Droylsden Pope and chicks

The sun tried to break through all afternoon on the Ashton canal at Fairfield road. I had originally planned a trip to Cambrian street in Manchester but arrived to find my swim taken by another angler. I decided to head nearer home to a swim that I have fancied for a while in Droylsden to find that was taken as well! I guess today was going to be one of those afternoons. As I crossed the playing fields I came across this uplifting scene, two geese protecting their new born chicks. These geese have really made themselves at home on the canal.

I managed a few fish today including a couple of stripeys, roach and a nice skimmer. I lost a much bigger skimmer as I turned it towards the net. It bolted and shook the tiny size 20 hook, a nice fish by my standards this year.

Fish of the day award goes to the smallest fish though. Not often a Pope visits Droylsden! I still have no idea why they have derived that nickname.  I love these little Ruffe, they go like a train all over the swim when you hook them. I haven't caught one for a couple of years, some anglers never catch one in a lifetime.

Had I brought my seat box and pole today, I think I could have took a few bream from under the far bank overhanging tree. I have fished this swim before and had bream, carp, and tench up to 4lb. This close season I have gone back to basics on the canal, with a telescopic match rod, a folding chair and a small bag. I have to say, I enjoy it more as it seems more of a challenge. Roll on June though to get back on the rivers.

No fishing Sunday as we have a Salford friendly anglers event in Prestwich, and an even bigger event at the Etihad in the afternoon. Just one more win against Mark Hughes's boys will see us end an era of red domination hopefully. After thirty odd years of watching City I take nothing for granted though!

An afternoon in Beswick

Following the previous evenings festivities at the Etihad I decided I couldn't keep away from the place. Nursing the remnants of a hangover I dropped on a swim on the Ashton canal in full view of the stadium in an attempt to lure the odd silver fish following my previous two blanks.

Armed only with my trusty Shakespeare Ganza 12ft  telescopic match rod,  a few bits of tackle and the rest of Sundays maggots (now mostly turned to caster) I cast to the middle of the canal and dragged the float back to the nearside trees to my left. It only took a few minutes to tempt my first bite which turned up a stunning little perch.

 After the week I have had this fish was more than welcome. I only stayed a couple of hours but backed up my little stripey with a nice skimmer and a few ounce roach before a boat trundled through the swim nearside churning the bottom up. That was that, not one single bite more.

This swim is really tucked away over landscaped waste land at the back of Cambrian street as you approach the City centre. It also overlooks a fishy looking stretch of the river Medlock. I flung the remainder of my bait over the bridge on to the sandy bottom of the river and watched, hoping to spot some monster Chub moving in on the gourmet offering. It was not to be today, but I bet they are around. A word of warning though, this spot is very isolated and it would be wise not to fish unaccompanied. I would only fish here if travelling light.

So there you have it. Proof if it was ever needed that you dont need to load the car with an array of tackle to catch a few fish, just a few essentials, a good telescopic rod and a little patience can bring you better results in less favourable locations.

Addicted to Drinkies

You would be forgiven for thinking you were reading a blog for alcoholics anonymous, however I refer to Drinkwater park lake in Salford. This place has got under my skin. I like a challenge but this is becoming a tough nut to crack for me. Preferring rivers and canals I am finding it difficult to even tempt bites, whilst others are reporting bumper catches. Even though the rain poured I gave it a good four hours again on Sunday to catch nothing. The sum total of my efforts were two shelled casters (I didn't see either bite) and the bottom of my hooklength completely bitten clean through whilst fishing a small lobworm, I presume by a pike or one of the huge resident mussels.

The good thing about fishing Drinkies is the need to drive through Cheetham Hill and past Brewsters Fish and chip restaurant and cafe which opens nice and early on a Sunday morning. A real greasy spoon type brekkie but value for money, and once again the only proper bite of the morning. Its becoming something of a theme.

Sunday next sees me showing off my match fishing talents again on the Rochdale canal with the lads from Salford friendly anglers. Lets hope the fish are a little less dormant than in the previous two matches.

Salford Friendly match. Drinkwater Park Lake, Salford.

