sea monsters in the Irwell

No this is not a new episode from Jeremy Wade.....

On the latest trip to the Irwell predator fishing all angles (deadbait, lure and worm) my Dad and i started off near Granada studios - just short of the Granada fishing club signs (i wasnt sure if they are still an active club so decided to abide and fish short of the sign.

12ft pike rod with a mackeral deadbait, a lure rod and a cage feeder rod filled with breadcrumb with worm on the hook.

Dad was marshalling this rod - same set up as many times before - this time a bit of luck for once - 10mins in and dads tip swung round - he was in on the worm.

The fish lepted from the water some four times and each time dad kept saying to me - i hope you tied this hook on right - a reference to the many grinner knots i tend to tie wrong-.......

10mins later and it graced the net - a lovel 3,5lb fish - bit what was it..... i am no expert on game fish but it wasnt a browny,nor a rainbow - i dont know - it was either a salmon or a sea trout!!!!

what do you think - please comment your help identifying this is appreciated

what else lives in the irwell???? hopefully the SalfordFriendlyAnglers fish in will tell....

another go at it

bad weather reduced a 4 to 5 2hr sessions to just 2, the first i have blogged, the last well what a disaster - picked my regular spot at the end of the canal as it goes into Huron.

First cast i needed to adjust my stop knot but i managed to bring my line into the side and snagged - it was locked solid - lost the rig and bait - gutted to leave it in there

lost 30mins of a 2 hr session

dad had nothing on the worm - it was quite clear the perch were shoaled up in the middle and thats were the pike could be,

i know the best peg was only 100 yards away but i had been putting bait in here - its clear there was no reason for pike to hang around, no shelter, no bait fish and only the odd half a fish left in by me a couple of times a week,

You can guess a blank

Walked round it everyday last week and never seen anyone fishing it - ok weather rubbish especially with the bad winds etc - but i am glad - it gives me more chance with the inhabitants