Fishing Fiend

Mad About Fishing

Fishing Fiend Ltd Logo

More Weirs

More Weirs

by




I went for a walk this afternoon to have a look at a couple of the weirpools on my local river. After seeing trout attempting to jump the weir in the top most picture on Friday, i thought it might be interesting to see if they were attempting to get up any of the others.

My photos don’t really give you any idea of scale, but the weir in the topmost picture is about 16ft, then about 18ft in the second picture, 6ft in the third picture and about 10ft in the last. We saw fish jumping in the first two weirs pictured, but no fish in the other two. There has been conjecture that there are now migratory fish in the river, but i cant see how as the lock gates, sluices and hydro electrical turbines on the lock gates of the Manchester Ship Canal at Irlam make it virtually impossible for fish to migrate upstream from that point. The only way fish can get upstream is if they are actually in a lock when a ship is passing upstream through the ship canal at Irlam so whilst not impossible it is improbable.

The fish i saw today were all brownies, which must have some sort of genetic desire to migrate upstream to spawn. Hopefully there will be more periods of heavy rainfall in the near future which will make these seemingly impossible obsticles passable allowing the fish to find suitable spawning sites.

An amazing sight.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Salmon Quest Part 8

by

My original intention was to spend the whole weekend fishing the EA beats on the Ribble, however a late phone call from Matthew telling me he wanted to spend the weekend with his Dad made for a hasty change of plans. Matt is captain of his rugby team and now lives and breathes his new found passion in the same way i do with fishing. So my weekend is now taken over by a funny shaped ball and i will be watching Sedgley Park vs Lymm this afternoon and Matthews under13 team vs Broughton Park tomorrow.
So today rather than a full day on the Ribble i had a dawn start at the weirpool on the Mersey. Again i spent the morning flinging spoons, plugs and spinners across the turbulent water without a take. I have been surprised that i havent even had any pike, perch or trout whilst spinning for Salmon and i am finding the Mersey a desperately hard water as unlike the Ribble i havent yet seen any Salmon in the river which at least give you some encouragement. I need some encouragement as i am now over the 30hour mark without even a take.

As you can see from the photo i took, the water levels have dropped back to normal after the floods of a fortnight ago, however there is now a huge tree balanced across the top of the weir.

Talking about weirs, i was exploring a couple of new swims on the Irwell yesterday afternoon, and had the unexpected pleasure of watching some big trout attempting to jump one of the bigger weirs on their way upstream to spawn.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Lucky Charm

by

I think Phil should pay me to go fishing with him, as this year every time hes caught a new pb i have been there fishing with him. Pictured above is a 3 1/2 pound Rainbow Trout from a Shropshire venue that Big Dave took us to.
Phil then went on to catch a fish of 5lb which i am sure he will post on his blog – well done Phil!

As for myself, i too beat my pb Rainbow trout, first of all by catching a fish of 3lb 6oz pictured below, and the a fish of about 4.5lbs later on in the day.
The lake was about 3 acres, and very heavily stocked with Rainbows. I lost count of the number of fish we all caught and fish fell to all sorts of flies ranging from snipe and purple spider patterns to 1970’s throwback baby doll patterns. By regularly swapping flies i eventually discovered that red and white lures were most productive, unfortunately i only had two flies of this colour mix, both of which ended up stuck in an overhanging tree.
We had a full day on the lake, in the company of Big Dave and some of his pals. It was a pleasure to meet Daves friends who turned out to be good company and excellent fishermen.
My arm is now aching due to the number of hard fighting Rainbows i have been catching today so this post is now done.
Have a look at Phils blog for more photos.


manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

On Stream

by

Due to work issues i have been unable to get out fishing for the last week, and this weekend Matthews Rugby commitments took priority so fishing had to be put on a back burner until 3.30 on Sunday afternoon.

As i only had time for a short session i passed up on my current salmon quest and met Tony on one of his local streams for the last few hours of daylight.

I cant call it a river because there were many spots where i could have jumped from one bank to the other without getting my feet wet. But despite its size, its stuffed with fish and choosing a nice deepish (2ft) glide i caught a nice roach first cast. Another one followed quickly, and then the swim died, so i moved to another likely looking spot a little further downstream.

My rig at this time consisted of 13ft trotting rod, centre pin with a 5bb stickfloat and a 2lb hooklength to a size 16 hook.

