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About this blog

I started this blog in March 2021, having blanked in over half of my fifteen winter trips to various waters of Newbury Angling Association. The rivers, canals and lakes are fine, I'm just not very good at catching the fish in them. Oddly, i seemed to get a bit better for a while, but 2023 has undone all that. In July I moved to South Wales, not entirely for the weather, but to enforce a change in my fishing luck.

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Entries in this blog

Dobsons

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

5
Dobsons

2021 07 24 - Dobsons

After yesterday's slowish day at Willows, I decided while driving down Muddy Lane to try and make my recent luck change and turned right to Dobsons. My favourite swim was free, and with the forecast rain and lower air pressure after the previous week's heatwave, the omens were good. The fish thought so too, at least in the first few hours, when my method feeder was hit hard six times to my right. Whilst I was snapped twice, the other four bites did not connect which made me question once ag
Speen Moors

14.1.22 - Speen Moors

Well, it finally happened. Thank you CP. A size 14 hook, a kernel of red sweetcorn and after 20 minutes at the weir, a beautiful 2lb 4oz chub finally, finally came in to my net, rubber lips, bronzed scales and everything. I almost declared there and then and went home. Fishing way over depth, the bulk shot may have dragged, but the fishing didn't, although the fish to follow were both trout in the 1.5lb bracket. Planning to spend some of the day piking, I went to the canal but found it
numerous

22 -25.3.22 - More dilemmas

Tuesday - 3 hours available after work and went to Warwicks, given intelligence of large perch being caught there . Dilemma: given it was a bright sunny day, did I pick a swim already in shade knowing perch prefer low light levels to ambush, or, a sunny swim where the sweltering sun would stay til sunset, attracting roach to the surface so drawing the perch in. Hmm, what would you choose? I chose the latter, and though it was very pleasant sitting in the warmth, I alternated between caster, work
Brimpton

9.10.21 - Brimpton - The Crays!

I was fishing the Kennet at Brimpton recently when a man passed me with a dustbin strapped to his back. You see all sorts on the rivers, so after an exchange of pleasantries I did not challenge him. Half an hour later he was back, and the bin was heaving full of large, grotesque signal crayfish. I was appalled. Turns out I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Leech of the Artisan Fisherman Ltd of Thatcham who is fully licenced to trap and trade in crayfish. A lovely man, he estimated his barrel co
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Brimpton

4
Aldermaston

15.10.21 - River Kennet, Aldermaston

So, my first ever session at Aldermaston. I've walked the stretch a few times now, including two days ago when I saw a nice rainbow trout landed. 'I've had a few here,' the man said. 'There's a trout farm downstream.' The river looked beautiful, so despite the NAA website warning that: 'this can be a difficult water to fish and will challenge your skill as a river angler.'  I was very excited as I headed for the water. Through the session, I alternated between a 50 yard perfect-for-trotting
Willows

24.8.21 - Willows

Willows was busy as ever, and I chatted to a number of anglers on my way to one of the remaining swims. A few had come out, but one guy had been there since 8am and had not caught a thing - and now it was early 4. I chucked in a few balls of breadcrumbs mixed with pellets in the far margin opposite my narrowish swim then set up and cast out. Before I'd even got my seat set up,  the rod was dragged across the bank and I held on for a 7lb 9 mirror - wow! Tonight was going to be the night. I had
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

8
Alders/Willows

13.7.21 - Alders & Willows

I've always intended to fish Alders on one of my weekly evening sessions, but the lure of the carp at Willows has always proved irresistible.  But arriving to find Willows very busy (l met a number of new members fishing for the first time there) including my preferred 'evening' swim, I decided tonight was the night. However, it was to be a disappointing evening, but with 2 noteworthy events. I Just one bite in 4 hours (a 3lb 12 tench) so crossed the causeway the by now nearly deserted Will
Alders

03.05.21 - Alders

Bank Holiday Monday, with winds in excess of 40mph but mercifully the accompanying rain gave me the honour of keeping away until I'd finished my session. Alders is now my favourite lake. You'll have read that last Friday was a day of tentative movements on the bobbin whereas Saturday brought good solid takes. Today was back to finickity. On and off, the bobbin played about all day. Sure, some were line bites, but others had fish playing with the bait for several minutes without taking it pr
Speen Moors

7.1.22 - Speen Moors

My Speen Moors misery continues. No bites in the first couple of hours alternating floated maggot with legered bread flake. The low sun was bright, and perhaps that's what put the fish off, combined, perhaps with yesterdays below-zero temperatures. So, on to Parliament Draft, and fished very swim, having pepped each with 15 mins of loose feed first. Zip. I'd burned most of them on my swim-crawl back towards the entry gate, when a fellow committee member, whose angling skills I revere, turned up
Speen Moors/Enborne

