Irwell

River Irwell Carp

July 28, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

We should stop describing Salford angler Kaden McCarthy as “young” and start using the word expert.

Kadens latest fish, a 25lb common carp from the lower River Irwell certainly cements his position as one of the best anglers in our club.

Check out this River Irwell Carp

River Irwell Carp

And for us mere mortals – The Irwell holds a good head of carp downstream of the M60 – but finding them and then catching them is a different story !

Well done Kaden.

If you’re interested in having a look at some more amazing fish from local waters take a look by clicking this link below – all of them caught by Kaden

Manchester Monsters Of The Deep

Filed Under: Carp, Fishing, Irwell

Restocking Our Waters

June 12, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

We’ve put together a few clips of us restocking our clubs waters……

Enjoy the fishing….. take your children/grandchildren with you – its your duty as an angler and as a good parent

Take you litter home with you when you’re finished

Filed Under: Agecroft Pond, Barbel, Carp, Chub, Dace, drinkwater park, Family Fishing, Fishing, Irwell, Old River Irwell, Restocking, restoration, Tench

More Irwell Heartbreak As Pollution Strikes Again

June 9, 2019 by admin 2 Comments

Yet again…. we are sad to report that there has been another significant pollution incident on the River Irwell just days before the new coarse fishing season starts again on the 16th June.

Hundreds of dead fish were seen in the River upstream of Bury – with big wild brown trout to approximately 4lb in weight being observed floating belly up dead in the water.

Local angler Andrew Buttery reported the incident to the Environment Agency on Friday evening – but it was too late in the evening for an EA officer to turn out. The Environment Agency did attended on Saturday morning – but by then the river was swollen by heavy rains and most of the evidence had washed away. Thankfully we have a comitted EA fisheries team in our area – they were out again on Sunday afternoon looking for evidence, and have been in touch with us to discuss the information that local anglers have. They will be out on the river again 1st thing Monday morning looking for a potential pollution source. Lets hope they find the culprit and prosecute.

See pictures below

In recent months there have been numerous foaming incidents on the River Irwell – many of them being reported late on a Friday afternoon – there appears to be a theme.

Over the past 3 years – the River has taken a real hammering – pollution from the Tesco fuel spill at Haslingden, never identified pollution that killed all the Invertebrates over a 30 mile section, pollution from an oil company, the regular Friday foaming incidents, and now this latest devastating fish kill.

How the poor old Irwell suffers

Anglers, and other river lovers need to be vigilant, ALL angling clubs need to communicate with each other better and we would love to see a much better network of “River Guardians” working with the Mersey Rivers Trust to keep a better watch on the river, monitoring invertebrate and fish populations… creating a network of people to locate sources of pollution and be eyes and ears on the ground for the EA. In particular we need people from the Helmshore, Irwell Vale, Rossendale area. If you are interested in joining our network of “River Guardians” please contact admin@salfordfriendlyanglers.co.uk

Its our river – we need to work better together to protect it from those who don’t care.

Irwell Pollution June 2019

Filed Under: Irwell, Pollution, restoration

Restocking The River Irwell December 2018

December 19, 2018 by admin 1 Comment

Great news for anglers today – The our local Environment Agency Fisheries Team have restocked the River Irwell with 7,000 Barbel Chub and Dace.

4,000 fish were stocked at Littleton Road playing fields in Salford, and another 3,000 further upstream in Radcliffe and Bury.

This restocking is a continuation of the Environment Agencies support for The Irwell which sadly seems to suffer from more pollution incidents than most – and whose fish stocks need a regular boost.

I could waffle on for ever – but these pictures and videos tell a far more eloquent story than I can.

Enjoy the fishing!

A fab Xmas present for Irwell Anglers from the Environment Agency

Restocking Chub

Irwell Barbel – no longer as rare as hens teeth!

Many Thanks To The Environment Agency Fisheries Team

Paid For Via Your Rod Licence – make sure you buy one !!

Filed Under: Barbel, Chub, Dace, Fishing, Irwell, Restocking

Club Update August 2018

August 23, 2018 by admin 2 Comments

We’ve had a great summer 2018 with all our waters fishing well.

There have been the usual issues to deal with – litter, low water levels on Drinkwater Park Lake, and on the River Irwell caused by the long hot summer – but this hot weather has resulted in fantastic amounts of fish fry in all venues.

Remember the long hot summer of 76 and then how great the fishing was in the following years ? lets hope we get a repeat of this and our fish stocks go from strength to strength.

