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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

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
Chris Plumb's Blog

26 February - 5th Paul Goulbourn Memorial Grayling Day

Lower Itchen Fishery 0830 - 1730 Bright and sunny all day - quite breezy at times. AT -2º -> 10ºC. River looked in good nick. 16 Grayling: most around 8-10oz with 4 bigger. Best went 1lb 5oz. 1 Chub 3lb 10oz. 6 Brownies; 1½ - 2½lb. 2doz+ Salmon Parr! Since Paul's passing in 2015 I've organised (or tried to) a couple of fish-ins a year to a couple of our favourite venues - and places where Paul himself used to organise get togethers of the Internet Angling Club. This was th
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

16 - 23.2 - Willows & the Kennet

My last couple of weeks of Feb were blown off-track by the storm winds of Eunice and her pals, and by a trip to Wales that usurped a booked trip to the famed river Itchen. (hope it went well for you, fellers). Pre-storm, I'd had a weekday afternoon where threatened rain had me at Willows, where a brolly is better suited than my planned trip back to Speen. The weather kept others away, apart from a very friendly fully-kitted out chap just along from me who with bait boat assistance, already
Chris Plumb's Blog

19 February

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1415 - 1715 Bright and VERY,VERY blowy - never see such waves on the canal before! AT 10ºC 4 Perch: a couple of 'pounders' and a couple half that. I ummed and ahhed about what to do today given the conditions and heavy rain around mid-day. Ended up having another fairly fruitless session trying to winkle out a big stripey from my nearest water - though yet again conditions were very sub-optimal. Only had a couple of 2lbers from here in ha
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

11.2.22 - Speen Moors & 12.2 - Speen Moors and Dixons

Friday. Got to Speen in the frost at first light with some cheese paste and link legers. Threw a few freebies in half a dozen swims, then fished them in turn. Had a 3lb 6 chub early doors (I'm only 97 behind you now, Chris!). No more chub action was to ensue,  just three swim-thrashing trout each around the two and a half pound mark. Sitting watching the quivertip not move very much, I switched to a trot for just a roach and a dace, but thought how 'pikey' (the fish kind, not the scrote) and ple
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Speen Moors

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Chris Plumb's Blog

12 February

River Kennet - Marsh Benham 0900 - 1430 Overcast morning, brightening up after lunch (to the detriment of the fishing!)  and quite breezy. AT 5º -> 9ºC. River low and clear (at normal summer levels!). 3 Chub; 4lb 0oz, 3lb 4oz, 2lb 2oz. 1 Bream; 3lb 10oz. 17 Roach; most around 6-8oz with a couple of biggers ones. 1 Bleak. Whole session on the main river of my syndicate stretch. Had a first cast trout - which got eventually off but only after totally trashing my first swim!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

9.2.22 - Willows

I had planned to fish the Kennet at Brimpton, but the sun was so bright and with the low water level after weeks of no rain, I felt the fish might be too spooky, so risked repeating my error of last Wednesday afternoon and went to Willows. On arrival, I was told a good number of carp had come out that morning, so I set up expectantly in 12 degrees of warmth. Tried a few things, but nothing. Brought out the float rod for a blank-buster and had 15 small roach before the bites dried up. At 3:30 a c
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

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Chris Plumb's Blog

5 February (Part 2)

Kennet and Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1500 - 1700 Overcast and very windy with occaisional (and un-forecasted!) drizzly showers. AT 9ºC. Completely different weather to earlier in the day. 3 Perch; 1¼lb, another one half that and a tiddler. Bites at a premium and a very stiff downstream wind didn't help one bit! No 'witching hour' switch on either.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

5 February (Part1)

River Kennet - Hambridge 0900 - 1200 Cool, with milky sunshine. AT 2ºC ->9ºC. River still low though up an inch or so on my last visit at the begining of Jan. 5 Chub: Best 3lb 11oz, the others all ½-1½lb. 7 Dace - one netter of around 8oz. 1 Roach; small. 2 Grayling. 2 Brownies - both ¾-1lb (Possibly same one!) A quick sesh at my favourite chub swim - and to check out the recent efforts of the working party here (nice work chaps!). I'm still hoping to make a winter acquain
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

04 02 22 - Speen Moors

OK, OK, let's get Wednesday out of the way, then. After several warmer days, I was seduced by reports of fish coming out at Willows. I arrived to the sight of two topping fish which settled my swim choice, and heard  of further catches that morning which elevated my anticipation so high that for a while, I wasn't bothered that I'd forgotten my seat and had 4-hours ahead of me sat on a plastic bag on a hard damp bank. By the time the buttock-ache really started kicking in, I'd had no bites on swi
Chris Plumb's Blog

29 January

River Kennet (& Carrier) Marsh Benham 1000 - 1530 Mild and very breezy (too breezy for good float control). AT 9ºC. River low and looking a little threadbare after 3 consecutive months with below average rainfall. 5 Chub: 4lb 10oz, 2lb and 3 between ½-1lb. 16 Roach - various sizes but nothing to warrant the scales. 11 Dace; most small with a couple of clonkers - best weighing in at 12oz. 1 Rainbow; 3lb & a Brownie c2lb. A trip to my syndicate stretch with Martin (Bayl
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

29.1.22 - Marsh Benham

A joy to be the guest of such a legend as Mr Plumb. So much learned, nothing more than the location of the carpark which I may only have overshot by 100 yards, yet enough to render us completely out of sight of each other. My faux pas had me keeping the great man from his chub by half-an-hour while waiting for me. Damn you, S-bend. Finally on the river, CP generously gave me first choice of the delicious looking weir pool-swim. A 3-oz perch had me delighted to have survived January without
Chris Plumb's Blog

