🙁
Now i am gaining confidence i dont think i will be visiting commercial trout fisheries again unless i am taking Matthew. The clocks change this weekend so bring on the river!

Big Dave likes to take it easy!

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Easter Snow

23rd March 2008 by Mike Duddy

Went fishing today with Tony (http://www.timebytheriver.blogspot.com/). This trip had been arranged for a couple of days so it was a big disappointment to see two inches of snow on the ground when i woke up. We decided to carry on regardless and found when we arrived that the river we had chosen was only slightly coloured and not too high.

We fished the swim near the car park for the first hour, and Tony showed me a couple of his techniques with nymphs.

I was standing behind him watching his techniques, cast -mend -draw-run through, when he said “ah thats perfect” no sooner than the words left his mouth did he tighten into a lovely fish of about a pound. Talk about perfect timing, it made us both laugh. If only it were that easy to talk the fish onto the bank every time!

Later,we decided to search through some of the swims higher up the river, and this led to some serious mountaineering along the steep river banks. It certainly stopped us from feeling the cold!

We fished a couple more swims but neither of us had any success. Despite the cold there were some small hatches of duns and a fish rising in one of the pools we fished.

As the afternoon drew on the melt water turned the river a much dirtier colour than when we arrived and the water had risen a good 12 inches.

It was a great afternoon, and i learnt a lot from Tony about fly fishing on a small river. I cant wait for the water to return to normal as now that the evenings are becoming lighter, i can come fishing here after work.

I used a team of two with a march brown on point and a black spider type thingy as the dropper.
Tonys fish came on the point to a gold headed march brown. This new lexicon of snipe, spider, nymph, buzzer,emerger is going to take some getting used to, but after the fun i had this afternoon it looks like its going to be something i am going to enjoy
As we walked along the river bank we passed many waterfalls cascading down the steep cliffs that guard one of the river banks. I have never noticed these beautiful falls before, probably due to the fact that i have previously only fished this stretch in summer when the water table is lower and the cliffs are cloaked in denser foliage. Despite my lack of a fish today i still had a great day.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

Red Letter/Fly Day

21st March 2008 by Mike Duddy

Took another trip up to Pendle View with Phil-K this afternoon.

We braved a strong northerly wind, and squally showers again, but caught 20 fish between us.

By the time our session was over my fingers were so numb i couldnt feel the pen i was using to record our session in the catch return book.

As i am no more than a novice fly fisherman i can quite honestly say that this was my best day ever – in terms of catch – using a fly rod and line. Thanks Phil for inviting me along, and thanks Dave for tying those flies for me (but i am beginning to worry about where all this red latex is coming from!).

Am going to buy some new waders tomorrow so i can fish the local river for its wild brownies.

I feel a few blanks coming on!

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

A Wet Weekend In Wales

16th March 2008 by Mike Duddy

I promised my girlfriend Lucia a get away from it weekend in Wales. Of course this turned into a reconnaissance weekend for possible future fishing venues under the guise of romantic walks around a lake. I think the penny dropped for her when i kept stopping to put on a pair of polaroid glasses and stare intently into the water.
Not only did i traipse her around various lakes in North Wales but i even suggested a walk along the beach in Anglesey – I know how to treat a girl. The weather wasnt fantastic but the company couldnt be beaten.

I am sure Mackerel Rock is supposed to be somewhere around here !

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Filed Under: Uncategorised

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 27
  • Go to page 28
  • Go to page 29
  • Go to page 30
  • Go to page 31
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOM-emZ1Wkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEJLElb6HUc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEQlDACC1WI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cne7QOilerQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm0KDPjP1J8&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ZAuuDTsQs

