River Kennet - Nr Newbury
0800 - 1630
Cold, bright and sunny - no thermometer but temps must have hovered around 0ºC all day - line was icing in the rings upto 1000 and again from around 1500!
13 Chub - smallest 2lb 14oz, biggest 2; 5lb 6oz, 4lb 9oz. 1X2lb+, 7X3lb+, 4x4lb+, 1X5lb+. (Total Weight of Chub: 50lb 7oz). 3 doz Dace and Roach - mainly dace - all small. 2 Brownies - best 3lb, 1 Rainbow - circa 2lb.
Brrrrrr! A cold winters chubbing - all on trotted maggot. Paul managed 6
River Lambourn - Newbury
0815 - 1030
Cold and clear -1ºC -> 2ºC. River at normal levels.
7 Grayling - best 1lb 2oz, 2 small brownies.
Short session as I needed to pop out for some maggots for Monday's trip...
Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
1400 - 1615
Dull, overcast and calm. AT 7ºC. WT 50ºF
7 Perch - in order of capture... 3lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb2oz, 2lb 9oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz.
Opportunistic trip - as was unexpectedly allowed home early for Christmas! Float fished lobs. Last 4 fish caught in the last 20mins. Early Christmas prezzie!
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0745 - 1115
Mild, overcast and breezy, 11ºC. Water levels down 4-6 inches on last Sunday - still carrying a tinge of colour. WT 47ºF.
1 Perch, 2lb 7oz, 6 chublets all ½ - 1lb, 4 gudgeon.
A real struggle for bites despite seemingly ideal conditions - though WT still a little on the low side - so I'm blaming that. Perch came after an hour and half of trying lobs - chub when I switched to maggot.
Middle Kennet Estate Water
0800 - 1600
Cold and overcast 0ºC ->5ºC. River very coloured - very unusual for this stretch.
2 Chub (5lb 0oz, 1lb 6oz), 2 Perch (2lb 1oz, 1lb 11oz), 14 Dace (2 X11oz, 1X10oz), 4 Brown Trout - (best 2½lb)
Bit of a struggle in a very coloured river. Both chub and 2 biggest trout on sweetcorn. Perch were first AND last fish of the day - one on maggot one on lobs. All dace were a good size - had 4 more around the 8oz mark. Paul had a very similar return
Kennet & Avon Canal - Nr Thatcham
1400 - 1615
Cold and clear. AT 7ºC -> 3ºC. WT 42ºF - canal carrying a little colour.
2 Perch - a fine brace - 3lb2oz & 2lb 9oz. 1 Pike, 8lb 6oz.
A succesful dusk trip for stripeys - despite the cold bright conditions. Pike 1st cast (yet another worm caught pike) and biggest perch on the stroke of 4pm just as the light was fading fast.
River Lambourn - Shaw/Newbury
0715 - 1230
Cold and overcast 1ºC -> 2ºC
14 Grayling - 5 pounders - best 1lb 5oz, 5 Roach, 7 Brownies.
A trip with Paul - and a change of plan - had originally planned a morning's perching - but we decided that conditions were too 'sub-optimal' for stripeys!!!
River Lambourn - Nr Newbury
0845 - 1100
Overcast and chilly 5ºC. River at normal levels - and gin clear as usual!
9 Grayling - all a nice size, best 4 - 1lb 10oz, 1lb 7oz, 1lb 6oz, 1lb 3oz. 3 Brownies - all small.
Nearly didn't go as the weather forecast had been pretty dire - glad I did however - very pleasant couple of hours trotting.
Kennet & Avon Canal - nr Thatcham
1400 - 1630
Overcast, mild with and upstream breeze.AT 13ºC. WT 51ºF. Water quite clear.
5 Perch (3lb 2oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 5oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb14oz) 1 Pike (4¼lb), 1 Chub (c1lb)
Couldn't pass up such perfect conditions for perching! All fish on float fished lobs and all caught after 1530 - a manic last hour of daylight!
River Kennet - Near Newbury
0730 - 1630
Bright and breezy - rain from 1500. 4º -> 11ºC. River rose an inch and coloured up a bit during the day.
13 Chub ( 5lb 9oz, 5lb 3oz, 4lb 7oz, 4lb 1oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb 8oz 3lb 0oz, 2lb 11oz, 2lb 8oz. 1¼lb - & 3 chublets!) 7 Brown Trout - biggest 4lb 14oz, 6 Rainbow trout - biggest 3¾lb, c100 Dace & Roach - in roughly equal nos. Best roach 12oz, best dace 9oz, ½doz Gudgeon!
River was teaming with silve
Middle Kennet Estate water - Nr Hungerford
0700 - 1700
Dull and overcast - Last day of Anti-Cyclonic gloom? 10ºC. River at 'normal' levels colour from the weekend's rain now all dropped out.
41 Grayling (4 'pounders' best 1lb 5oz, over 2 doz circa 12oz), 17 Dace - (best 2 weighed 12oz & 10 oz, 8 over 8oz), 1 doz Trout (50-50 Rainbows/Brownies) best 3¼lb Brownie.
Lovely day exploring the carriers with a float rod and CP. 12oz dace was first fish of the morning - which got me r
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0700 - 1100
Dull and overcast - some very light drizzle. AT 52ºF, WT 50ºC. River up a couple of inches - some colour but fining down.
