4 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 4 2012, 02:48 PM
River Kennet Newbury
0800 - 1045
COLD and clear. AT -9ºC when I drove off 
confirmed by a reading of 16ºF when I arrived on the bank. WT a balmy 35ºF - coldest day I think I have ever been fishing. However dressed appropriately and standing IN the river for warmth 
I was really quite toasty apart form the thumb and index finger on my right hand -which kept 'sticking' to the metal of my Witcher. Thought that frozen rings would be a mare but in fact the water froze on the line so quickly it was solid before it got to the rings - bit of a nasty grating noise when I caught a fish though! River very clear and very low (and very cold).
1 Chub; 2lb 13oz. 2 Brownies; 2¼lb and a tiddler. 5 Dace - including one clonker of 10oz. 1 Gudgeon.
Chub first cast which I took as an excellent omen and anticipated a morning's bagging up in the cold. Alas the bigger trout was pretty much second cast and went absolutely mental, jumping ½doz times and completely killing the swim - so my morning's chubbing was over 5 minutes after it started! 
Rested the swim hoping they'd return but only caught dace after the hiatus.
Unfortunately I'm not the only one who knows of this hotspot.....
28 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 28 2012, 12:53 PM
River Lambourn - Newbury
0800 - 1130
Cool and Overcast. 2-5ºC. River low, VERY low for late January.
26 Grayling; 10 over 1lb(!). Best 2 both 1lb 10z.
Change of plan due to footy being re-arranged for this afternoon had pencilled in a Speen session. Scratchy sort of morning until I found a shoal of nice, feeding, grayling - had only caught 7 by 1030 - so had a manic last hour (from the same spot too!)
20 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 20 2012, 08:57 PM
River Frome - Wool
0830 - 1645
Overcast, mild and breezey (rather too breezey at times). River clear and quite low.
16 Grayling; best 3 1lb 11oz, 1lb 10oz, 1lb 9oz. The rest mostly small. 5 Brownies - most small with a couple of pounders.
Ever since my first visit here in November I've been bending Paul's ear to come and join me - and the premise of a belated birthday trip was the perfect excuse. However work (his) threatened to get in the way and we only decided to go yesterday. Fortunately DDAS are rather more forward looking than a lot of angling clubs - and a simple paypal transaction resulted in Paul's Guest Ticket being emailed to me within 5 minutes of payment - I was very impressed.
So a quiet day by the river in deepest Dorset!! You gotta be kidding - the morning was as if Armegedon had started. Numerous fire engines, dozens of police cars and a ruddy police helicopter hovering overhead for 2 hours. 
We were checked out a number of times - with police cars pulling up - and in one case crossing the field towards us. Most surreal was when we moved 400m upstream and the helicopter followed us!!!! Once home it all became clear!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-16650234
The morning's fishing was pretty uneventful - at least for me. We started off in what I'd boldly said were banker swims - as they had produced 2lbers on my previous trips in November - so of course we struggled. I was really keen for Paul to catch as I'd persuaded him into this jaunt - and thankfully he scored the only success of the morning with a very fat lady of 2lb 3oz - A fish that made fools of both of us as we estimated it at much bigger.
There was no mistaking the size of Paul's next biggie though!! After lunch we had moved downstream and whilst I was saying we might have a chance of dace here Paul started to catch grayling. A tiddler was followed by a 1-10 fish. He then connected with something that he annouced was a trout. However from my vantage point I could see from the first flash of the fish in the clear water that this was a grayling - and a rather special one at that!!! Acting as netsman I managed to net it first pass - And we were quickly guessing its credentials - a 3? My guess was a modest 2-14 - I was an ounce out; both sets of scales registered an ounce below the magic 3lb mark. Still an awesome grayling and a new PB for Paul. 
Things then started to look up for me too - and I started to get amongst the grayling - they had obviously moved down into the deeper water. Paul had the last say though with a third and final 2lber. I don't think I'll need tooooo much persuasion for a return visit next year!!!
The 'Banker' swim - no fish here!
Top of the fishery looking down to where Paul got off the mark!
Paul's First 2 of the day...
Woolbridge Manor (Wellbridge House in Tess of the D'Urbervilles)
Paul's clonker - 2lb 15oz.
I get in on the act at last.
Paul perfects the ancient art of grayling juggling with his 3rd, 2 of the day.
Sunset over Wool Bridge.
15 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 16 2012, 06:51 PM
Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
0900 - 1630
Frosty and bright, temps around 2-4ºC all day. River low and clear
8 Chub; 4 chublets and 4 over 2lb, biggest 5lb 6oz. 16 Dace; half over 8oz, biggest 13oz & 12oz. 3 Roach, biggest 1lb on the nose. 6 Brownies - biggest 2, 4¼ & 3¾lb.