Archives

Tags

5 Bar Gate Agecroft Pond Anglers Challenge Anular Bream ashton canal Bass Beach Fishing Birkenhead Dock fishing Bitterling blank Bradshaw Hall Bread Punch Bream Bridgewater Canal Bridlington Carp cheshire ring Chub Cleveleys Cod Common Blennie Common Comber Cornwall Crucian Carp Dab Dace Drinkwater Park Drop Shot Dropshot Drop Shotting Dusky Grouper European Eel FC United Fenix Flounder fly fishing Football Fuerteventura Fuerteventura Fishing Githead Bream Gynn Wall Heaton Park History Holiday Fishing Ide Irwell Isome Issos Beach Corfu Kelzo Labranda Beach Fishing Lesser Spotted Dog Fish Lesser Weever Live Bait Liverpool Docks LRF Lure Mackerel Madeira Goby Madeira Rockfish maggot Mariners Wharf New Brighton Old River Irlam Ornate Wrasse Painted Comber Pandora Perch Perch Rock Pike Pilsworth Pollack pollution Pollys Flash Prison Pond Rainbow Wrasse Roach Rochdale Canal Rockpool Blenny Rudd Salford Quays Sand Smelt Sarga Sea Fishing sewage litter Smoothhound Starry Smoothound Steenbras Striped Sea Bream Tench Three Bearded Rockling Tope trout walking Wallasey Dock fishing wallasey docks Whiting Worm YoZuri Minnow

