Ric Elwin

It's mainly Chub and Trout. The Chub go to 4 lb but most are smaller, no idea how big the Trout go but at least 6lb. There are Barbel in this stretch but they are very localised, I've not had any yet.

At Pear Mill your best bet is to drive onto the industrial estate where there is lots of parking right by the mill. There is security on the gate but if you're fishing they let you through ok, and it's some security in an area of high car crime! If you park by the mill it's just a few minutes walk to the river. If you get an A-Z of Manchester you will see a weir marked. This is a good place to start if you like fishing these, but don't be suprised if it's busy. As for permits like I said in a previous post this might be Stockport Fed water, members only but i'm not sure and I've never seen any signs. I fish it on the basis that I don't know who owns it....

You don't need deep water to catch. The best fish I've had have been from 2.5/3 foot of water. I use breadflake on big hooks with mashed bread feed. Maggot feeder works as well but I save this for the winter when the fish are more lethargic. Oh by the way don't be suprised if you have some very gentle pulls and reel in a Crayfish, some stretches are stuffed with them!

I'm not familiar with that exact stretch but it's only just upstream of Pear Mill so it will certainly hold a few fish. I've fished a couple of stretches in out of the way places that very few people fish, my results from these have been excellent. I guess your main problem will be getting to the river as many stretches are burdened by steep banks etc. It might need a bit of swim building and a head for heights. There are one or two places in Stockport where enterprising individuals have placed ropes to get in and out of the swims, not for the faint hearted!

Two stretches to try: First Pear Mill which is just upstream of the A560. This might be Stockport Federation water but there are no signs and it's fished by all. Just downstream of the A560 is Warth Meadow, again it appears to be free water. You'll find a mixture of course species and Trout in these stretches. Be warned, the Trout grow very large, 5.15 is my best, so don't fish too light!

The unhooking mat. If unhooking was still carried out in the way it was in the 70's (oops guilty i'm afraid), there would be no Carp left.

What is the maximum depth in which Carp regularly feed? I fish a sandpit which has depths to 15 foot up to 2 rod lengths out, then it's 20 foot plus. Because of this everyone tends to fish in the margins. Whilst plumbing around I discovered a small area 80 yards out that's shallower than the rest of the pit at 17 foot. Any thoughts as to if this area merits some time, or is 17 foot perhaps slightly on the deep side....

If the water you are fishing is deep, giving a long hooklength which is difficult to cast with, try this dodge: Instead of say a 10 foot hooklength reduce this to 5 1/2 foot, and fish the lead on a 4 1/2 foot link. This rig will NOT tangle but it's important that the lead link is made of line weaker than the main line, as the lead can snag when a fish is hooked. I fish this rig by allowing the bread to float to the surface then reel in the required number of turns to fish at your preferred depth. Now another dodge: chose an indicator of a suitable weight and if the bait is knocked off the hook you will get a slight dropback! Hope this helps...

Thanks for the replies so far. One thing I omitted was that the bivvy should be waterproof! Do the products at the cheaper end of the scale tend to have this property?

Talking of antique lures, I have this little number that my next door neighbour gave me. Could anyone give me an idea what it's called, origins etc. Oh yes and if it's got any value! It's about 3 and a half inches long (the lure!). It's got a brass head like a devon minnow but the body appears to be made of painted material or cloth. There are 3 trebles, the front 2 are mounted on wire 'flyers' Any ideas?

Hi and thanks for reading this post. I'm looking to buy a bivvy and would welcome any advice you may be able to give me. I've read through lots of promotional literature which has left me none the wiser and rather confused. Here are my requirements: 1/ Summer/ early Autumn use 2/ One man only 3/ Short session use only (overnight) 4/ Compact when not assembled Price is an issue and I'm tempted by one of the budget domes available for as little as £45.00. I will spend more though, say up to £100 if I can see a real benefit of doing this. I would welcome any advice you can give, either on design/ features to look out for, or on specific models. Thanks in advance. Ric