NAA day on this lovely part of the Kennet so had to share the place with a couple of dozen other anglers! Highlight of the morning was seeing Rusty do an impersonation of Nigel Mansell as he raced off to bagsy the weedrack swim and seeing 2 other anglers pull in behind us on the Kintbury rd, unload their car in a blind panic and practicallly sprint off to their swims to ensure Paul and I wouldn't get them!! In truth we weren't at all bothered as we were pretty sure our secret dace swims were safe (as they were!!). All in all, a fairly slow day as you'd expect in such bright conditions. Paul and I both caught decent dace early on though I had much better success in the last hour when I had the 13oz dace and the 1lb roach in consecutive casts. Paul caught more dace overall - he having had a better 'middle' part of the day - again local knowledge playing a big part. Equally my 'banker' chub swim was unoccupied mid-afternoon and trotting 3 grains of corn on a size 8 quickly brought some decent chub to the net - the 5lber was first cast. Paul and I pride our selves in being last off the venue on such days - but Rusty outdid us - we were on our way home when I got a call from Chris - to say he was still fishing!!!!!
Pics from Paul (apart from the chub)...
7 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 7 2012, 01:12 PM
River Kennet - Newbury
0830 - 1130.
Mild with broken cloud, 6º -> 9ºC. A lovely benign, winter's morning. River still on the low side - though up an inch or so and very clear - as it usually is in the winter. WT 46ºF - a little on the cool side for good sport - good thing no one told the fish!
4 Chub; 5lb 5oz, 3lb 11oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 2oz. 1 Barbel; 3lb 5oz. 1 Bream (!); 2lb 10oz. 19 Dace, most quite small with 2 or 3 nice ones, 2 Roach (1 a nice size, circa 8-10oz), 10 Gudgeon.
Hurray the chub are back!! And despite a cracking morning's trotting I am still kicking myself on 2 counts. The first for being a complete dolt. I had bumped a good fish and been snapped twice before it occured to me that a size 18 to 2½lb bottom is not the tackle to bully big chub away from tree roots in a fast flow - can't believe I tied a new one on after losing the first! After losing a second 18 I retied with a 14 to 6lb mono and the next 2 fish (the 3-11 & 2-13) were given short shrift, bullied away from the tree and played out in open water. Then followed the barbel and not long after the 5lber - with one of my 18s in its scissors - so at least I got a hook back. I didn't lose another fish after scaling up and still caught some of my bigger dace and the bigger roach. The second bout of idiocy was leaving my camera at home, it was still plugged into the computer after downloading Monday's big Esox. A pity as a 5lb chub AND a winter barbel of any size on the float are always worthy of a portrait!! Bream was also a bit of a suprise - more so for the fact it was caught in the fastest of flow - and punched way above it's weight - thought it was another decent chub until I got it to the top.
2 January 2012 (A big fat Pike!)
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 2 2012, 09:40 PM
River Kennet - Speen Moors
1230 - 1600
Bright and sunny start followed by a heavy shower. AT 5-7ºC. Forgot to take WT!
1 Pike; 15lb 3oz (!!!). 4 Perch 1lb 9oz and 3 smalluns. 2 Roach. 2 Dace. 8 Gudgeon.
Rather hoped that the weather would have held to what we'd had in recent days (mild and overcast). Bright sunshine and a sudden drop in temperature is not what the angler ordered and I ummed and ahhed all morning about whether or not to go. However with opportunities somewhat diminished for the next couple of months at least (yes a job at last!) it was a case of you won't catch owt mooching about at home. So rather than the canal I thought I'd have a wander round Speen - drop into a few favourite spots and with ½ pint of maggots left over from last week was sure to catch something. The plan was then to spend the last hour of daylight trying to winkle out a perch or two from a couple of spots that used to be very productive (but have been less so for the last couple of seasons).
Part one went as planned, fishing one of the weirs I had 3 of the perch including the bonus 1lber - but was somewhat gudgeoned out. I was really after a chub so moved down to the APFA swim but only caught more gudgeon! Then who should I meet - but Rusty who was just finishing off a bread based blank in the larger weir. I walked back with him and dropped into a swim en route which quickly produced another perchlet, followed by a roach - and after Chris had bade his goodbyes, 2 dace and a further roach. Having arrived and fished the first couple of hours in bright sunshine, the skies suddenly blackened and for 20 minutes it absolutely tipped it down. I very nearly packed up there and then - but a bright line on the horizon signalled that it was to be just a shower so it was off to the 'perch' swims....