22 January (Part 2)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 1415 - 1645 Cool and overcast. 4ºC 3 Perch: 1lb 7oz, 1lb 4oz and a tiddler. Now this was a real gamble! The upper pegs of this stretch were still frozen over so the water temps would have been very low. However I always fancy my chances in the winter when the light fades - and so it proved. I pater-nostered  a lob - to keep it in the same spot adjacent to the common reed and after 2 hours without any indications what-so-ever the float bobbed
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

22 January (Part 1)

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0900 - 1330 Cool and overcast. 4ºC or thereabouts all day. River low and clear - up an inch or so on my last trip here before Christmas but still low for mid January. 4 Chub; all ½-1lb. 4 Roach - 1 netter of around 10-12oz and 3 smalluns. 4 Dace (all small). 1 Gudgeon, 1 Bleak & 1 Brownie: 2lb+ Another 'scratchy' session here - saved - as per usual - by the weirpool swims which accounted for most of the fish. Only bite I had from 3 swims on PD r
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

0
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

19, 21, 22.1.22 - Hambridge, Speen, Hambridge

A week of hard, cold weather meaning not much gardening on, but more chances to fish. Wednesday pm - a few hours at the canal. Much quieter than of late, with 17 roach (compared to the recent 50's) albeit the largest a pleasing 4 ounces. Oh, and 3 bleak and a minnow, if you're counting. Spent the last hour on lures hoping for repeats of last weeks perch, but with another frosty night imminent, I think it was just too cold for them. Friday - Minus four at kick-off, with the canal at Ebo
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in kennet

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Chris Plumb's Blog

16 January

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1415 - 1640 Mild(ish), mainly cloudy. AT 8ºC. 6 Perch: Biggest 1lb 11oz - all the rest ½-1lb. Quick sesh to make the most of the short mild 'snap' though suspect the water temps haven't caught up with the air ones. Only 1 bite before 1615 - then a flurry of activity for 20 mins in the increasing gloom - as per normal!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

14.1.22 - Speen Moors

Well, it finally happened. Thank you CP. A size 14 hook, a kernel of red sweetcorn and after 20 minutes at the weir, a beautiful 2lb 4oz chub finally, finally came in to my net, rubber lips, bronzed scales and everything. I almost declared there and then and went home. Fishing way over depth, the bulk shot may have dragged, but the fishing didn't, although the fish to follow were both trout in the 1.5lb bracket. Planning to spend some of the day piking, I went to the canal but found it
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

12.1.22 - K&A Canal - Hambridge

Well, that was a fun afternoon. The plan always was to spend the first half of it with stick float and single maggot on the canal. Despite the morning frost, it was beautiful in the sun, and with no wind or boat traffic, it was like a millpond. Once the fish picked up on the gentle loose feeding and occasional conker of groundbait, the roach came in thick and fast. I stopped when I got to 50 (in less than 2½ hours) , supplemented by six bleak (not dace). Curiously, the roach started small,
Chris Plumb's Blog

11 January

Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury 0900 - 1630 Damp, murky and drizzly all day. AT 9/10ºC. River low for mid January. 22 Chub: 12 over 1lb, with 9 over 3lb. Best 2 went 5lb 2oz & 4lb 10oz. 3 Dace; a 10oz fish and a couple of tiddlers. 1 Roach - small. A doz+ brownies from 2½-4lb. It's my birthday tomorrow and as I've got the week off (and being whisked away from tomorrow by Mrs P to an unknown (to me) destination) I thought I'd treat myself to a bit of all out chub fishing.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

9 January

River Lambourn - Shaw 0915 - 1130 Cool & bright. AT 1º-6ºC. River low and crystal clear as it always is! 11 Grayling. Best 1lb 7oz with another 4 in the 10oz -1lb class. 4 Brownies - a 'pounder' and 3 small-uns. Usual tactics of catch a couple and move on - though in most swims it was catch one and move - apart from the very last swim I dropped into which accounted for nearly half of the morning's catch. Rather busy with other anglers - though, thankfully, I'd fished (and
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

8.1.22 - Newbury Library

The forecast was dreadful today, and with my Michelin-man wet weather gear still dripping from yesterday, I thought I'd spend the time at the library (within eyesight if the K&A Canal) working on my project researching the history of the Newbury Angling Association. Seeing that the NAA badge showed it was founded in 1878, I was intrigued by what the history might be. I found an on-line newspaper archive which holds over 100 Newbury Weekly News and other publication articles from the 180
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

7.1.22 - Speen Moors

My Speen Moors misery continues. No bites in the first couple of hours alternating floated maggot with legered bread flake. The low sun was bright, and perhaps that's what put the fish off, combined, perhaps with yesterdays below-zero temperatures. So, on to Parliament Draft, and fished very swim, having pepped each with 15 mins of loose feed first. Zip. I'd burned most of them on my swim-crawl back towards the entry gate, when a fellow committee member, whose angling skills I revere, turned up
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

2.1.22 & 5.1.22 - Willows & K&A Canal

Two short sessions squeezed in around Jo's shifts. Sunday - Willows. Why, oh why, do I repeatedly tell myself that lakes are a good idea in winter? OK, the temperature has been double-digit for 10 days with a steady SSW, wind and the water temperature has risen from 5.5 a few weeks ago to 10.5 degrees today, but the water was choppy and seemed dead. Dead enough to put a blank-bustin' maggot out on float for the last hour, but even that was a struggle. Managed just three roach to 3oz when for the
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