12 March
Posted by Chris Plumb, Today, 09:15 PM
Middle Kennet Estate
0730 - 1815
Cool overcast and showery. 5-9ºC. River clear and at normal levels.
6 Chub; Smallest 2lb 0oz, Biggest 4lb 5oz. 7 Grayling; biggest 2lb 2oz, the rest all between 12-20oz. 1 Bream; 5lb 6oz. 12 Dace; biggest 11oz. 1 Perch; circa ¾lb. 8 Brownies to 3lb.
A great mixed bag from a very pleasant days roving in the company of Paul, Merv & Dave. Spent most of the day to 3.00pm trotting corn which resulted in the chub AND the 2lb grayling (which nailed 3 kernels on a size 8). Biggest ever lady from the Kennet and 1st ever 2lber from this venue. Bream a bit of a shock! 
Merv caught his 1st ever 1lb Dace and Dave had a nice haul of Perch.
Pic of the grayling to follow.
10 March
Posted by Chris Plumb, Mar 10 2010, 04:29 PM
River Lambourn - Newbury
0615 - 0900
Cold and overcast 2ºC. River clear as ever!
11 Grayling, 7 between 1lb 6oz - 1lb 12oz (most over 1½lb)
Day off work to take Matt to a University open day - so an excuse to sneak a couple of hours on the river. 
Real catch a couple and move on tactics and really good average size of fish.
7 March
Posted by Chris Plumb, Mar 7 2010, 10:25 AM
River Kennet - Newbury
0630 - 0900
COLD, and clear. AT was 22ºF when I arrived WT a whole 20ºF warmer at 42ºF. River clear and quite 'full'.
13 (!) Chub: In order of capture; 3lb 1oz, 6lb 0oz, 2lb 14oz, 5lb 2oz, 3lb 10oz, 4lb 13oz, 4lb 3oz, 4lb 10oz, 3lb 7oz, 4lb 15oz, 1lb 11oz, 2lb 2oz, 3lb 6oz. 1 Barbel 3lb 4oz. 1 Dace.
Simply an awesome session!! All fish on trotted double red maggot (to a size 14). I seriously questioned the wisdom of this trip (and my sanity) when I set off in the half light with my car thermometer reading -6.0ºC. I was heading to my all time favourite chub swim but even so I couldn't of dreamed of 50lb of fish before breakfast! My first ever 6 from here - previous best was a 5-15 back in Dec 07. Barbel a real surprise given the water temp!
28 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 28 2010, 08:31 PM
Middle Kennet Estate.
0845 - 1745
Heavy drizzle all morning, dry afternoon, temps around 4/5ºC all day. River carrying some colour - more than is usual for here.
3 Chub; 3lb 14oz, 3lb 12oz, 1½lb, 2 Perch; 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz. 1 Roach 1lb 2oz. 3 Grayling; biggest 14oz. 21 Dace - best 2 - 13oz & 12oz. 4 Brown Trout - biggest just on 4lb (caught twice!!)
A day on the river with Paul (& Rusty 
) nearly didn't go - thankfully the predicted monsoon was anything but. I said to Paul as we drove to the venue that I was perched out after yesterday so would be concentrating on snaffling a big dace or 2 . We started in a new swim which neither of us have seen before - but which was rumoured to hold big dace. My first couple of trots produced - you guessed - 2 nice perch - on a single white maggot to a size 18! After resting the swim I returned for ½ doz good dace and the roach. However biggest dace of the day was also the last of the day - just as the light was fading. Paul also lost something substantial at dusk which might have been a really good dace - though he'll mark it down as 'probably a chub' so save his sanity! All fish on trotted maggot except the two smaller chub on trotted sweetcorn.
2-14 Perch.
27 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 27 2010, 10:27 AM
Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
0645 - 0915
4 seasons in 2½hrs! Heavy rain stopped just as I arrived - followed by and hour of calm overcast conditions, then an hour of bright sunshine, with heavy rain/hail to finish off. AT dropped from 7ºC to 4.5ºC. WT 46ºF Water 'up' and carrying some colour.
6 Perch - in order of capture: 2lb 13oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 10oz, 3lb 11oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb 1oz. 6 fish for 16½lbs!
