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Baptism

Posted on by Mike Duddy
Just like everyone else, there are events which we look forward to, plan for, and as a result build a mental picture of the outcome. Today was the opening day of the trout season on the river, something I’ve been looking forwards to all winter. When you look forwards to something for a long time, you always end up building a picture in your mind about how things are going to pan out – in my imagination I often dreamed about huge hatches, fish crawling up the line – I’ve dreamt about all outcomes. Unsurprisingly, one of the dreams I didn’t have was taking two steps into the river, slipping on a smooth rock and falling flat on my face and taking an early season bath. Talk about an early season baptism.

So there I was, soaked to the skin before I’d even cast a line – what a great start to the new season.

Luckily for me despite being piss wet though I hadn’t put the fish down, as about 5 minutes after starting fishing I had my first ever river brownie on a self tied fly. It was a typical fish for the river, well marked and about 12oz. The fly was a tungsten beaded, hairs ear finished with red copper wire.

Heartened by this initial success i made my way slowly upriver.
Only about 10 yards further upstream, my minicon darted forwards, and i struck into what i thought was going to be another 12oz fish. After a heart stopping 5 minutes, Phil did the honours for me and this cracking fish graced the net.

To say i am pleased is an understatement. a 2.75lb wild brownie on a fly I’ve tied myself. What a fabulous way to start the season!
The rest of the afternoon was spent searching about a few swims I’d never really spent time on before, but no more fish were forthcoming. To be honest i didn’t really care – that fish was a cracker and here’s some more photos of it.


One sleeve was blue and the other red as i fell on my left side and was soaked from my shoulders to my toes, and i was making a vain attempt to dry out.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout
Mike Duddy

0 thoughts on “Baptism”

  1. phil-k says:

    It was a wonderful sight to see such a big fish jump out the water with the gasps of your audience watching.Fabulous result ,well done.;)

  2. Mike Duddy says:

    Ten years ago i would have put the rod down and gone for a chat with those two pretty young girls.
    Now i know that its no use swimming against the tide, i realise that i have more chance with the fish than the women:(

  3. Tony says:

    Great fish Mike, when your talking about the two pretty women you do relize it was me and Pete stood on the wall watching and gasping!! It’s a bit like dogs chasing cars the pretty women thing even if they catch one, driving it is a real problem .

  4. Matthew Eastham says:

    Bloody nice fish Mike! As yours and Nick’s efforts prove, that system sure holds some good trout – bigger fish than many of the so called ‘famous’ rivers nearby. You could fish for example,the Wharfe for a lifetime and never catch a trout of that size class!

    Well done. Now you’re catching on your own flies, you’ve unwittingly entered a black hole from which you can never escape!

    ATB,
    M