We have some good news – an agreement with Bury Council confirming our fishing rights on the River Irwell and Roch at Springwater Park in Whitefield (that includes the weeded up Springwater Lodge) and the opposite bank at Close Park. Really great water that offers a variety of fishing and species.

We have also taken on the fishing at Broughton Park Lake (also known as Clowes Park) postcode M7 4EN – in a joint venture with Broughton Angling Club – we restocked the lake earlier this year with 500 x 6 inch tench and 80 x 1-2lb carp. The tench arent showing yet but the carp are packing on weight coming out at nearly 4lb already. The venue is in desperate need of a good tidy up (years and years of rubbish) and a work party is going to be announced very soon.

The Old River in Irlam is also fishing tremendously well – the carp which were stocked at 2-3lb last spring are now being caught at 8lb. The tench and bream which we have been stocking over the last 4 years are now showing in anglers catches and there is evidence that these fish are also breeding.

The Quays continues to throw up specimen fish of all species but the Rochdale Canal has fished poorly this summer with frequent lowering of water levels and repeated pollution incidents.

The club is continually being offered new waters to take on – but we are reluctant to do so – as managing our current portfolio of waters is proving hard work. (However it looks increasingly likely after a tremendous response from local anglers that we will take on Gregsons Pond in Irlam)

To this end – we have asked members to form management groups for each water we have – to take the pressure of the club committee. Once we have a better managment group for our venues we will start accepting more waters into our portfolio

So far we’ve had a tremendous response with a number of anglers offering to take an active role in managing their favourite venues.

If you would like to help keeping your local water clean tidy, well maintained and well stocked please get in touch and tell us which venue you are interested in – preferably attend our next club meeting which will be held on Weds 19th September at the Boathouse Pub Irlam M44 6DN

Rochdale Canal

Old River + Gregsons Pond

Salford Quays

River Irwell – Springwater/Close Park

River Irwell – Agecroft/Philips Park

River Irwell – Salford Uni/Peel Park

River Irwell – City Centre to Salford Quays

Broughton Park Lake

Drinkwater Park/Waterdale/Kingfisher

Agecroft Pond

All we ask is for a fortnightly visit to litter pick, and keep a general eye on the venue – plus a report back to club meetings to allow us to develop a better management plan for each venue.

River Care

Filed Under: Fishing, Irwell, Old River Irwell, restoration

Family Fishing – Does It Get Better Than This ?

July 13, 2018 by admin 1 Comment

One of our members David James Bendle decided to do a short write up about the reasons why he takes his daughter (now aged 4) fishing with him, and how fishing is a great ying to the yang of life. Davids blog is also a great read – take a look here

No more words necessary from me…. read on and click on the pictures to see full size images..

David and Emily

It’s been 2 years since Emily started coming fishing with me proper, something i only got back into myself the year before, no longer seeing my dad due to problems in my family that were irreversible in resolving it was both the memories we created together and the understanding of why he took me that i wanted to get back into it and ultimately take Emily. It is a brilliant sport to keep your mental health in check, it allows you to enjoy things you would never see too numerous and small that too some it would seem like nothing but to those in the know it’d mean everything.

And despite it being a lot easier and safer not taking my daughter having been taught from the age of 3 myself, i knew she wouldn’t be too young. I still remember the year it took me to catch my first fish, as my dad let me run riot round the lake chasing perch that i could see. Crying after letting a pike he caught go because i wanted to hold it for ever. My dad never really got into the environmentalist side of things, he fished on his own or with me and non of his mates fished. Like myself growing up it was something i did on my own, i managed to convince my best mate of now 25 years to come and he fell asleep against a tree and fell in. He still won’t come a second time.

I started Emily off just observing, teaching her about what to do and how to look after the fish, being a fly fisherman on the river you do get right into the nitty gritty, we would bug hunt to see what lived there and it’d be proper wellington boots situations. Still end up with a wet arse from a slippy rock, so i always took spare clothes for her after that. As she learned how to use a reel and rod and how to fight a fish, then came the introduction of holding them, stroking them at first she opted for, then after rejecting my offer to hold it i would let it go. The tears would flow just like mine did as a child. Catch another she would say. She got a knack of naming the fish, big bad barry and the Trolls characters.