The plan for this morning was meant to be - a couple of hours easy trotting on the Lambourn - followed by the purchase of a couple of pints of maggots in readiness for tomorrow's drenching on the Middle Kennet. However on waking and checking the conditions - and seeing that temps had been steadily rising overnight I was out to the garage check my lobs were still alive. Thankfully they were - and it was off to the canal in double quick time!! Caught steadily through out the morning, 2-13 1st cast and the 3-11 in bright sunshine.
The dilema is do I go tomorrow or not!
Not very good self portrait of the 3-11 below....
19 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 19 2010, 09:00 PM
Lower Itchen Fishery
0830 - 1730
Bright and cool with sunny intervals. River high and carrying quite a bit of colour (alas).
8 Grayling - 3 over 1lb - 2lb 4oz, 1lb 15oz, 1lb 12oz, 2 Chub 4lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 1 Rainbow trout 1½lb, 1 Brownie, 1 Parr (Salmon or trout - hopefully the former as it will mean another point for the species race - pic to be submitted for adjudication!!!)
IAC day on the Itchen - and a bit of a grueller with bites at a premium - everyone caught - though I think 11 ladies was the most by any one angler (Merv). Didn't hear of any other 2lbers, most had fish to 1½+lb - and Paul had one of 1lb 14oz along with chub of 4¼ & 3½lbs. Nearly all my fish fell to red sweetcorn - except the bigger chub and the 1-15 grayling which were on white maggot.
First ever (and hopefully last) Rainbow from the Itchen.
12 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 12 2010, 08:19 PM
Middle Kennet Estate - Nr Hungerford
0730 - 1730
Cool and overcast with afternoon showery rain. AT 1º -> 5ºC. WT 44ºF river carrying a slight tinge of colour.
33 Grayling; 13 over 1lb (7 over 1½lb) - best 1lb 14oz, 2 Dace (small), 5 Rainbows to 2¾lb, 3 Brownies to 1¾lb
A fruitless search for those elusive big Kennet dace. Fished with Paul who had a very similar return (36 ladies and 3 small dace). Thankfully the grayling are showing well here at present - much bigger average size than is usual!
Pics below of my 1-14 and Paul's biggest two - 1-12 & 1-10 caught in consecutive casts. (He was letting the 1-10 recover in the net when he had a bigger one next trot!)
6 February
Posted by Chris Plumb, Feb 7 2010, 08:58 AM
Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
0700 - 0930
Cool, calm and overcast - with 'milky' sunshine breaking through for last hour. 4ºC. WT a more promising 46ºF, little colour and quite a bit of flow.
2 Perch; 2lb 5oz & a tiddler.
A struggle for bites in seemingly perfect conditions for stripeys - though in retrospect a dusk session may have been better. Both fish fell after 0830 when it was brighter with sun on the water.
30 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 30 2010, 01:15 PM
River Lambourn - Newbury
0830 - 1130
Cold, bright & sunny. -2.0º -> 2.0ºC
13 Grayling; 8 over 1lb (!) best 3, 1lb 12oz, 1lb 11oz, 1lb 8oz.
Cracking little session after a slow start. Had planned to go perching on the canal but bottled it when I saw how 'sub-optimal' conditions were. Blanked in first 3 swims I fished - and didn't get more than 2 from any swim. Works look nearly finished - looking good! Biggest grayling from the Lambourn this season.
22 January
Posted by Chris Plumb, Jan 22 2010, 07:56 PM
Middle Kennet Estate
0800 - 1645
Drizzle/rain ALL day! Mild 7-8ºC. River at normal winter levels - carrying some colour - more than is usual for here.
3 Chub; 5lb 7oz, 3lb 14oz, a chublet, 1 Perch 1lb 10oz, 1 Bream; 4lb 4oz, 1 Pike; 14lb 2oz, 2 doz Dace - biggest 2 - 12oz & 11oz, ½ doz Brownies - biggest 2lb.
Belated birthday trip - loads of cracking dace - hardly a fish under 6oz and loads around the 8-10oz mark. 2 smallest chub and the bream on trotted corn. Pike and perch on lobs. Everything else on maggot. Pike is biggest ever worm caught esox - and biggest fish ever landed on my Harrison float rod ! It was laid up in my favourite perch hole and was subdued on 6lb B/S bottom and a size 8 - very lucky to hand it - it bit through the line in the net!!!
Paul had a similar return of nice dace and a nice perch of 2¼lb and despite starting the day with a 1lb chublet couldn't find a bigger one!
on 10 March