Bradshaw Brook 30 May 14

Overcast and a bit muggy, did not feel like travelling far went to the Bradshaw Fly Fishers beat. The brook was quite low and had colour, why, I did not find out. I had intended to fish up to Jumbles dam and see where it was coming from. Half way there I came upon a family enjoying themselves throwing skimmers in the brook, so I walked back down to the private stretch.   

The bottom of this picture is a good place to catch fish, down where the three trees are leaning over the brook is a never fail area. I started there and had three fish. All small ones but that's what the brook gives me.

 This one came from the garden stretch not big but the best at the time. 

Oh. forgot. Seven foot rod 4 weight line Blue Dun dry fly, could not see any flies hatching but the fish were taking something and the blue dun worked for me.

Continued catching small fish up to the top of our beat and then moved onto the jumbles stretch, same there, plenty fish but smallish again.

The jumbles stretch is mostly hard fishing, you need to be in the water and as it is not very deep, very careful if you want to catch. Pictured is about the only bit that you could fish from the bank without getting caught up in the trees and undergrowth. I did well only lost one fly, must be getting lucky.

Rivers Irwell and Roch 29 May 14

Yesterday was miserable wet day went to Ted Carter's fishing tackle shop in Preston. First time I have been there, very large shop with all kinds of fishing tackle course and game. Bought myself another wading jacket which I wore today, its better than my other one but still not perfect.

Today I went to Kearsley where last June a sewer pipe burst in the middle of the river. It has been fixed for some time now but they are still tidying the area up, should be finished very soon.

 The river looked good but I found it up on what I had expected which meant that I could not fish where I intended.

 Below is where the pipe goes under the river.

 I did wade up to one of the Islands, but decided that it was to fast and deep to go further up.

 Further down from this part of the river is the outlet from Boltons WWT Works (sewage farm) pictures below.

It never stops running as far as I know.

The Swifts and Martins were having a great time feeding around me so there must have been flies about yet no fish were rising.

Moved to the Roch in Bury hoping for better sport, it was up as well, but not enough to stop me fishing. Didn't start very promising, again no fish on the rise and some colour in the water. Fished a goldhead copper john nymph working down river, not expecting much. 

Had my first take 100 yards down from where I started, did not get it to the net. Better luck with the next one, which I caught in a spot that I have seen a fish rising before but never been able to catch it.

  I did not have to move very far before I got my next one which was a little better than the first.

Another twenty yards and I got my third and last of the day.

Plenty of Martins and Swifts as on the Irwell and the river, in places had masses of Water Crowsfoot growing in the water which is good as it grows in the shallower faster water and gives cover for the fry and smaller fish.

Still overcast no sign  of sun at least the rain stayed away and it was getting a little chilly so home for tea. 

Irwell Rawtenstall 27 May 14

Had not fished up towards Rawtenstall this year apart from the stretch above Ewood Bridge, thought it was time to have a look at a couple of of spots I had noticed whilst on my walks earlier this year. The first bit I tried look very promising and I could park next to the river.  I was surprised how deep it was which was good and I could see fish rising.
7 foot 3 weight and a Greenwells dry to start, trees were a problem and the wind was in my face. Though fish were coming up to flies I had the impression that they were only small ones, not so as I found out after a few casts when I hooked my first fish. It did not seem to be too worried about being hooked until it saw me, then it took ten yards of line off my reel in one lunge. Few minutes later I netted it.

  Just under 15 inches and a very pleasing start.

This ones antics seemed to have cleared the pool so I moved up and caught a few smaller ones before my next decent one. It came from a small pool where I had struck and missed half a dozen small ones and was about to give up and move on.

 The next good fish came from under the tree on the left.

A couple of inches smaller than  the other one, I had changed fly by this time as can be seen by the one in the net below the fish, I only changed because I was having trouble seeing the Greenwells in the faster water.

Caught a few more below the old weir that you can just see in the distance, above which I did not fish, change to nymph and fished back down to the car. Only had three on the nymph but I did rescue a good football which I will pass on to some local youths.

