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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

20.3.21 - Dobsons & Warwicks

Ha. You got to love those fish. One day you think you've got this angling lark sussed, the next you're at the same swim but without the cold northerly wind - and nothing even waves a fin. Turned out to be an exercise in sittin' on the dock of the bay, watching the my neighbour rolling his bait boat back and forth. I'm sorry, but these just seems too unfair on the carp. At least casting way into the distance to within a foot of an island takes skill. You earn the right to catch those fish. I c
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

19.03.21 - Dobsons

I hadn't counted on there being quite such a chilly north-westerly wind today that kept me feeling uncomfortable all day.  I kept changing tactics and baits looking for fish, and had just the three bites to keep me warm,  but a 100% hit rate with two (for me) whoppers and a beauty made it a great day. 1- Common - 10:30am- method feeder/halibut pellet - 3 rods out near overhangs- 9lb 2oz - good fight, took line several times 2 - Tench - 3:15pm - double maggot float fished less than 2 ro
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Dobsons

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

16.03.21 - Dobsons

Managed to squeeze in three hours before sunset. Two very polite and courteous young chaps were carp fishing from my favourite swim that produced the tench last weekend. They were casting further than I can drive my car, which is fair enough, whereas I would have plopped my bait less than two rod lengths out. There's room for all methods. So I went round to swim 44, into which the surprisingly strong wind was blowing. The books say that the fish follow the wind in readiness for all the foo
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Dobsons

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Chris Plumb's Blog

Season's Bests 2020/21

Plumby’s Annual Round-up. And so another season comes to a close – and I’m just thankful that I had a season at all. The Angling Trust somewhat came of age this year and showed itself to be an effective voice for anglers with its successful lobbying of government for angling during the pandemic. Fishing local did curtail my usual winter jaunts south in search of big ladies – but it was a small price to pay. Best Carp: 13lb 14oz. 9th September.  Float fished maggot – Willows. I rarely c
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

14 March (Part 2)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 1430 - 1745 Overcast, VERY windy with light rain for last hour and a half. AT 10º ->7ºC. 7 Perch; 4 over 1lb of which 2 were over 2lb - best 2lb 10oz (last bite of the season - I nice way to end!) Many, MANY years ago (probably sometime during the last millennium) I bought a pack of 3-way swivels. I stuffed them in with a wallet of tubing and they have languished at the bottom of one of my tackle boxes ever since. I suppose I must have tho
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

14 March (Part 1)

River Kennet (& Carrier) - Marsh Benham 0830 - 1345 Milky sunshine to start - clouding over - very breezy. AT 5º ->10ºC. River in good winter nick - full with a slight tinge of colour. 3 Chub: All over 2lb - best 3lb 6oz. 1 Pike: 4lb 11oz (On sweetcorn - took it on the retrieve!). A doz Roach; various sizes - one worthy of the scales went 14oz. 2 Dace - small. 1 Rainbow - 2½lb & 2 Brownies: 1½ - 2lb. Last day trip to the venue I started my river season back in June
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

13.3.21 - Dobsons

Well, another day of 40mph+ rains keeping me off the season end rivers for the comparative shelter of the lakes. The west end of Dobsons this time, hunkering down in the thick trees of the carpark. The water was still choppy enough to deter float fishing and indeed fish. Sensing nothing was going to happen, at midday I moved around to one of my favourite swims where I have confidence that fish lie in the overhanging willow labyrinth, though luring them out can be tricky. Good move, me.
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Dobsons

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Chris Plumb's Blog

12 March

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1500 - 1800 Sunny with scattered showers. Windy/blowing a hoolie, especially during the squalls. 8ºC 9 Perch: 2lb 14oz & 8 small uns - one of which was close to a pound the rest half that or less. 2 Pike: 3lb 13oz & 3lb 4oz. 1 Chub circa 8oz. Pike are always a piscatorial hazard when fishing lobs but slightly miffed to get one from each of my 2 'banker' perch swims. It looked like my last trip here of the season would end in disap
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

