Kennet & Avon Canal, Thatcham
0700 - 1130
Cool and overcast start becoming bright and sunny. AT 5º - 8ºC
8 Perch:3lb 14oz(Another new PB ), 2lb 6oz, 2lb 3oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 15oz. 1lb 14oz, 1lb 10oz (& a tiddler), 2 Chub, 1½lb & a chublet.
A strange session (!!) Both chub in the 1st couple of minutes then no bites for over an hour. Swim woke up at around 0830 after a couple of barges came through (Often the opposite happens). And I had sl
River Itchen
0830 - 1815
Bright and sunny all day. River VERY low and gin clear!
51 Grayling: 27 over 1lb of which 8 were over 2lb - biggest 2lb 6oz., 4 Chub: 4lb 11oz, 3lb13oz, 3lb5oz, 2lb 6oz, 20+ Brownies to 2½lb.
Lovely day spent trotting the river with Paul - who had a similar return - though he managed to all but avoid the trout. Most fish on maggot - a few to corn - though the brownies seemed to get to the corn first.
Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
0645 - 0900
Cloudless sky - so bright sunshine by 0800. 11ºC
6 Perch: 3lb 11oz (New PB) , 3lb 3oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 13oz and a tiddler, 2 Chub 1lb 10oz and a chublet, 1 very small Pike.
After a great start on the river last weekend - and even better start on the canal!!!. Both 3lbers in first 45 minutes of fishing - the 3-11 was first perch of the session. A really chunky fish - as fat as a football! All fis
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0700 - 1130
Overcast and windy. AT 14ºC. Water levels VERY low.
18 Perch: Best 2, 3lb 6oz & 2lb 13oz, 4 more around the 1¼lb mark and another ½doz circa 10-12oz. 1 Pike: 5lb 14oz. 6 Roach, 1 Dace, 2doz Gudgeon and a Bleak.
Fabulous start to the autumn river campaign. Most perch and the pike on float fished lobs. Went with Paul who didn't find any big perch but had a few goodish dace and a brace of Pike - biggest 8¼lb.
River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
1845 - 2300
Clear night, AT 11ºC. River VERY low and clear.
2 Barbel; 4lb 6oz, 3lb 13oz.
A new swim - one with a bit of depth AND flow. No crayfish activity - always a good sign. Both fish on ledgered pellet, after 2100.
NAA Still Water - Thatcham
0730 - 1030
Clear with a chilly start (5ºC -> 15ºC) Water levels VERY low.
1 Carp; 3lb 2oz
Float fishing maggot on a size 18 to 1½lb bottom - resulting in a solitary bite. Scared 3 cormorants off the water on arrival - so don't suppose that helped!!
Bucklebury Ponds
1000 - 1200
Overcast - becoming sunny.
8 Perch - all small save one which weighed 1¼lb (!!!) 1 roach.
Short trip to use up some maggot. Surprisingly large perch for this place (Maybe they DO go bigger - Rusty!! )
River Kennet - Thatcham
0800 - 1130
Bright and sunny. River VERY low, clear and almost bare of rununculus.
2 Barbel: 4lb 14oz, 2lb 6oz, 3 Chub 3lb 11oz, 2lb 14oz & a chublet, 2 trout.
A morning trotting double red maggot.
Pumphouse Lake - CEMEX Yateley
1930 - 0530
Clear and chilly night - temp down to 7ºC at dawn - the thermal one-piece made a rare appearance!!
2 Tench, 3¼lb & 4¼lb
Slow night, no bites until well after midnight - then a mini flurry when I had the 2 tincas - both on ledgered pellet.
Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
1800 - 2300
Clear and still. AT 20ºC -> 12ºC
2 Tench: 6lb 0oz, 2lb 13oz, 2 perch (small)
Pleasant evening - though not even any sign of Crucians. Both tincas on float fished meat caught a rod length out as it got dark between 2000 - 2100. No bites before or after these times.
River Kennet, Newbury
0600 - 1030
Bright and sunny. 10 -> 15.5ºC. River lowest I've seen it all season and clear despite rain in the week.