I won't try to spice up another blank with a few well chosen words. The lake looked beautiful. I drew a favoured peg, and managed one bite. This week has been a week to forget. Only six fish caught on the match, with Ian catching one bream for 5lb 1oz to take the spoils. He hooked it first cast and remained biteless all match. Lovely fish though. Heres a few piccys. Note Mr Duddy resorting to the tactics he has spent weeks telling us are useless. He hooked a roach first put in on the pole which put him in the money! Clever ruse Mike.

On your bike....

Which is exactly what I did this Wednesday, down the canal towards Manchester from Droylsden Marina. Well that was the plan. Firstly I arrived at the marina to find I had left my reel at home so had to pedal home to retrieve it. When I arrived back to the canal the heavens opened and it rained on and off for half an hour. My intention was to pedal to town stopping at likely looking spots trying to lure a few pike.

Anyway the furthest I got was Fairfield road , about 300 yards, as I got chatting to an angler who was also struggling to find a fish. After an hour of fishing talk I decided today was one of those days where you don't really get going. So it was off home, without a catch to post. Never mind theres always weekend and the Salford Friendly match at Drinkies.

As the season draws to a close

A last chance today to run a stick float through Clayton Vale. After a big breakfast at my new early morning haunt, Brewsters cafe in Strangeways, along with the Manchester Pecheur we arrived on the Meddy in Beswick to be met by a fairly low and static river. Not the best start, and after an hour trotting a swim that has recently thrown up some beauties, without a hint of a fish I began to wonder whether we would see a fish today.  The arrival of another angler, Phil, signalled the time to move over and let an expert try, complete with centre pin reel. Who were we to spoil his Sunday? after all we were doing nothing anyway.

I wonder how he went on? Hopefully better than us two so far. However the day did pick up after we dropped on the Vale. After losing a good chub to a snag on the bottom I finally hit a good fish that I managed to steer into open water. A decent scrap followed before this lovely 2lb 13oz chub came to the net, weighed expertly by the Pecheur on his Korum digital scales. The Pecheur has every top quality gadget known to the angling world!

I managed another two fish, both brown trout, and both decent fish, from the same swim. All caught to double maggot on the stick float. The best pictured below. The other decided to jump from my hands, obviously camera shy.



The prettiest fish of the day fell to the Pecheur. A lovely 2lb 1oz trout that gave him the real run around before coming to the net. This fish gave a really good account of itself and drew an audience on the bridge. A really pretty trout. Pity about the captor!

We both lost other fish during the afternoon before deciding to move to a quieter spot upstream due to kids throwing missiles in the river, and dogs swimming beneath our feet. Thats the problem with fishing in the suburbs of Manchester. The Vale is like a little tourist trap when the sun comes out. A move to the golf course saw both of us get no more bites. This stretch was once the jewel in the crown but is now devoid of fish other than the odd minnow. Pity really, but it didn't stop the three other anglers we bumped into trying! I don't think I have ever seen so may people on the river in one day.

So the season draws to a close for me as my day off this week sees me travelling to Essex to say farewell to a good friend, Peter, from our England trips, who sadly passed away after a long illness. Peter was a real gent, and an Arsenal season ticket holder, and will be sadly missed by all. He was a man that touched the hearts of everybody he met. He always wanted to go to a World cup finals and achieved that dream in 2010 in South Africa. Sadly he came home after the group games as he was unwell , and has been poorly on and off since. Peter will live on in all our memories. He was that sort of gentleman.

Job done

After wandering the canals and Rivers of Salford and Manchester all day on Sunday in search of a Pike, and failing miserably, yesterday I could only muster the enthusiasm for a couple of hours out. I even put washing the car further up the list of things to do on my day off. However being a bashful individual I decided to try for a pike again, to put some closure on Sunday, and to restore some self confidence. As it was mid afternoon I decided to head a little nearer to home on the Ashton canal in Audenshaw. I have had pike from there over the years, including a few that have snaffled the odd roach whilst fishing the pole.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon, the pike below may not have been a big one, or remotely interesting to all the specimen hunters reading this piece, but never has a fish been more welcome. It was a small spinner that did the trick. The moral of the story is never give up.

That was the only take on this short session. I was only out for a couple of hours, but what a pleasant way to see the evening in.