12.3.21 - Dobsons & Warwicks Water

With no gardening work to be done after yesterday's rain and gales, another bonus fish was to be had. Again, I'd have preferred running water given this weekends close season, but with 40mph winds due, I wimped out for the sheltered banks of a lake. I had my freedom of Dobsons, choosing a new swim for me on the north east bank where I could cast towards the island. My beautiful solitude was broken by a courting couple of Canada geese, who jumped off the island into my swim to perform their ablut
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Dobsons

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

10.3.21 - Dixons Mere/Warwicks Water

A bonus fishing day given the all-day heavy rain and strong winds forecast that postponed my usual gardening job. I decided that the most sheltered Newbury Angling Association would be Dixons Mere, it being surrounded on all three banks by trees. With two rods allowed, I legered a mackerel fillet for pike near the margins, and alternated between a small pop-up and pellet on method feeder for carp/bream. I understand Dixons' can be a tricky water, and with the wind carving patterns into the
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

9.3.21 - Willows

What with it having been a glorious early spring day. I managed to sneak one-and-a-half hours in at Willows before sunset this evening. As soon as I arrived, the wind got up with the expected change of weather approached. 7 Canada geese, 1 grebe, 8 trains (7 passenger, 1 goods), 3 crows, 1 pheasant, 3 Chinnock helicopters (probably the same one, three times, to be fair), 7 pigeons, 1 moorhen, 2 coots, 1 red kite, 1 other angler. 0 fish. Did get a bite soon after starting, but unusually wit
Chris Plumb's Blog

9 March

River Kennet - Hambridge 1330 - 1600 Bright and sunny. AT 12ºC. River 'full' and gin clear. 2 Chub 2lb 7oz & a 'pounder'. 5 Dace - 3 real clonkers (for dace!) the one I weighed went 11oz the other 2 probably an ounce or so under that. 2 Grayling - both small. Had to make the most of what might be my last chance at the Kennet this season - if the forecast for tomorrow is to be believed! 6 fish in the first 10 minutes followed by nearly two hours without a bite! (bright sun
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

8 March

Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury 0815 - 1745 Cool, overcast with milky sunshine at times. AT 0º - 10ºC. river at normal winter levels - looked in great nick. 35 Chub - with nearly 2doz over 3lb(!) Had 11 over 4lb of which 5 were over 5lb (!). Best 5lb 9oz. 18 Dace some quite chunky ones but nothing particularly noteworthy. 8 Roach - all small apart from one 'netter'. 6 Brownies 2½ - 3½lb - with most at the upper end of that range! Wow! This has become my annual chub fest - I h
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

6.3.21 - Willows

I know, I know. With the river season drawing to a close, I should have had a bash on running water, but the chance of those Willows carp was too much. If only they sold hindsight at the tackle shop as well as boilies because Willows was hard going today. The north easterly wind though not strong, brought a real chill that kept the fish low and sent me back to the car for my winter layers. Of the ten or so anglers, I think more than half blanked. surprisingly, I was not one of them, catchin
Chris Plumb's Blog

6 March

River Kennet - Marsh Benham 0830 - 1330 Cool, calm and mainly overcast with milky sunshine at times. AT 1º - 6ºC. River still quite full but down a few inches on my last visit 4 weeks ago. 4 Chub; 5lb 2oz, 4lb 7oz, 3lb 13oz and a pounder. A doz Roach - mainly quite small with a couple of 'netters' of around 10oz. 1 Brownie; 1½lb. Surprisingly scratchy start to the morning - fished the carrier down and only had fish from 2 swims (the smaller chub & trout and the roach). Th
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

5.3.21 - Willows

Well, after three fish in the final hour on Wednesday, it was no surprise I chose to go to Willows again today. Eben better, I was the only angler there all day but I soon began to cotton on why. It might have been four degrees in the car, and the efforts of morning gardening had been exhilarating, but there was a cold northeasterly breeze, enough to create a chop on the surface and have me pulling a second coat on. I tossed out the method feeder with a pink pop-up that scored the other day and
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

