Stakehill Lodges

I used to fish here all the time when I was younger. I started on the third pond as its full of f1s. I had a few out and couple of rudd on the feeder, the float just wasn't up to it.

 Bites were drying up so I moved to the first pond and it was a good move. First cast to the far bank my tip wrapped round to this big bream, followed up with two carp around 2lb. A nice skimmer and a roach popped up next then it was back to float as some rudd started topping in front of me. Sprinkling maggots in I got them feeding then it was one a chuck, I stopped counting after 20 there were bloody loads! Such a good fishery missed from when it was on my doorstep.

A good end to the season

The season was coming to end, so I changed my week off at work, little to my girlfriends liking as we had made plans but I had to get on the river. My first trip was off to the River Roch, to a lovely looking swim on a smooth bend. I only stayed for a for a few hours and managed to pluck out this chub at 2lb 15oz on the maggot feeder.

Next on the agenda was a trip with the Meddy Man. We set off at half 8 and arrived at a tried and tested swim by Dave, but after fourty mins or so there was no sign of life. The next move took us into to vale where after good wait and whole lot of feeding we finally broke into some fish. Dave got this lovely chub at just over two nd half pound and a couple more nice trout, caught on the stick n'all.

My fish was a good trout which weighed 2lb 1oz, and it had some pulling power, then I missed another fish which pulled my rod of the rest. We moved further upsteam but with no luck. The river has still not recoverd from a pollution incident, but there are some beautiful looking spots.

After realising I should have kept my last few maggots, I decieded to have an hour on the Irwell. Armed with a tub of fresh lobs I waded into my favourite swim and set my stick off downsteam. Not expecting to catch after about ten trots through the float dipped thinking it was snagged only to see a small brownie leap skyward. It put up a good tug and went home happy I'd landed something. I need to get better with my self-timer!

Of on the next trip, I met up with Phil and headed to the Roch. We started at a weir, which had to have a fish or two, but the river was very low and not muched showed. Phil had a small trout at about half a pound and I caught a small chub of about a pound and half, above the weir. We moved on to a swim that normally is banker and attacked it with our sticks. We must of fed a good couple of pints but after two hours we gave up, everything was perfect, I guess it was just one of them days. The Irwell was our last port of call, but on the way I showed Phil the Medlock. We had a little pop for twenty mins, and what a good choice! I caught these three one after another. The chub was a belter but it had an unfortunate scar on its back, still it fought like a train. The light was fading when we got to the Irwell but we still had a good fourty mins left. We got straight in and got the maggots flowing and it wasn't long before I was into a fish. After a good scrap this beast made it to net. It was a good 5lb+ but the battery in my scales must of been dying as it was settling at 3lb, it was not 3lb! A great end to a great day.

On the wednesday I went back down to the Irwell for an hour and managed this chunky brownie. A good fish on the last day of the season.

A special thanks to David Parr and Phil Clayton, I appreciate it very much.

What are these monsters?

I always have a little look at the Irwell, on my back from the canal, at the Marriot hotel. Theres a disused lock there which the fish use as a shelter when the rivers up. I got there as it was just dark and the river was alive! Fish were rising everywhere and some were massive. I dunno what the trout are eating at this time of year and the weird thing is they're only topping at the hotel nowhere else up or down stream maybe there's bugs coming off it, maybe from the kitchen!  I had a little go for 10 mins but nothing, trying everything from trotting maggots and floating bread.

Pike fishing the old river

 

The club set up a day of pike fishing on the old river in Irlam. I've never fished it before and was suprised when I landed two pike. Apparently the water was badly polluted a few years and killed everything off, but over a dozen pike were pulled out. The water seems full of fish for the pike to thrive, its nice to see nature having a comeback. I caught both fish on a float fish rudd midwater and were very lively.

A good week off

I've just had a week off and I promised myself I would wet a line a few times. The canal in town was my first port of call to flip a few lures about. I landed a fish of around 5-6lb behind the bridgewater hall. Theres a fountain in the basin here so the water is very aerated and the pike really dance. The only other intrest I had was down castlefield outside the gym. There are two small arms where barges park up, they were crammed full of small roach. Something was having a pop at em, whether it was a small jack or some nice perch but they weren't interested in my arsenal of lures. I had another go the next day and managed two follows up at Piccadilly basin. I managed to spot a tiny pike under a twig, it was no longer than my finger, I ended up watching it for about ten minutes.

On the Wednesday I met Dave (The Meddy Man) for my first session at clayton vale. The river was up and barely fishable but we stuck it out. I was lucky enough to pull out this brownie of about 2lb but no luck for David. I'll definitely back here when the rivers calmed down.

It was back to the canal on friday and fished a little swim at potato wharf. I only stayed for a couple of hours but managed to win half a dozen small roach and a chunky dace.

Saturday made me venture to drinkwater park to rake some weed out with the club. Check out salfordfriendlyanglers.blogspot.com

This post is abit late due to trouble with my internet.

A trip through the city

This saturday I took a wonder up the medlock right through the city centre. I've found a place at the back of the NCP behind the palace hotel where you can hop over the fence into the river, everywhere else is about a 15 foot drop down. I didn't half get some funny looks of people looking down at me. I found two small swims but the river was very low, a few stickleback clung on to my maggots in a deeper hole where I got in. I carried on walking up stream to where the river comes out from under the uni, you could carry on walking to the other side with a torch as the river turns into a 2ft storm drain. This is an amazing swim, I only caught the one chub but it was a chunky fish, I was more intrested in exploring than fishing. I've looked down to this swim in the summer threw bits of my chocy bar in to watch some massive chub snap it up, one looked around the 5-6lb mark, gonna leave this place till summer.

Looking up at two bars just off oxford road.

2011 so far

I started the year off at my grandparents house in south Florida with my girlfriend, and caught plenty of nice bass and endless bluegills. There my favourite fish to catch the really pull back, their like supercharged perch. Using basic waggler tactics you could easily bag up a ton, I don't understand why our fishing methods haven't caught on there. The saltwater fishing is amazing there's endless beaches and canals next to the house. It's the only place I know where you can fish salt and fresh water next to each other. Theres even some weirs where the fresh water canals flow over into the saltwater ones, here you can catch fish from both in the brackish. Some of the fish I pulled out include sharks, jacks, snook, drums, snapper and rays, which one was way over 30lb. You never know what your gonna get. The highlight was a fully grown bullshark which I managed to get in pretty close.

These giant bluegills were my favourite catch. Those pumpkinseed fish are the same family I think.

Paradise why can't I fish here everyday!

The summer has thrown up some nice fish. I've had some amazing sport on the Irwell. The roach fishing is brill and its on my doorstep. My two best fish of the summer from the Irwell, the chub was about 4lb and the trout was even bigger.

 

I've done quite abit on the Medlock and landed some beautiful perch. Also this surprise bream came out, it must of come from the canal overflow.

I've had a few good days lure fishing on the canal as well with this pb lure caught pike.