7 Perch (2lb 13oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz, 1¼lb and 2 small-uns), 1 Trout (2¾lb), 1 Chub (small), ½doz Roach, 3 Gudgeon.
Perfect conditions for perch - 2lbers all came in a rush between 0800 - 0900 - all caught on lobs. Smaller perch and trout form the weirpool on trotted maggot.
River Kennet - Newbury
0700 - 0945
Cold, overcast with a chilly easterly breeze. AT 1º -> 4ºC. WT 43ºF (down 6ºF in 5 days) .River quite low, clear with some leaf litter.
1 Pike (6lb 6oz), 4 Chub (all between ¾lb - 1¾lb), 11 Dace, 1 Grayling.
Slow morning in one of my favourite trotting swims. Pike followed a couple of dace in - so 10 mins with a floating plug soon had him on the bank! All other fish on single red maggot.
River Lambourn - Shaw
0800 - 1200
Overcast and chilly with a couple of short, sharp showers. 2º -> 6ºC. River at normal levels with a lot of debris and leaf litter (EA were cleaning the Gauge Weir at the top of the venue!)
17 Grayling (best 1lb 5oz), 5 Roach, 1 Brown Trout
Catch a couple and move on - fished a dozen swims - never had more than 2 fish from any of them. Trotted red maggot.
River Kennet - Nr Newbury
1830 - 2300
Clear and frosty. AT 5º -> 0ºC. WT 49ºF. River up a couple of inches - with little debris.
1 Barbel 5lb 8oz, 1 Chub 3lb 3oz.
Chilly evening, though fishing under the tree kept the frost off. Chub 1st cast, Barbel at 2100.
Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
0715 - 1030
Clear and frosty - hazy sunshine. 0º -> 10ºC
2 Perch (1lb 15oz, 1lb 1oz)
An exploratory wander up and down the canal - in sub-optimal conditions for perch. No bites in first 1½hrs - quite a bit of boat traffic too! Both fish on lobs.
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0715 - 1115
Overcast start then bright and sunny. 5º -> 11ºC. River at normal levels - little leaf litter or debris.
5 Perch (1lb 14oz, 1lb 12oz, 1lb 10oz, 1¼lb and one of around ¾lb), 2 Pike (10lb 14oz, 5lb 13oz), 5 Dace (a couple close to 8oz), ½doz Chublets, Roach & Gudgeon.
Early morning dawn raid for some perch with Paul. Shared the same swim and Paul had a nice brace (2lb 13oz & 1lb 15oz). My 3 biggest pe
River Itchen - Nr Eastleigh
0830 - 1830
Overcast and mild all day, some v light drizzle at first. 15ºC. River at normal levels with some leaf litter.
51 Grayling (36 over 1lb including 13 over 2lb (!!!) Best two: 2lb 13oz, 2lb 9oz), 9 Brown Trout (all between 1½-2½lb), 1 chub 4lb 12oz, 1 Salmon 5lb 10oz.
First ever autumn trip to this stretch of water - courtesy of Paul's excellent networking skills. Brilliant day's angling - Paul had 27, 1lb+ gra
River Kennet - Thatcham
1300 - 1500
Bright and Breezy. 17ºC. River at normal levels carrying some debris.
2 Barbel (5lb 2oz, 3lb 4oz), 10 Chub - all between 10oz - 1¾lb, 1 Brown Trout 1lb 10oz.
Cracking little trotting session. All fish on double red maggot.
River Kennet - Newbury
1815 - 2315
Overcast and mild - 13ºC. WT 53ºF. River up an inch or so and with a bit more colour after Sunday's rain. No debris.
2 Barbel (6lb 4oz, 3lb 13oz), 1 Chub (2¼lb)
Fished the frying pan swim again. First bite at 2015. An evening more notable for the wildlife commuting through my swim. A mink - in the water, several large rats in the margins (being hunted by the mink???) and a badger on the bank!
River Kennet - Speen Moors
0645 - 1100
Cool and overcast - ice on the car for the first time this autumn. 2º -> 10ºC. River at 'normal' levels.
5 Perch (2lb 15oz, 1lb 14oz and 3 little-uns), 5 Chub (1½lb and 4 chublets), 1 Pike (1¼lb!), 1 doz Roach, ½ doz Dace & Gudgeon.
Perch and Jack on float fished lobs - biggest perch from Speen for 3 years. All other fish (apart from 2 chublets) on trotted Maggot. Both Perch in first ½hour of fishing.
River Kennet, Nr Thatcham
1830 - 2300
Cool and breezey evening 12ºC (but felt colder!) River low and carrying quite a bit of leaf litter and floating weed - made bait presentation difficult.
2 Barbel (4lb14oz, 4lb 3oz)
Same venue - though different swim to 2 weeks ago (15 Sep) with remarkably similar results! Again both fish caught by 2000.
River Kennet - Newbury
0645 - 1100
Foggy, 9ºC. River low.
6 Perch best 1¼lb, 2doz Dace, 1doz Roach, 2 Brownies (biggest 1lb), 1 Grayling
A mornings trotting/worming. All perch on lobs (if the crayfish didn't get them 1st!)