recent posts

  • Back On The Bank 12th December 2022
  • The Fenix Trophy Final 2022 14th November 2022
  • FC Utd And The Fenix Part 2 17th October 2022
  • FC Utd And The Fenix Part 1 16th September 2022
  • Fishing Issos Beach Corfu – Summer 2022 3rd September 2022
  • A New Logo – time for a refresh 14th August 2022
  • Fishing For Big Perch At Bradshaw Hall 24th December 2020
  • El Blanko And Sancho Phil Ride Again 14th December 2020
  • Chasing Perch On The Worm Dropshot 23rd November 2020
  • Pilsworth Fishery Dropshot 9th November 2020
  • Fishing Cures The Blues 26th October 2020
  • Fishing Salford Quays – Smash And Grab 10th October 2020
  • Fishing Liverpool Docks 6th October 2020
  • Artists On The Irwell 1st October 2020
  • Drop Shotting Wallasey Docks and Salford Quays 29th September 2020
  • Its Like February Again 26th September 2020
  • Drinkwater Park Again 20th September 2020
  • A Summers Evening Fishing Drinkwater Park Lake 1st September 2020
  • Holiday Fishing Cornwall 24th August 2020
  • Ashton Canal Fishing Free Parking 20th August 2020
  • A Good Read ? 31st July 2020
  • Driving Me Up The (Gynn) Wall 30th July 2020
  • I Smelt A Record But Let It Go 27th July 2020
  • Out Fishing Again 19th July 2020
  • Attack Of The Killer Crabs 3rd July 2020
  • An Evening On The Prison Pond 27th June 2020
  • Bitterling and Bream 6th June 2020
  • Out On The Ocean Wave 1st June 2020
  • Only Mad Dogs And Englishmen 29th May 2020
  • Back In The Saddle 27th May 2020
  • Excitement Turns To Disappointment (again) 15th March 2020
  • New Season Excitement 14th March 2020
  • Waiting For The Tide To Turn 8th March 2020
  • An Anglers Challenge 29th February 2020
  • Piss Off February 24th February 2020
  • Fishing Fiend Species Hunter 2020 1st February 2020
  • In Search Of Pike 21st January 2020
  • Fishing Fuerteventura (again) 12th January 2020
  • Bringing Things Up To Date 11th January 2020
  • Tackle Shed 26th December 2019
  • The Friendly Anglers Fund 2nd July 2019
  • Dace Fishing On The Irwell 27th June 2019
  • Happy Times 25th June 2019
  • Parklife Fishing 9th June 2019
  • New Kit 6th January 2019
  • A Little Perspective – Pike 30th December 2018
  • Irwell Barbel Quest – Part 12 – Utter Frustration 23rd December 2018
  • An Artists Palette 15th December 2018
  • Hungry Pike 10th December 2018
  • The 2 Hour Rule 3rd December 2018
  • Black Death On The Irwell 30th November 2018
  • Using A Pole Float For Trotting The River 27th November 2018
  • My Most Successful Lure This Year 25th November 2018
  • Washed Up On The Beach 19th November 2018
  • Fishing At Monton Lighthouse 27th August 2018
  • Out With The Kids 17th June 2018
  • Winter Bream 5th February 2017
  • Manchester Grayling 31st January 2017
  • Pleasure Fishing Bradshaw Hall Fisheries Lake 7 25th January 2017
  • A Fish At Last 19th January 2017
  • A Bit Rubbish – Part 2 3rd January 2017
  • A New Year – An Old Challenge 1st January 2017
  • A Bit Rusty 10th November 2016
  • A Bit Rubbish 1st November 2016
  • Holiday Fishing Tenerife 5th July 2016
  • The Irwell Imp 22nd May 2016
  • Daddy Daddy Lets Play Fishin Lod 21st April 2016
  • Scratching The Itch 29th March 2016
  • A Great Day 25th March 2016
  • Holiday Fishing Fuerteventura 11th March 2016
  • Mersey Salmon Video 31st January 2016
  • Fishing On Christmas Day 25th December 2015
  • Going Fishing With My Dad 10th December 2015
  • I’m Still Here 6th December 2015
  • Walking The Cheshire Ring Pt2 1st April 2014
  • Walking The Cheshire Ring Part 1 31st March 2014
  • Is Back On The Bank 19th January 2014
  • A Stolen Hour 28th October 2012
  • A Day Out At Gingham Fishery Nr Horwich 30th September 2012
  • Irwell Barbel Quest part 11 13th August 2012
  • Full House 1st August 2012
  • Back On Th’Irwell 30th July 2012
  • Warning – Fishing Pox 19th July 2012
  • Your help needed 23rd June 2012
  • Duchy Lagoons 5th June 2012
  • All Quiet 31st May 2012
  • Right On My Doorstep 1st May 2012
  • Longer Evenings 17th April 2012
  • Shore Fishing Tenerife 15th April 2012
  • Trout In Dirty Places 2nd April 2012
  • Caddis On Steroids 29th March 2012
  • Irwell Pollution 19th March 2012
  • Fishing and Blogging With The BBC 15th March 2012
  • Always A Wag 2nd March 2012
  • Long Overdue 29th February 2012
  • Roach 23rd February 2012
  • Hooked 22nd February 2012
  • Trout Fishing At Pendle View 19th February 2012
  • The Quarry 18th February 2012
  • An Impressionist On The Irwell 5th February 2012
  • Angling Research – The Social And Community Benefits Of Angling 31st January 2012
  • Casting About 22nd January 2012
  • Church Gardens 21st January 2012
  • Golden 15th January 2012
  • A Different Kettle Of Fish 13th January 2012
  • Not A Just Reward 7th January 2012
  • Blanking On The Quays 4th January 2012
  • On The Rocks In Lanzarote 14th December 2011
  • Bloggers On The Box 23rd November 2011
  • Irwell Barbel Quest Part 10 15th November 2011
  • On The Canal In Manchester 5th November 2011
  • Roaching On The Ribble 31st October 2011
  • Fishing On The Ship Canal With The BBC 28th October 2011
  • October Kick Sampling With The Riverfly Partnership 15th October 2011
  • Angling Trust North West 11th October 2011
  • Donegal 6th October 2011
  • Rochdale Canal Tench 19th September 2011
  • 8th October Match – River Irwell Old Course Irlam – Top Hat Optional 17th September 2011
  • Canal Tench 10th September 2011
  • Pommie Bashing 2nd September 2011
  • River Irwell Old Course Match Aug 2011 29th August 2011
  • Road Trip 25th August 2011
  • On The Canal 19th August 2011
  • Starlight Express 15th August 2011
  • Bitter – ling 11th August 2011
  • Ouch 28th July 2011
  • A Warm Glow 18th June 2011
  • Inspiration 22nd May 2011
  • Not Another Bloody Blog 17th May 2011
  • River Irk Polluted Again 14th May 2011

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in