6 Chub: 5lb 2oz, 2lb 5oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb 10oz & 2 chublets (circa ¾lb), 1 Perch; 2lb 9oz, 9 Dace, 1 Grayling, 1 doz Roach, 2 doz Gudgeon.
A very satisfactory morning's trotting. Perch just about last fish caught - from low, clear water bathed in bright sunshine - who says they feed best in low light levels!!!
NAA Stillwater - Widmead
0600 - 1030
Bright and sunny - chilly (8ºC) start.
1 carp 5¼lb, 1 roach, 3 doz+ rudd & perch - mainly rudd.
Slow morning - only 1 bite on the lead - resulting in the carp - all others margin fishing maggots - though had to switch to meat after 15 mins - the place was heaving with small perch and rudd.....
River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
1815 - 2315
Overcast and very breezey. AT down to 13ºC - but felt chillier. River LOW - needs a flush through!
1 Barbel; 6lb 3oz.
1 bite , 1 fish - though the crays were out in force for most of the evening....
Bucklebury Ponds
1030 - 1330
Warm, overcast and breezey. Max 21ºC
1 Carp; 2¾lb, 2 Crucians;1lb 5oz, 1lb 1oz, 2 Roach 1lb 2oz (!!) and a tiddler, 1doz perch.
Short session with the sole aim (thankfully achieved!) of getting a crucian. Roach was a bit of a bonus! All fish on float fished maggot.
River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
0715 - 1115
Bright and sunny. 12º-18ºC. River carrying quite a bit of colour (height of the boating season on the K&A )
5 Barbel - largest 5lb 9oz, smallest 3lb 6oz, 5 Chub - best 2lb, 2 roach, 2 dace.
A pleasant morning's trotting - 4 of the barbel came in the last hour from a swim vacated by another angler who had caught nowt on the lead (he was using corn/meat)!
Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
1830 - 2345
Warm, still and sultry. 20ºC at 0000. Overcast/clearing to reveal a near full moon. Shirt sleeves all night - lovely!
6 Tench: 6lb 4oz, 5lb 9oz, 3lb 14oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb3oz, 2lb 10oz, 1 Roach, ½doz perch.
Very pleasant evening - especially as the mossies were absent! Most (5) tench caught in the last 2 hours when it was dark. All caught on float fished meat at a couple of rod lengths out. Not a touch on the mar
27th June. River Kennet, Thatcham.
5am ‘til 11 am.
Barbel (2lb ish), 6 or 7 Trout (I lost count, but I think I caught at least one twice) biggest 3lb 2oz, Chub (2lb ish) several dace and gudgeon.
An early morning session at the river, timed so that I can get back for brunch with the missus and 8 month old boy.
Dawned warm and hazy at 5am, but looking like it was going to get increasingly bright and sultry later. I decided to fish the second stretch available to me, downstr
21st June. River Kennet, Reading.
An overcast early morning session, less than a mile from the town centre. 5am ‘til 10.
8-10 chub to 2lb (lost count) 10-20 dace and roach (lost count).
Trotted maggot caught a chub almost every trot through for the first 30 minutes up to 2lb. The followed by dace and roach to 8oz or so then the swim went dead. In the last two hours I only managed two dace. When the boats started I went home. I pondered whether the chub are put off if you don
17th June. River Kennet, Thatcham.
7 chub, biggest 3lb. 5 brown trout to around 1.5lb, 30-40 dace (to 10oz), roach (all small), perch (not much bigger) and loads of gudgeon. In addition, 4 crayfish managed to hang on the hook long enough to go into my bag. Crayfish sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.
First day of the coarse season for me and a day off work! A fairly sleepless night dreaming of large barbel and chub was followed by a relatively overcast morning. Arising at 4am, I was o
River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
1830 - 0100
Warm overcast night - light drizzle from 2200 - temps never below 15ºC. River up a bit and carrying a bit more colour than of late.
1 Barbel 9lb 11oz
A very pleasant and 'educational' evening on the river in the company of Paul. The plan was for both of us to fish a couple of new swims which neither of us had ever fished before on one of our favourite club stretches. I struggled with both my choices - struggle
