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Catch Up

Posted on by Mike Duddy

There been so much going on in my non fishing life over the last 9 months, that fishing and blogging have had to take a back seat.
Luckily, fishing is like a favourite old jumper, it always fits, can be picked up or discarded at will but always feels right while your wearing it. The same goes for blogging, enjoyable sharing experiences, but not necessary to keep doing whilst nothing interesting is taking place.

My recent wedding has really kept me off the banks, I didn’t even take a fishing rod on honeymoon despite having the weak argument that “its meant to be a holiday for me too”.

So other than an enjoyable trip out fly fishing on the Ribble with Phil and Tony, May seems to have been a write off as far as fishing is concerned.

Now life seems to be returning to normal and yesterday afternoon, saw me with a few free hours – so i naturally headed off to my favourite stretch of local river, fly rod in hand, to spend a few hours scrambling upstream in search of a few brown trout.

The gods were smiling on me as I took fish after fish from each pool and run I cast into. A duo of grhe and black spider accounted for fish from a few ounces, to a biggun at the end of the day which was a good few pounds but escaped the scales, and my landing net by throwing the hook at the very last moment.
My early season worries that the fish had disappeared seem to be unfounded – thankfully.

The coarse fish in the lower reaches of the Irwell, are now migrating to their usual spawning spots despite the Environment Agency doing their best to dig up spawning gravels at a critical time of the year.

For those who are interested, now is the time of year to take a walk around the smaller basins of Salford Quays or over the footbridges of Lower Broughton with your Polaroids on – the fish you will see are amazing. The shoals of roach and bream can sometimes reach seem to stretch from one side of the river to the other – a Serengeti like migration of fish from the Ship Canal into the River.
This evening should see me out roach bashing in Philips Park, the coarse season on the river opens in a couple of weeks, lifes circle keeps turning.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout
Mike Duddy

0 thoughts on “Catch Up”

  3. Tony says:

    I read it too!! even if only you read my blog I would keep going. Read the old ones now and again (when not fishing) we have had some great days out and the blogs a memory reminder of good times.

  5. Alan Bamber says:

    Hello Mike,
    Congratulations on the wedding!
    If ever you should feel so disposed, I'd be grateful for a morning/afternoons 'tuition' on your river fishing techniques.
    Rather forward of me, I know, but if you don't ask…

  6. Anonymous says:

    There are very large fish in the Quays – I think there are monster pike in the big basin