Still quite early so I went to another spot that I had notice on my walks, did not fish as I could not find a suitable place to park.
Stopped at Ewood Bridge on my way home and had a hour there, caught four small ones and missed a dozen and then home.

River Douglas 24 May 14.

The rain has come at last, but not before I got to the Douglas and managed a couple of hours fishing. Had to give up when the river changed colour and started to rise.

When I arrived the river looked good until I saw the amount of weed, it was going to cause some trouble. It was cold and overcast nothing rising so it had to be nymph which would get tangled in the weed.
Walked up as far as I could ready to fish nymph down again. At the top a small stream joins the main and that is as far as you can go without wading, even then you can not go far and you have to up stream nymph.

 Got in the river and cast a small copper john up between the bushes second cast  got me a nice brown.

Let things settle down and cast further up into the bushes, lost my nymph in the trees on the left. Put a pheasant tail on an caught a surprise.

A nice fat Chub makes a change from browns.

This is as far as you can go without wading.

Looking down river the weed does not look to bad, but further down there is much more of it

On the way up a saw a fish rise at the end of the rocks on the left so on the way down I gave it some attention and here it is.

 Got it's head in the weed twice before I got it into the net.

The rain had started but the water was still good, not that I was catching many, but what I caught were nice fish and the best was still to come.

 Here it is.

 Best I have had in the Douglas by some way.

As you can see I was getting very wet and the river was getting very muddy so took some photos and went home.

Sorry about the quality but it was  pouring down and I had nothing dry to wipe the lens with.

Bradshaw Brook 23 May 14

So much for the weather forecast of rain, we did get a bit, but not enough to make any difference to the rivers around Bolton.

After having caught a few at 7 Acres yesterday decided to fish the Firwood stretch of the brook. Not a bad choice although it can be very hard work in places, in fact in most places.

 These are some of the easier places.

Just getting to these two was hard work.

Turned out to be worth it had a few nice fish on nymph, nothing rising between the showers, best here was this one.

Had enough of fighting the my way through the undergrowth and went to 7 Acres for a lazy fish.

 Not so lazy fishing under those trees.

The two ladies from yesterday, with there Mum, could not catch one for them today, well not here.

 Tricky down here as well.

A bit better.

 Best fish of the day, caught it under the pipe pictured below.

Don't have to tell you whats in the pipe do I.

Above the pipe

 Below the pipe.

 Further below the pipe

 Yep that's the same pipe in the distance, it follows the brook all the way to the WW treatment plant on the Irwell.

Nice spot with some good fish if you do not mind losing a fly or two.

Looking back at the pictures it seems as though the sun was out most of the time, which it wasn't. We had some sun between the showers, but most were only light ones. 

Better 22 May 14

The weather has changed, it is colder and we have had some rain but not the amount that was forecast, hopefully we will get more either tonight and or tomorrow.

Fished Bradshaw Brook at 7 Acres. Started with a nymph on my new 7 foot three weight and the new reel off course. Caught lots of small browns  mostly above the road bridge. best fish on nymph was about nine inches, not big but good enough for the small brook.

Moved down below the bridge and changed to dry fly as there were olives hatching, still catching mainly small fish with the occasional better one. Good fun trying not to get stuck up the trees whilst casting to risers in shallow water. You only get one chance with most of them, one cast and they are on or they are off.

This one was on and took a blue winged olive as did all the others. 

I am not sure whether this is beautiful or scary, if they ever mutate to the size of a pigeon they would frighten the life out of me  

I have had better days but I am not complaining after last week I just needed to catch some fish and at least I did that. 

Is it just me or do all fishermen meet people who know a better place either up stream a bit or which fly would I should be using. I try to smile when they have gone.

I am not to keen on people watching, normally they get in the way or put a shadow on the water, but today two young ladies stopped as I caught one of the best ones after a blank twenty minutes. I  usually get in a tangle or catch a tree when on display.