3.3.21 - Willows

I bumped into the Newbury Fisheries Manager walking back to the car after yesterday's blank. 'Why don't you try Willows?' he said. 'They'll take a pellet.' So this afternoon I took some pellets and myself to give it another go after blanking there last Saturday. Tackle: method feeder, banded 8mm pellet - First Red Robin and then halibut Tactics: I scattergunned my casts, one every 20 mins, looking to search out fish rather than focus on one area. 3 hours in, not a touch. The forecast 'po
The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

2.3.21 - Kennet & Avon Canal - Hambridge

Had a couple of hours to fish until sunset this afternoon. Blue sky, glorious early spring feel, but high air pressure and chilly later on. The canal is maybe 30ft wide and 3.5 ft deep in the centre. No boat traffic. Slow flow. Tackle: Waggler float -slightly heavier than I thought when I tackled up - shotted 'shirt button style' (4BBs, 3 no6's), 4lb mainline, 2lb hook length, size 18 hook. Tactics: Fished mainly central channel to two thirds across. Mixed up fishing overdepth, just above
Chris Plumb's Blog

27 February

River Kennet - Thatcham 0900 - 1245 Bright and sunny after a frosty start. AT was 11ºC when I packed up. River very full - but quite clear. 2 Chub: 3lb 13oz & 2lb 5oz. A dace and a brownie - both around 6oz. Bit of a gamble which nearly backfired - very few floodwater swims at this venue - though there is a nice near bank eddy which usually produces a nice chub. Alas if it was in residence it wasn't hungry as all I extracted from the swim were minnows (yes, Martin - there
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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The Flying Tench's Blog

What happened in 2020?

I've just realised it's been more than a year since I posted, so I thought I'd do an update to let the world and the computer system know that I am still around! What fishing happened in 2020? For me very little. I can't remember what the problem was in winter 2019/20. I think it was the time I had tennis elbow! Then in the spring and summer we had Covid and restrictions on fishing and tackle shops coupled with a house move - not far, still Didcot area. In the autumn I did at least wet
The Flying Tench

The Flying Tench in Update

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Chris Plumb's Blog

20 February

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 0700 - 0915* 1000 - 1715˜ Mild, mainly overcast, quite breezy (some milky sunshine at times) - light showers on and off all day with rain for last hour and a half. AT around 12/13ºC all day. *27Perch - with 13 (!) over 1lb - and 3 over 2 - best 2lb 7oz. ˜(½mile upstream!) 7 Perch - all over 1lb (3 over 2) best 2; 3lb 10oz? & 2lb 11oz. A doz roach and a dace - all small.   What a Red Letter day! Make hay while the sun s
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

14 February

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0830 - 1300 Cold, cloudy with a stiff, chilly breeze. AT around 1º-2ºC all day with significant wind chill (!), showery drizzle for last couple of hours. River very full - but clear. 4 Chub; 3lb 5oz, 2lb 12oz, 2lb 7oz, 2lb 2oz. 5 Dace - all small. 3 Brownies 1½-2½lb - also lost an enourmous trout - had it on for ages and got a good look at it - my pb is 8¾lb and this was a similar size - don't usually mind when a brownie throws the hook - but a bit gutte
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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Chris Plumb's Blog

6 February

Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham 0815 - 1345 Cold with fog - which eventually cleared for the last hour. AT -2º -> 4ºC, rings icing up till midday. Stream very full with just a hint of colour - perfect winter nick! 8 Chub: All bar one over 2lb; Best, 4lb 4oz, 3lb 9oz & 3lb 4oz. 2 Doz Roach & Dace (2/3rds Roach) A couple of the dace were lumps - one went 10oz the other, unweighed but of similar stamp. 1 Perch- small(ish). 4 Trout between 1¾- 2½lb. Day got of to an inau
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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