When Tony arrived he laughed at my set up, telling me that my set up was far too heavy, and in short time showed me just how many fish were in my original swim using a 0.5g pole float and a size 20 hook. He caught a fantastic brownie, well over a pound, and fantastically marked ( look at http://www.timebytheriver.blogspot.com/ as he is hopefully going to post at picture of it). In addition to the trout, Tony had some really nice roach. Ever the gent, Tony invited me back to fish my original swim, where i proceeded to catch about a dozen roach to about 120z’s. Amazing fishing from such a small stream.
We fished on until we could no longer see our floats, if we had a torch i think we would have stayed even longer! Was great to be fishing again.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Weir Today – Gone Tomorrow

by

I had the day free to myself, so after yesterdays deluge i took a trip down to the weir pool on the Mersey to see if there was any chance of casting a line today.
On reaching the riverbank i had to do a double take as i have never seen the river so high. The weir and the salmon ladder had completely disappeared and the river was a boiling brown cauldron. I reckon that it must have been a good 15 ft up.

At normal levels taken from the foot of the weir, looking back in the pic you can see 3 people standing at the spot the next photo was taken from this morning.

Is there really a 10ft weir under there???

As i now definitely wasn’t going to be doing any Salmon fishing today, i took the opportunity to take a look at the weir where the Mersey joins the ship canal, and where the River Irwell/Manchester Ship Canal passes through a sluice and lock system about 500yds above the weir.

Mersey Confluence.

Mersey Confluence From Far Bank.
Irwell/Ship Canal Sluice Gates.

As you can see from the photos, the volume of water pouring out of the Mersey and into the Ship Canal was immense. Likewise the water coming through the sluices at Irlam Locks on the Ship Canal. To think that migratory fish are currently running through this is an incredible.
After taking these pics, i had a call from Tony, asking if i was going fishing today. As the rivers were too high he suggested a couple of hours on one of his local lakes which is reputed to hold some big perch. It would have been rude to say no!
A couple of hours later, I was on the banks of a small lake near Bolton, whose calm surface and still waters just go to show the amazing variety of venues we all have the option to fish. I set up using a 3BB still water blue, set slightly over depth, and caught a succession of small roach and perch. As the sun dropped beneath the horizon the number of bites slowed considerably but as a counterbalance the size of the fish i was catching increased. I had a couple of nice roach of between 8-12oz and then i struck into a better perch of approximately a pound. As the sun disappeared at just before 7pm the temperatures dropped and we could feel the chill, despite there being still enough light to see our floats, we both decided to call it a day. One of Tonys friends Pete who had joined us decided to fish on into the evening, i hope his dedication was rewarded.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Salmon Quest Pt 7

by

I didnt even see a salmon today let alone hook one. However there were still a couple of highlights which made my day enjoyable.
Despite a chilly start to the morning with the thermometer in the car showing only 4degrees as i was driving up the M6, the sun soon burnt off the early morning mist, and i enjoyed a lovely sunny autumn day. The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn and it wont be long now before they turn brown, fall and fill the river full of bloody leaves.

The river has risen a good 2 -3 feet since my last visit on Sunday with Tony, and i thought that there might have been fish using the extra water to migrate upstream. I was wrong!

I can tell that the water temperature has fallen too, as after a few hours of wading in the river my feet and lower legs are absolutely freezing, and i need to get out and go for a walk about on the bank in order to get my circulation back.

I spent all day casting my spinners and spoons across the river, but didnt have any luck. The highlight of the day was seeing these two deer enjoying the late afternoon sunshine as i walked back to the car.

manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Lengthening The Odds (Salmon Quest Pt 6)

by

Whilst accepting that it may take some time before i catch my first salmon, it might not be this season or the next, i went salmon fishing this afternoon on one the the rivers with the smallest and most fragile salmon runs of any river in the country. Talk about long odds, i went salmon fishing on the River Mersey.

Salmon only returned to the Mersey system in 2001 after an absence of over 200 years, and the run has grown steadily ever since, however the numbers of fish recorded at the fish counter at Woolaston are still very low. The pool in which i know salmon hold up in is only a 20 minute drive from my house and only a 20mile round trip instead of the 70 mile round trip to the Ribble, its the ideal place to go for an hour or so on a Sunday afternoon with Matt and Lucia.

Both Matt and Lucia know how to fish, so i enjoy taking them with me as i get time to fish as well as helping them.

As you have already guessed i didnt even see any salmon, let alone catch one, however i still had a great time. I tried worms under a stick float without any joy, and then changed tactics and tried spinning a variety of Mepps, Toby’s and barr spoons across the pool. No joy from either.

