Posh grub, trout and chub.

It was off to the Medlock again today accompanied by the big(gish)  fish specialist Andy AKA Stretford Red. Anyway to cut a long story short I always seem to be talking about the fish that he caught so I was determined to turn the tables on home turf. It was Andy's first visit to the Meddy even though at one point it virtually flows past his back garden.  A quick tackle up and Andy dropped a maggot feeder set up in to a small hole at the end of a short glide whilst I began trotting a single maggot down the swim above. Second cast and I was immediately into the action as a fish took my bait right at the head of the swim. This fish was powerful. I guessed it must be a big chub. After a short battle it came into view. Strangely a smaller chub than normal but a right scrapper. Then ping, the hook sprang out of its mouth as it lunged to safety. The swim went dead as they do on these small streams after a fight with a fish.
Consequently we moved swims to try a couple of fishy looking glides but to no avail. I was again wondering whether I was going to shake my smaller fish syndrome problem. We tucked in below the waterfall, a swim never tried before. I lobbed a maggot feeder just off the fast water and after a few seconds had a real pull round on the tip. A trout, followed by another, followed by Andy tackling his first Medlock fish, another brownie. Was it to be another day of all trout?

Not much room for two of us to fish in, but enough to get a few bites and catch some real hard fighting fish. These fast water fish know how to resist the net.

Tried a couple more swims before moving back to the first swim we fished. In the process I hooked a much larger specimen, only to see it finally wrap my line around a branch on the far bank and snap my hooklength. Determined not to miss out on a chub, I walked back to the small footbridge swim that I had previously banked a cracking chub two weeks ago. The light was beginning to fade and time was running out, then second trot down I was into a bigger fish. Bingo, a chub. Not a monster but the biggest of the day. That was what I was after.  Job done. knowing the swim would die for half an hour it was time to call it a day. Five fish today and Andy banked three. This river is not prolific, but offers fantastic sport with the chance of a decent fish.

Today's events were proceeded by our now customary visit to a cafe for a slap up. This morning we found a belter. If you are in Droylsden I can recommend the Roma Cafe. Large breakfast and a cappuccino with a fancy cinnamon biscuit for a fiver in a proper bistro type establishment. Very nice. Good job I burst my waders last weekend as I would have looked out of place wearing them in this gaff!