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22.4.22 - Alders

A day for tench, I decided, and reached the lakeside to make the worst of all possible discoveries. That's right: I'd left my lunch at home. Bravely, I watched my quivertip while ignoring my quivering lip and fished. For six hours I sat without a bite from a fish, or, obviously, on a succulent ham sandwich, or crispy bag of crisps. With four hours still to go, I'd eaten much of the sweetcorn and was now eyeing up the maggots when the rod leapt from the rest and in came a 4lb 8 tench. Another fol

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Alders

19.4.22 - Willows

I was going to spend the evening at Alders, but when I arrived there was quite a breeze rattling from the west causing quite a chop. With showers planned, I defaulted for the sheltered north corner of adjacent Willows. For the second consecutive week, I watched the carp mouthing at the surface just yards from my feet. With no biscuits/bread/pellets, I suspended a pop-up on the surface from a bomb, but they weren't interested. While the pop-up bobbed on the surface, even the terns ignoring it,  I

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

18.04.21 - Willows

It's a funny old world. Last Tuesday evening there was such a strong wind blowing through that I had to pop back to the car for gloves. But through the chop, I could see the silhouettes of the carp, dozens of them, swimming in packs under the surface. I fished a zig rig on the bouncy surface and just under it, then tried the bottom, 6-inches and 2ft off it. I've rarely seen as many fish as I saw that evening, but left with a blank. Saturday - A Spring scorcher. Lovely to sit in the sun. Bit

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

9.4.22 - Willows

Another frosty start, and having had a 'meh' day at Dobsons yesterday, I made for my default lake of Willows. Here the water temp at 11 degrees was down a degree, and I wondered if it would have any effect. Maybe it did, because after fish at 9:20am (a pretty Mirror of 6lb 6, 10:20am (a Common of 8lb 9) and 11:20am (a 1lb 3oz tench), the old '20-minutes-past-the-hour' trick evaporated and so did any more catches. The surprisingly few anglers around the bank also struggled. The morning

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

8.4.22 - Dobsons

I turned up bright and early after yesterdays winds to find a chap fishing in my chosen swim. Turned out it was celebrity commentor from this parish, PeterJG, who said he recognised me from this blog. What a top gent he turned out to be. Very quick to play down his undoubted angling abilities, I didn't believe a word of it, as he out-breamed me 4-3 and threw in a few of his beloved roach on top. A total pleasure to meet you, PJG. My estimations that the air pressure being sub-1000 woul

5.4.22 - Willows

A good evening, even if it was pretty chilly in the strong S-SW breeze. But it went to plan. I set up in my swim at 3:15, anticipating fish arriving in it about 6 (though hoping they might be there already, of course) 6:00 - The first bite came on-the-dot. It was a slow bite and a long lethargic fight, but it eventually came in as a perfect 13lb 8 Mirror.  6:15 - A personal best 8lb 3oz Bream 7:00, 7:35, 7:55 and 8:10 -  Commons of 8lb 2, 6lb 6, 9lb 9 and 4lb Not sure if

30.3 - 2.4.22 -Willows

Wednesday - A last short afternoon of the season as the gardening season has properly kicked off, and I have to pay for the maggots some how. Arrived at Willows at 2:30 to two surprises: There was only one other chap fishing, and the carp were up on the top everywhere. It was a still afternoon, certainly not the warmest, but there they were, sucking at the surface, some only 3ft from the bank, with groups of 3 or 4 fish seemingly liable to pop their heads up at any point. I fancied I’d either ca

26 & 29.3.22 - Willows

Ok, so my experiment didn't work. 3 small roach in three other venues had me cross at my lack pf skill and back at the shallows of Willows until the water warms up. But then Saturday only saw my bad run continue. A day spent in the sun was pleasant enough, but only one bite and a face-saving 5lb 8 Common was a disappointment. Tuesday brought the first cloudy day in a fortnight and temperatures half of last weeks 16 degrees, My first evening stint since the clock change had me changing

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

22 -25.3.22 - More dilemmas

Tuesday - 3 hours available after work and went to Warwicks, given intelligence of large perch being caught there . Dilemma: given it was a bright sunny day, did I pick a swim already in shade knowing perch prefer low light levels to ambush, or, a sunny swim where the sweltering sun would stay til sunset, attracting roach to the surface so drawing the perch in. Hmm, what would you choose? I chose the latter, and though it was very pleasant sitting in the warmth, I alternated between caster, work

Season's Bests 2021-22

And so another seasons draws to a close - quite a good one on the numbers front with over 400 fish over a lb landed and 12 (14 including trout - which I'd rather not!) different species over a lb caught. The best returns since 14/15 season. Few fish came close to a PB however - so quantity not quality probably sums it up! Best Carp 12lb 14oz.  9 July  Freelined Bread flake - Willows. I rarely have carp as my primary quarry - but they are often a by-catch (usually unwelcome!) when I'm after

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

15 - 19.3.22 - Bellwood, Dobsons, Alders, Willows - the paltry sessions

OK, so its the close season, and I fully understand the reasons for it. My personal opinion with fishing NAA stillwaters is that without human presence, the cormorants will be straight on them, predating. Certainly, I regularly saw them  this week and think my presence may have contributed to them flying over the lakes rather than in them. I also wonder if a 3-month stop in bait going into the lakes which would certainly be a good thing in regards to build up of nutrients etc, would leave the fi

14 March (Part2)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 1300 - 1800 Bright and sunny - with broken cloud. AT 12º - 7ºC 15 Perch; 10 over 1lb - most around 1lb 8oz/1lb 12oz. 3 over 2lb though not by much - biggest 2lb 4oz (also had a 1-15). 2 Pike; 2lb 10oz and the other half that! Lively afternoon. I was here really to be ready for when the sun went down - but the action was steady all afternoon - even when the swim was bathed in sunshine. Was very hopeful that the witching hour would produce a re

