We're Salford friendly, we'll blank where we want!!

Today saw the Salford friendly crew arrive mob handed on the Irwell. Twenty strong we had the upper hand. The fish could surely be no match for this tidy posse. We had every trick known to Salford up our sleeve ( or in our tackle bags). Other fishing clubs had been on the manor and not stayed the pace, but there is a new mob in town. Led by The Fishing Fiend and his apprentice The Manchester Pecheur we arrived early doors. Hoping to show Salford the score, we were met by a welcoming party, six or seven strong..... Cormorants.....on every lampstand!!

First hour and no movement we brought in our secret weapon.....Paul Carr. He could winkle a fish out of a plughole. He arrived to to put our minds at rest by proclaiming he would show us how its done...result!

We were getting turned over, and with not a single fish to show the Pecheur was on the edge. He decided to head up a little splinter group deep into the City's canals through Castlefield to explore the possibility of a scrap with a few Pike or even some game Perch. Conrad and myself followed buoyed up by the Pecheur's expert knowledge. By now the Fiend was hallucinating, or at least dreaming...John's expectancy seemed far more realistic.

So off deep into the City we went. The results were the same, no takers. Every wide, every basin, every feature was fished to. Our lures could find no takers.

We returned hours later to join the boys back on the river with our reputations in tatters, the best we could muster was a catch by myself, an umberella, which I backed up with a Ribena carton and a gents jacket. On the day I have to be quite proud of this achievement.



On our return to the river would the Fiend or Paul bagged up? Not likely. In fact there were twenty anglers today on the Salford Friendly pike fish in, and not a single fish caught. Some very capable anglers, even the stick wizard Derek put in an appearance, to no avail.

So that was that. Big turn out by all but the fish, however we live to fight another day. To put the top hat on it, I headed to the Dutton hotel by the Arena for my lift home to find it closed, and then to realise I had left my hat in the Kings arms after our Hot Pot supper. The evening was going from downhill to ski slope!

So the next pub down the road was the Derby Brewery Arms in Cheetham hill, and as I waited for my lift by the bar complete with rod bag and tackle bag on Sunday disco night, I had to commend the locals for taking the strange sight of an angler in Cheetham Hill in their stride. However the disco was in full swing and I was the least of their worries.

On the plus side Hazel gave me a lift to the Kings to find my hat propped against the Organ. The day was saved.

The most interesting point of the day was when the new landlord of the Kings Arms introduced himself to the guys..None other than Paul Heaton out of The Beautiful South, which produced some conversation, and the quote of the day... Ask him "Are you the guy out of the Stone Roses?" . He seemed a real gentleman and may have not been too pleased with that question!

So there you go. The most enjoyable non- event this year . Good job we all like a pint and hot-pot!