River Kennet - Hambridge
0930 - 1230
Cool, bright and quite breezy at times. AT 5-7ºC. River very high - highest I've seen it this winter - though with minimal colour.
1 Chub 2lb 13oz. 3 Grayling - one close to 1lb the other 2 half that. 1 Dace. 2 Brownies a 2lber and a tiddler.
Fished for over an hour for my first bite - just starting to doubt my sanity and planning a move around the corner to fish the Lambourn when the bigger grayling turned up. Clearly the slow trickle of
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0745 - 1315
Mild and Windy, VERY VERY Windy! River in the fields - but with only a little colour.
1 Chub: 2lb 10oz, 3 Dace: 13oz, 10oz & 8oz. 1 Roach - small. 1 Rainbow Trout 4lb 4oz.
A WILD day in West Berkshire. Couldn't get to most of the swims I'd usually fish because of the flooding and when I could it was way too windy - had trouble just standing let alone holding a rod! However was keen to fish here as the venue's been closed all winter f
Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
1500 - 1745
Mild and breezy - with sunny spells. AT 10ºC. Canal still with quite a bit of colour.
3 Perch; 1lb 13oz, 1lb 10oz & a tiddler.
Bunked off work early to snatch a couple of hours on the canal - though in truth I needn't have rushed - no bites till gone 1700 and all the fish came in a flurry around 1730. Fished half a dozen new swims - including the one which produced.
Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
1515 - 1715
Clearing skies after 24 hours of continuous rain courtesy of Storm Dennis. Canal very full and coloured up.
2 Perch; a 'pounder' - but not by much and a tiddler.
Snatched session to cure a weekend of cabin fever!
River Lambourn - Newbury
0830 - 1100
Mild and windy with some drizzle in the wind (Storm Dennis approaching!). River VERY full with just a hint of colour which is unusual for here.
8 Grayling; 4 'netters' biggest 2 went 1lb 7oz & 1lb 5oz. 2 Brownies - both around ½lb.
This weekend had been pencilled in for months for an IAC fish-in. I'd booked Lower Itchen Fishery and filled all the places with folks coming from far and wide to attend. Unfortunately Storm Dennis had other
River Kennet & Carrier - Marsh Benham
0745 - 1200
Bright and mild. River down an inch or two on last visit (10 January)- and quite clear.
3 Chub; All 1¾ - 2½lb. 1½doz Roach - all a 'nice' size but nothing over 8oz. 8 Dace - most small with one chunky one of 8oz. 8 Brownies 1-2½lb & 3 Rainbow's to 4½lb
Another morning failing not to catch trout! Fished all the usual chub banker swims - but they were mainly full of trout. The rainbows as ever gave a very chubby like fig
River Kennet - Hambridge
1200 - 1400
Bright and VERY breezy with one brief shower. 10ºC. River still quite high but down around 4 inches on my last visit here (30 December) and quite clear.
2 Chub: 2lb 2oz, 1lb 9oz. 7 Grayling to around 12oz. 3 Trout - a rainbow of over 3lb and a couple of brownies.
So the second venue of the day pretty much produced the same as the first - chub wise at least. I think its the first time I've ever had a rainbow from here (and it had me convinc
River Kennet - Brimpton
0800 - 1100
Bright & breezy (becoming very breezy!) Mild 10ºC. River full with little colour - up around 12inches on my last visit (19 October) - but looked in fine fettle!
2 Chub 4lb 1oz & 2lb 13oz. 1 Brownie.
Plan for today was to try and get a big winter chub - and visit a couple of favourite swims that have produced 5lbers earlier in the season. Despite the rivers settling down after a relatively quite period - rain wise, I was a little wor
Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
1545 - 1700
Dull & drizzly. 8ºC.
5 Perch; 3 tiddlers and a couple in the ¾-1lb class.
Short session at the 'witching hour' hoping for a big stripey to come out to feed - alas not to be. All bites between 1630-1645.
River Frome - Wool
0800 - 1400
Dull, overcast and cool - AT around 6ºC all day with a breeze picking up. River VERY full, barely within its banks and that only recently given the state of the field. 1.30m at the East Stoke river gauge - much higher than I'd usually fish it - BUT after a dry week it was reasonably clear.
10 Grayling - only 4 needed the net - biggest 1lb 11oz but that was the only really 'decent' one. 1 Sea Trout (1¼lb and still with sea lice on it), 1 brownie - sma
River Lambourn - Newbury
0800 - 1245
Cold (-1º -> 4ºC) bright and sunny. River very full but clear as always!
18 Grayling with around half a dozen in the 12oz class and a couple of bigger ones to 1lb 6oz. 1 Dace; 10oz & half a dozen brownies 1 fish of a 1lb plus the rest small or parrs.
Another 2 inches of rain since last weekend has really stuffed up the Kennet and with the first frost of the year there was only really one choice if I wanted to get on the bank this we
River Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham
0815 - 1430
Bright and cool (5ºC when I started). River still very full but with little colour despite over ½inch of rain yesterday.
5 Chub; All bar one over 2lb though the biggest was not quite 3lbs. A doz Roach - all 'hand-sized' with a couple slightly bigger. 4 Dace - including a brace of 10oz fish. 10 Brownies & 5 Rainbows - all in the 2½-3½ class.