I have now spent a total of 17.5 hours in pursuit of a Salmon, and even though i havent caught one yet i have seen loads of them. Each time a see or hear one of them crashing through the water i hope that its going to be my lucky day. Maybe tomorrow or the next time who knows, but it will be October soon, and rain is forecast so there will soon be more fish in the river and the odds will shorten.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Anticipation (Salmon Quest Pt 5)

by

After leaving the city, driving up the M6, then hitting an A road, then a C road, then a single track lane, i have the pleasure of this uplifting view over the Ribble valley, and a wonderfull sense of anticpation as we drive down the farmers lane towards the river. Friday was no exception, as Tony and I made our way to fish the river, Tony for anything that swam, and me for the chance of a Salmon.
After the August monsoon, the river was now running at what i consider to be normal summer levels. This meant that the swims at the top end of the beat which Tony prefers, were now at their best. So i bit the top end of the long run with a small mepps and worked my way downstream towards Tony – who had stettled into what i consider to be Position A with his stick float set up.
Whilst the river conditions were virtually perfect, there was hardly a breath of air and the sun was shining brightly- not ideal weather conditions for float fishing – or salmon fishing for that matter.

To cut a long story short i didnt get a sniff of a fish in that pool, or for that matter in the pool i usually fish at the tail end of the beat.

We stayed til dusk, and whilst i am running on any fish is a bonus mentality and didnt really expect to catch, Tony really struggled despite trying a variety of swims. It wasnt until after the sun dropped that Tony started to get into the fish, and he ended the evening with a few fish.
Back on the salmon quest, even though i didnt catch, i saw a fish moving in the pool so my casts were in hope rather than a futile gesture. I have seen fish rise in this pool every time i have fished here. The water levels were a good 2 feet lower than my last visit, and the shingle bank was very much exposed. I even had the good fortune of finding a flying c i had lost a fortnight ago, embedded in a clump of weed. Thats £1.74 i dont need to spend again.

River levels are too low for salmon to be running, but there are fish in the river, and its only by being there and fishing that i will be lucky enough to to catch one. There is no rain forecast in the near future but who cares, just being on the river bank in good company makes for a great day, and i’m lucky enough to be having lots of great days.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Close To Home

by

Last year, Lucia and i moved from our apartment to a house with a garden a little further out of the city. Whilst we still live we within the M60 and only 4 miles from the city centre, our garden has been visited by all sorts of wildlife including a deer. We can now enjoy watching the many varieties of birds which visit our feeders in the back garden, the most recent unusual bird we have seen was a Buzzard circling over the trees at the back of the house.

However, one of the most enjoyable features of our new house is its proximity to the river. Out through the back door, a five minute walk downhill through the woods and i am on the riverbank. I have neglected my local lengths of the river recently as i have been enjoying the delights of the Ribble valley, but now the nights are drawing in, i would have to stop work far too early in order to get a decent session on the Ribble.

So my normal afterwork session on Tuesday was held on the nearest accessible fishable water to my home. After the recent dry spell, the water levels have now returned to what i consider to be normal summer levels and this means that the sandstone river bed is partly exposed and wading is unneccessary.
I used my now standard tactics of 15ft trotting rod, centre pin, avon float and maggots to see what species of fish i could tempt.
It wasnt long before my float disappeared and this cracking trout hit the bottom of my landing net.

After no more action from the swim for 30 minutes or so, i walked upstream a few hundred yards to explore a part of the river where it runs through a sort of gorge with lots of fast broken water.
It didnt take long after i had settled in this new swim before my float dipped again and another decent brownie graced my net.

I caught a few more trout as i made my way back down the river towards home, but couldnt manage to get any chub, roach or dace action. I wonder large number of cormorants i see on the river have decimated the shoals of silver fish?

Hopefully i will be able to get up to the Ribble on Friday.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout

Exceeding Expectations (including Salmon Quest Pt4)

by

Saturday brought about a trip to fish a beat on the mid – Ribble. It was a trip which had been organised a few weeks beforehand by Phil K and one which i had been eagerly looking forwards to for some time. We had arranged to meet North Country Angler and two other forum members Ian and Matt, with Tony also joining us as well i felt as though i was fishing in quite high circles and hoped that i wouldnt blank in front of such auguste company as i nearly did on my last visit to this beat.