Strangely even though i would fish for less time and less distance i would break my PB 3 times in her presence she was turning into a good omen, i mean United haven’t won the league since she was born. But as she grew older i have her more responsibility, i kept her on simple nymphing methods in easy to fish pools and if she lost a fish she would lose it. It happens, i would guide her but not physically. The fish she caught would get bigger and bigger in fact a lot quicker than mine did in my first years fly fishing.

Aside from the fishing our chats would be very intuitive, she would ask me questions about why the rivers are brown, how is plastic made, why people throw ‘garbage’ (thanks ryanstoyreview) into the river, all manner of questions that i never thought she’d care about. She knows about trees, flowers and most definitely hogweed, nettles and brambles. She knows about the birds, the fish and the bugs. She knows how to build campfires and small shelters. But most of all she knows what it is like to be away from everything. We can find a place of solitude miles from the city centres or literally in them, the real wilds of the country going by unnoticed and i hope should she, when shes older, ever need to just get away from it all, she now knows places to go.

The sound of the river flowing past, a dipper or a wagtail on a boulder opposite, a ripple breaking the surface as a trout takes an olive off the top. The laughter and chatter of a father and daughter enjoying themselves as they have a small dinner at the riverside.

Filed Under: Family Fishing, Fishing, Irwell, Irwell Trout Fishing

Irwell Grayling

July 2, 2018 by admin 1 Comment

Great to see that local angler Jamie Needham has caught a Grayling from the River Irwell in the Bury area.

A Grayling From The River Goyt

We have always known that they are in there …. and in the River Roch too …. its just that they are as rare as hens teeth

Catching an Irwell Barbel is a special achievement , but catching an Irwell Grayling is akin to catching the impossible – well done Jamie.

However, there is good news for Irwell anglers after a recent phone call from our local EA fisheries team … it looks as though The Irwell might be in line for a stocking of fingerling Grayling from the national fish farm at Calverton.

There is lots of historical evidence of Grayling being caught in the Irwell dating back to the early 1820s and it’s going to be a great thing to see them making a comeback in the river.

Watch this space for updates on when this restocking takes place.

Filed Under: Fishing, Irwell, restoration

A Historic Challenge From Broughton Angling Society Dated 1903

December 6, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Back in 1903 it was commonplace for angling clubs to issue challenges to other local clubs..

We found this invitation to hold a fishing competition from Broughton Angling Society dated 1903 – challenging The Salford Friendly Anglers Society to a match.

I attended a Broughton Anglers Society meeting last night (the 5th Dec 2017) and showed their committee members this document – and informed them that we accept their challenge. Match to be held summer 2018 at Broughton Park Lake, Salford. I am looking forwards to them buying my tea!

Bring it on.

Here is a copy of the original challenge letter, with a deciphered version below.

Challenge Letter From Broughton Anglers 1903

Translated Copy of letter from Broughton Anglers 1903

Filed Under: Fishing, Fishing History, Irwell, Match Fishing

River Irwell To Receive Major Fish Restocking

December 4, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

Great news today from the EA – that a winter restocking is on the way for the River Irwell

10,000 roach, chub and dace are on order from the EAs fish farm at Calverton and will be stocked in the Irwell at a variety of locations downstream of Burrs Country Park

This is great news for the river which has suffered terribly in recent years from a variety of pollution incidents and from massive amounts of avian predation

All of this has been paid for out of our rod licence money……. there really is no excuse not to buy one.

Theres also 500 of these beardey gudgeonish looking things. There is only a small population in the Irwell – and a few more to grown on and reach breeding maturity can do no harm – can’t wait.

Once the date for restocking has been set – I will let people know so that they can come and witness the event and take a few photos.

6 inch barbel being stocked into the River Irwell at Salford Racecourse December 2011

Filed Under: Fishing, Irwell, restoration

Last Day Of The Trout Season 2016

September 30, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

For anyone who is interested – today is the last day of the trout fishing season for this year – trout fishing starts again on the 15th March next year.

The reason for a trout close season exists- is to allow the fish to spawn in peace – and for the eggs and alevins to hatch and develop undisturbed by anglers feet.

A gentle reminder to all our members that we consider the River Irwell above Bury to be a trout fishery, the River Roch to be a trout fishery, the River Irk to be a trout fishery (yes we do!) and the Bolton rivers above the confluence of the Irwell to be trout fisheries.

Please refrain from fishing these waters during the trout close season – as there are plenty of other places to fish with bait and lures where you are much more likely to catch your target species coarse fish than the locations mentioned above.

Thank you for your cooperation

Filed Under: Fishing, Irwell