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

14 March (Part 1)

Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham 0700 - 1200 Bright and sunny. Frosty start - but felt quite warm by lunchtime - a lovely spring day though not ideal angling conditions! AT -1º - 12ºC. River up a bit on last weekend - close to usual winter levels. 1 Chub; 4lb 3oz. 18 Roach - quite a few 'netters' with the biggest a smidge over 1lb - my first (and last!) from here this season. 2 Dace - Small. 2 Perch - ditto. 1 Brownie - 2½lb. Wanted to end the season where I started it! Began on

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

12.3.22 - Dobsons/Alders/Willows - The Dilemma

Well, today summed up quite nicely the dilemma I'm at with my fishing. Regular readers will see that I generally choose to fish at Willows. Well, it's easy to park, sheltered from most winds, otter-proofed and there are no crays. It's also pretty easy to catch good fish. Since re-finding fishing in June 2020, the vast majority of the 149 Commons and 101 Mirrors (between 1lb and 18lb) I've caught have come from Willows (not including the many tench, bream and crucians) I have 12 written

11.3.22 - Willows

Hmm, though the end of the running-water season approacheth, I could not resist a last chance at Willows before the planned transfer of 50 of its larger carp to other lakes the next day. What's more, with rain is due, I always feel it will be easier to huddle under a brolly on a lakeside rather than a river bank.  It started off dry and still, and with two fish in the first three casts, I anticipated a fine haul. Then the first of two, two-hour rain stints kicked in and the strong S/SE wind

Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

12 March

River Lambourn - Shaw 0900 - 1030 Bright and breezy with a couple of light showers. AT 10ºC. River quite low and, as is usual, gin clear. 14 Grayling; Most around 8oz with 3 or 4 bigger ones. 3 Brownies; 1¼lb and a couple half that. I hadn't planned on going again until Monday - but when Mrs P announced she was out all morning at the hairdressers I thought it would be the perfect excuse to christen Rusty's Harrison that I have recently acquired. Unusually for the Lambourn a d

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

8 & 9.3.22 - Willows

With just a week left of the moving water season, I probably should have spent my 3-hours in a river or canal, but given the blanks lure fishing on my last two Tuesdays and the pretty strong winds, I pitched for the  comparative shelter of my tree-lined default location, Willows. Sorry guys. But it was a good move. The fish turned out to be where I suspected they might and in that short session came 7 carp: Mirrors of 6lb, 10lb then 6lb 10 and Commons of 5lb, 6lb 8, 2lb 12 and 7lb 10. Four

9 March (Part 2)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1500 - 1800 Bright and breezy. AT 11ºC - but felt a whole lot cooler on an exposed canal bank! 8 Perch: a solitary 'pounder' - and that not by much - nearly all the others around 8-10oz. Having been well and truely sated on the chub front the aim is now to try and get some decent perch in the last days of the season. This venue has been disappointing this winter  - and today was no different! No bites at all until 1715 - then a flurry of

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

9 March (Part 1)

River Lambourn - Newbury 1000 - 1200 Bright and breezy. AT around 10ºC. River at normal levels. 7 Grayling: all small. 4 Brownies: ditto. Had to pop over to the tackle shop to top up the bait fridge for the final push and as I correctly reasoned I'd have this popular spot to myself on a week day thought I'd have a couple of hours. Was hoping to get a grayling or 2 yesterday on the Kennet - so today was to make up for the lack of them yesterday. Usual tactics of catch one and

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

8 March

Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury 0830 - 1800 Bright and sunny morning - clouding over after lunch (thankfully!). AT around 10ºC all day after a frosty start. River slightly on the low side. 22 Chub: Only 3 under 2lb and 8 over 4lb. Best 3 went 5lb 6oz, 5lb 2oz & 4lb 15oz. 7 Roach; 1lb 5oz, 12oz and 5 tiddlers. 7 Dace: 1lb 😀, 12 oz 2@ 10oz and the other 3 weren't much smaller! 1 doz+ Brownies 2½lb - 4lb. 2 Rainbows both around 2½lb. My now annual end of season 'chubfest', t

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

6.3.22 - Dixons

A rare opportunity to fish on a Sunday, so thought I'd do something different and went for a last piking session of the season. I'm very drawn to Dixon's Mere; it's quiet, underfished, and has no crays or (on the few occasions I've fished it) any nuisance waterfowl. On the other hand, there's no otter fencing or much in the way of recent catch reports, so I'm not sure what's in there. Fished the east bank, spending half an hour in each of 8 swims, reading that if pike are present, they

5 March

Kennet carrier - Marsh Benham 0900 - 1400 Cool, overcast and breezy with showers to finish. AT 4º - 6ºC (but felt much chillier in the stiff breeze). River up a couple of inches but still at the bottom end of normal! 6 Chub; 3X3lbers 3lb 13oz (yes I had another one shortly after you left - Steve!) and a brace at 3lb 8oz - possibly same fish - caught 90mins apart from same swim - though chub are not usually so careless!, 2lber and a couple of 'pounders'. 1 Roach - small & a Rai

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

1 - 4.3.22 - Enborne and Willows

(1) Tuesday pm, had another 2 hours to waste my time tossing a lure around, despite the persistent rain throughout. You can't say I'm not keen. The water below the bridge was thick with run-off from the fields, whereas above the lock it is gin-clear through lack of boat traffic, but neither proved conducive, as I didn't get a touch (again). Lure fishing always looks so easy on YouTube. The occasional explosion of bleak suggested the perch were about, but I couldn't tempt them no matter how many
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