The low water levels didn't fill me with much anticipation but I thought fading light should encourage any fish to feed. The first swim produced nothing and I'd made around ½doz casts in the second swim when the float bobbed once and just slid away purposefully. I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I struck and realised in an instant that this was no perch. Pike love lobs and are a bit of an occupational hazard when perching - and I was seriously out gunned by this beasty! My record on landing pike on worm is pretty good providing you have hooked it clear of teeth - however I really didn't expect to get this one in. The initial strike had turned it away from danger only for it to shoot off down stream in the current. Again I managed to turn its head and headed up stream. In the shallow water I could see it clearly - and realised it was going to be a challenge for my 24' pan net - however on its next pass I placed the net behind it and it turned tail and shot straight in with the current.
A really fine fat specimen hooked in the outside of the scissors - how lucky is that. Tis my biggest ever worm caught pike - beating the 14lb I had 2 years ago, my biggest ever from Speen, and my biggest since my PB of 18-10 in Feb 01. Landed on a size 8 to 6lb mono and my trusty Harrison float rod!
Having photographed and slipped her back I returned to my perch fishing. Alas the perch weren't in residence and the next 2 bobs of the float both produced crayfish - so whilst there was still some daylight left I decided it was time to call it a day!
27 December
Posted by Chris Plumb, Dec 27 2011, 07:26 PM
Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
0730 - 1630
Mild and overcast with light winds - a lovely benign winters day. 10ºC. River VERY low.
4 Chub to 2lb 10oz. 5 Grayling - all between 10oz - 1lb 6oz, 14 Dace - nearly all over 8oz - 5 over 10oz, best 12oz (had 3 at this weight!), 3 Roach, 6 Brownies to 2¾lb.
A lovely day to be by the river - we were restricted by low water levels to where we could fish - but finding a shoal of big dace in the very first swim we dropped in took the 'pressure' off!! We ended up fishing and resting it in rotation all day! Paul had an identical number of dace - and like me nearly all were gooduns (ie ½lb+) his best though went a whopping 14oz.
Some pics - all courtesy of Paul...
24 December
Posted by Chris Plumb, Dec 24 2011, 01:39 PM
River Lambourn - Newbury
0745 - 1115
Cool and mainly overcast. 2º -> 6ºC. River low and clear (of course!)
33 Grayling; 10 over 1lb (!) best 4, 1lb 15oz, 1lb 13oz, 1lb 7oz, 1lb 6oz with another dozen around the 12oz mark. 3 Brownies - all small but bigger than parrs.
Christmas Eve sees the annual cleaning of my bait fridge as the maggots are served with an eviction order and the appliance is commandeered for Christmas duties. As usual for this venue it was a case of starting at the top and working my way down - fishing every likely look run - resulting in a remarkably similar return to my last visit here (see 23 November). Unlike last month though the fish were a bit more spread out - though all the 'pound plussers' came from just 3 spots - the 2 biggest from the same swim - one devoid of fish last time out though equally last months hot spot was empty. It really pays to travel light!
22 December
Posted by Chris Plumb, Dec 22 2011, 11:09 AM
K&A Canal - Thatcham
0730 - 0945
Mild, with cloud clearing (rather too quickly for my liking) to milky sunshine. AT 48ºF, WT 47ºF
1 Perch; 2lb 6oz
Couldn't resist the lure of the canal with these mild conditions - though, alas, it was much brighter than forecast! Fished 4 swims and only managed 2 bites all morning - both of which came from the 2nd swim I dropped in and resulted in the blank saving stripey. Banker swim failed to produce - again! 
18 December
Posted by Chris Plumb, Dec 18 2011, 07:30 PM
Middle Kennet Estate water.
0800 -1600
Cold, frosty and bright. -1ºC -> 5ºC. River very low
5 Chub; 5lb 15oz, 2lb 3oz & 3 chublets 2 of which were circa 1lb. 47 Roach; Most in the 6-8oz bracket - the 5 I put on the scales were 9oz, 10oz, 12oz, 14oz & 1lb 2oz but an awful lot weren't much smaller than the 9oz fish - probably had nearly 20lb of roach in all! 2 Dace & 6 Brownies biggest circa 2½lb.
Chalk this one up to the river keeper who put us on to the fish - from a stretch of river Paul and I had never fished before. Probably my best ever day roach fishing on the Kennet (for numbers and overall average size of fish) Paul had fewer roach but the same stamp - and he managed to winkle out a couple of decent dace to 8oz. First couple of hours were a real struggle due to the rod rings freezing up - fishing (and catching) became a lot easier once the temps lifted enough for the line to run free. Largest chub was a bit hair-raising on light tackle!
More pics to follow - once my 'Official Photographer' has sent them over!
And here they are....
Twas a bit nippy when we started...
But Dawn was spectacular!
And Sunrise was pretty too...
Nearly 6lbs....
No fish here!
Dusk in the 'Roach' swim.
on 4 February