And so another season comes to a close - not a bad one despite the wet weather disrupting several plans over the autumn and winter (including the annual Itchen IAC fish-in). I did at least get a PB this year. Still no barbel,though there is a planned trip to the Wye to try and rectify that in 2020 - and the season finished strongly with 3 SB's in the last 4 days.
Biggest Carp. 15lb 8oz, 28th June. Ledgered pellet - Method Feeder. Jubilee Lake - Thatcham. My now annual trip to try and get
River Kennet - Hambridge
0945 - 1445
Mainly cloudy with sunny spells and light drizzly showers. River still full to bursting, not dropped at all!
3 Chub: 4lb 13oz, 3lb 4oz & a tiddler. 3 Dace - all small, 1 Grayling. 3 Brownies (all around 8oz) and a 2lb rainbow!
Plan for the last day was for a Double Header in the hunt for a big chub - morning at Brimpton and the afternoon here. But having trekked ¾mile with chesties and full pack I turned around and walked straight back
Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
1430 - 1800
Still bright and breezy with a brief drizzly shower. AT down to 8ºC when I packed up.
10 Perch; 6 over 1lb - best 3, 1lb11oz, 1lb 14oz, 2lb0oz.12 Roach - all small & 3 Bleak
At last some bigger perch - with the odd exception I've had loads of perch around the 1lb mark this winter from different parts of the K&A - I obviously found a different year class today as the pounders were all over 1lb 4oz.
River Kennet - Speen Moors
1000 - 1400
Bright and breezy - though thankfully nowhere near as windy as yesterday. AT upto 12ºC. River flooded but clear.
1 Chub; 2lb 7oz, 3 Dace - all smallish. 2 Brownies a pounder and a parr.
Late start after yesterday's exertions - and a scratchy session really just killing time before a dusk raid for stripeys on the canal (see part 2).
Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
0730 - 1730
Cool (5ºC or thereabouts all day) and very blowy with frequent squally showers of rain,sleet or hail! River VERY VERY high - highest I've ever seen it here - many swims needed waders just to get to the'bank'.
21 Chub; 7 over 4lb - biggest 6lb 3oz - a real lump! 4 Dace; 2 that were weighed went 14oz & 12oz - the other 2 weren't much smaller. 2 Roach - small and only 3 Brownies - all 3lb +
A wild day on a wild venue - thankfully
Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
1500 - 1800
Mild, bright and very breezy. AT still 11ºC when I packed up. Canal quite coloured up after all the rains.
13 Perch; 5 over 1lb and a couple just an ounce or 2 shy of that. Biggest 2: 2lb 13oz & 1lb 13oz. 1 Roach - 9oz (on a whole lob!)
I've now had nearly 2 doz perch over 1lb from here this winter but this was my first 2 (and I think the 1-13 may be my 2nd best from here this year!) Yet again I fished a different spot - b
Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham
0645 - 1145
Mild with sunny spells AT 12ºC when I packed up. River VERY full but with little colour.
17 Chub (!): 8 over 3lb - best 4lb 4oz, the rest all over 2lb. 6 Brownies to nearly 5lb & a 2lb Rainbow.
Start of my 4 day end of season extravaganza when I hope to fish 7 or 8 venues in the next 4 days. First up was 'my' syndicate stretch of the middle Kennet and for the first time this winter 'Chub Corner' lived up to its moniker.
First
River Lambourn - Newbury
0730 - 1000
Overcast and mild. River VERY full - over a foot up on normal winter levels, BUT clear as always.
22 Grayling - most in the 10-14oz class with a few slightly bigger. 1 Dace - 11oz (another sandpapery male). 2 Brownies.
Usual fall back after another week of rain has pushed the Kennet into full flood again. Fish of a remarkably similar stamp - dace was a real bonus.
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....