I arrived at 10am and had the pleasure of meeting Matt (Mr North Country Angler) for the first time. It was the enjoyment i had reading his blog, and Nicks Angling For Something blog which inspired me to start my blog earlier this year. So if you cant stand my blog blame them for getting me started. Actually if you dont my blog, why are your reading it? Close your browser immediately!!!
I took my time tackling up, and was glad i did so, as i had the pleasure of watching Matt explore the upper pools of the beat with his short line and heavy bugs. It was great to watch him work his way through the pockets of fast water and i wasnt surprised to see him soon into the fish. I think he took a couple of small browns and a nice grayling.
I stettled in fishing a riffle between Matt and Phil, looking to see if i could tempt anything from the faster deeper water. I had a couple of bugs on and fishing slightly upstream and across i didnt get any takes. I’ve never taken any fish from these upper pools on my previous two visits, with all of my fish coming from two pools in the middle of the beat. I think this lack of success in these upper pools is due to the higher angling pressure on these pools (they are nearer the car park) and my inexperince of river fly fishing. These fish must have seen dozens of varieties of every type of fly anglers tie so my poorly presented offerings were treated with the disdain they deserve.

After a quick hello and chat to Ian (aka Crusty) and Matt (aka Bricktop) who are regular posters on a couple of the forums i read and also friends of Phil and Tonys i decided to seek out pastures new, and took a hike down to the bottom pool on the beat where i have never previously fished.

I enjoyed my walk downstream, the river was in fantastic condition, the water clear and at normal summer levels. There were mushrooms dotting the fields and the hawthorn trees were heavy with their bright red berries. Walking down past Hodder Foot where the a couple of Salmon anglers had taken residence, the lower end of the beat was deserted and the pools inviting. I made my way down to Calder Foot which is the lowest pool in the beat and started to fish in the waters where the two rivers met.

I stood in the centre of the River Calder and cast into the pool where its waters met those of the Ribble. It was after only 15 minutes that i received the fright of my life as a Salmon cleared the water only 20 feet in front of me, and crashed back into the river with a splash which sounded like someone throwing a large boulder into midstream. Superb!!!
I tried quite a few combination of flies without getting any interest from any trout until i put a tiny black ptn on point and a fly pictured below as dropper.


I moved out of my chosen waters meet swim, and upstreamed in the streamier main river water in one of the pools above. I proceeded to catch three brownies and a tiny Salmon Parr in the space of only 20 minutes. Two of the brownies were a decent size and definitely my two biggest trout to date from this beat.


I had been joined by this time by a Salmon Angler on the opposite bank. There were plenty of Salmon showing in the main pool, and he tackled up with a big bunch of worms and started to work his way through the swim. It must have been really frustrating for him as there were Salmon showing all the way throughout the pool. I was thinking about tying on two Salmon flies i had found in the bank side vegetation at my usual Salmon spot in continuence of my salmon quest, but i had bought a trout only day ticket and didnt fancy pushing my luck. The other angler then swapped tackle and started to use prawns, had had a fish on first cast. Unluckily for him, the fish threw the hook after only a brief fight. However, he had a further 3 good pulls in his next 5 or six casts but couldnt connect with any of the biters. After running out of prawns, he inexplicably packed up and left. I couldnt believe it, as i was amazed by the number of Salmon splashing about, it must have been every Salmon anglers dream to have such a pool full of fish in front of them.

After catching these fish, i decided to stop being anti social and walked back upstream to find the others and have a chat. The guys were all still in the upper section of the beat, but by now i found that Matt (North Country Angler) had left, but that Tony had arrived. On hearing my news i could see a sparkle in Tonys eyes as he headed off downriver to the pool i’d just left. A couple of butties, a chat with Ian, and 10 fruitless minutes checking out a little riffle i decided to head off back downstream to join Tony.

By now, yet another Salmon angler was fishing the pool from the opposite bank, this guy had a little more luck and had already banked a 7lb salmon on the fly. There were still large fish rising in the pool so i decided to tie on the two largest trout flies in my box and see if i could arouse any interest. I fished for the last two hours with fish crashing all around me but without even a sniff of interest from any of the fish. Tony joined me and we spent the last hour standing next to each other casting into the gloom, but without any luck.

We reluctantly packed up and it was dark by the time we got back to the pub car park where we found Phil waiting patiently for us.

It was a very enjoyable day, everyone caught fish, despite this being a notoriously difficult beat, and the weather was superb. I enjoyed meeting Ian, and the two Matts, and look forwards to fishing with them again. We stayed on to have a pint together in the pub, and it was good to chat about our experiences of waters we all fish. Tight lines fellas.
manchester fishing Irwell Ribble Trout