Day off - to treat meself fo my birthday and it turned into a day of trying (and usua
Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
0800 - 1630
Cool and overcast morning, bright sunny afternoon. AT 4º - 8ºC but felt cooler in the breeze!
9 Perch; Most around 12+oz but nothing over 1¼lb, 1 Pike; 2lb. 1½doz Roach, 2 Dace & a Gudgeon.
Another session after big stripeys and just like most of my catches further downstream fish of a remarkably similar stamp. Started off with Pike trouble - got bitten off first cast - and landed it (same one!) second - so I got my hook back.
Northcroft Stream - Newbury
1030 - 1130
Overcast with a chilly breeze - AT 6ºC.
1 Chub 2lb 3oz.
Quick, impromptu session as Jaq hit the sales (again!). In truth, I didn't expect to catch as the stream was somewhat turbulent so rather surprised to see my float disappear on my first put in. It proved to be my only bite!
K&A Canal - Woolhampton
1400 - 1615
Bright sunshine - and quite mild at 9ºC but quickly got cooler as the sun set.
1 Perch; 1lb 3oz. 1 Pike 3lb 9oz.
With a couple of cracking perch already 'under my belt' (see 30 December part 1)! for the day I decided to fish a couple of new swims on this stretch. The first appeared to be Pike heaven - lost one, then landed one, so moved to another new spot - where I had a solitary bite right at the death resulting in the stripey....
River Kennet - Hambridge
0945 - 1245
Bright sunshine, calm and quite mild (9ºC). River FULL! Bank high and up another 6 inches or so on my last visit here at the begining of the month - little colour though.
2 Perch; 2lb 11oz & 2lb 8oz. 8 Grayling - (all 6-10oz), 2 Roach, 1 Dace & 3 Brownies to circa 1lb.
So, the plan for today was to start on a favourite flood water swim - hoping to snaffle a big chub and then switch to the canal for the witching hour for some perch.
Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
1345 - 1615
Dull, calm and cool. AT 7ºC despite forecasts promising double figures!
7 Perch; 1lb 8oz, 1lb 5oz & 5 smalluns.
Lovely benign afternoon on the canal - near perfect winter weather for perching - though would have preferred it to be a bit milder. Biggest 2 on the dinner bell time of 4 o'clock!
River Lambourn - Shaw
1000 - 1300
Cool (7ºC) and drizzly - river very full and with a merest hint of colour.
5 Grayling - all smallish & 5 Brownies (ditto apart from one 'netter')
As Sam was in Newbury for the NAC Boxing Day run and Jaq was hitting the sales - I had the perfect excuse for a quick session (not that I need an excuse!). Picked here as I wanted to see what the river was like now they've removed the gauge weir plus I wanted to try out my new wading boots. Fish
River Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham
0845 - 1245
Mild with bright sunshine. River very full - up at least a foot on normal levels and quite coloured (for here!)
3 Chub; 2 over 1lb (but not by much!), 20 Dace and Roach in equal nos - some quite chunky ones too - best roach was 14oz and had 3 dace over 8oz. 4 Brownies from 2lb to over 4lb & a Rainbow of nearly 5lb!
Winter chub hunt thwarted by troot turning up in all my banker swims, some really chunky ones too, which didn't
River Lambourn - Newbury
1130 - 1430
Cool (3º->6ºC), bright and very blowy! River well up and with just a hint of colour.
25 Grayling; With half over 10oz. Best 1lb 4oz with quite a few more an ounce or two shy of that. 3 Brownies, a lber and a couple of parr fish.
Default venue when the Kennet has burst it's banks (It's flowing into on of our club lakes atm!). Usual catch a couple and move on tactics, though I did get 8 or 9 from one spot including the biggest one.
K&A Canal - Woolhampton
1330 - 1615
Bright & breezy - with one very lumpy shower. AT 10º ->6ºC
7 Perch; 5 over 1lb, best 3, 1lb 9oz, 1lb 11oz & 2lb 2oz.
Similar conditions to Friday's session though slightly LESS windy. Fished a different swim and had all 3 bigger ones in the last half an hour - getting progressively bigger. All 3 had damaged flanks, seems they've all escaped the attentions of the local pike!
K&A Canal - Woolhampton
1515 - 1615
Mild and breezy with heavy, squally showers. 11ºC
5 Perch; 4, lbers - though not by much - best 1lb 7oz.
Left work early for a last minute decision to make the most of the mild snap and have a last hour of daylight on the canal. All the bites came a few minutes either side of 4 o'clock - and resulted in fish of a remarkably similar stamp - here's hoping there are still some bigger ones to be found!
River Kennet - Hambridge
0945 - 1330
Cold (2 - 5ºC) and quite sunny. River high (well over a foot up on my last visit here in Sep) but with very little colour.
3 Chub; 5lb 7oz, 4lb 10oz &1¾lb, 2 Grayling, 1 Dace & 3 Brownies to circa 1lb.
Cracking brace of chub from one of my favourite flood water pools. Fish in splendid winter condition. Wished I'd brought a spinning rod with me - a pike kept attacking my float as I reeled in (but not any of the fish!)