01.01.22 - Speen Moors & Enborne

At last; the chance to put my two New Year Resolutions into action: 1 - Eat more pepper - I like pepper on my food, but often forget to put it on. 2 - Sort myself out when it comes to fishing rivers and catch a few pike. I started at the weir swim and soon had my first fish of the year: a gudgeon, surely the harbinger of fishing success and everything being good in the world.  And so it proved, as it was followed by a nice dace sandwiched between two chub, a fish so elusive to me tha
Year summary

2021 - My Year End Summary

The end of another year, the second after my 20 year+ hiatus from the sport that has totally recaptured me like a bleak to a pinkie. It included my first ever grayling (they never had them in Surrey) and my first Crucian and Rainbow since 1977 approx. I'm quite anal in my record keeping, writing a journal, updating a spreadsheet, and then there's been this jolly-old blog since March, so I am well-equipped to shake a creel full of statistics at you which are of interest to, at best, myself.
Willows

31.8.21 - Willows

Goodness me. I know carp aren't everyone's cup of tea, and some consider the gugle-eyed lake cows a nuisance when fishing for wilier  harder to tempt species; but they are such good fun. In under three hours this evening, I had commons of 6lb 8, 3lb 12, 4lb 9 & 7lb 15 plus mirrors of 5lb 12, 8lb 10, 9lb 9, 9lb 2, 9lb 4 and 4lb 2 - ie 69lbs of fish! If I'd landed the three fish that slipped the hook mid-fight, or snagged some of the many hard takes that seemed impossible to miss, wh
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Willows

3
NAA Archive

8.1.22 - Newbury Library

The forecast was dreadful today, and with my Michelin-man wet weather gear still dripping from yesterday, I thought I'd spend the time at the library (within eyesight if the K&A Canal) working on my project researching the history of the Newbury Angling Association. Seeing that the NAA badge showed it was founded in 1878, I was intrigued by what the history might be. I found an on-line newspaper archive which holds over 100 Newbury Weekly News and other publication articles from the 180
Dobsons

15.5.22 - Dobsons

With the wind dropped after yesterdays Westerlies, I headed for the east bank to where I hoped the fish had been blown.  I had a really enjoyable session on the hottest morning of the year and a real mixed bag. A 7lb 4 common and 4lb 8 bream were the only heavy weights, but most fun came on the float less than a rod length out. 2 more bream, 3 perch, and 19 roach, most between 5 and 12 ounces. In a spell when I had a roach shoal in front of me I struck into a bigger fish. Estimating it in f
Kennet & Avon Canal

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
Aldermaston

19.11.21 - River Kennet - Aldermaston

While other bloggers were piling our perch further downstream, Aldermaston was giving me a hard time. I'd started pike fishing on a slow bend where the river starts meandering, but my first cast snagged a root and cost me a trace, bomb and beloved 20 year old pike float. The second brought back 3 large and brutish crayfish clinging to what was left of my mackerel strip. Pointless deadbaiting, so I put on a crayfish lure and twitched it along the bottom. Result: another blinkin' cannibalisti
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Aldermaston

8
Bellwood. Willows, Dixons

1, 3 & 5 12.21 - A bite, 2 blanks and a placing?

The day after my last trip to Speen Moors, two bones in my instep started hurting. By the days end, I could barely put my foot to the floor. Not wanting a trip to casualty for an 8-hour wait plus possible Omicron exposure, I did the typically male thing and left it to get better on its own. What could go wrong? Well nothing really, as over the next couple of days while the pain didn't really subside, the swelling didn't spread and a bite-like head appeared in the area. I reckon something particu
K&A Canal & Knotts

22.12 & 24.12 - Hambridge & Knotts

Wednesday: Had a little under two hours to fish before dark, so took a second trip to the canal swim that produced so many (small) roach last week. It had been minus 5 when I started work that morning, and by now had only now climbed to a balmy 2 degrees, but despite being bothered by a narrow boat and canoeists, all of whom I gave hard stares, the roach didn't seem too bothered. The perch didn't show up however, but even so I thought I was going to beat the 50-fish barrier when, having nailed 2
Marsh Benham

29.1.22 - Marsh Benham

A joy to be the guest of such a legend as Mr Plumb. So much learned, nothing more than the location of the carpark which I may only have overshot by 100 yards, yet enough to render us completely out of sight of each other. My faux pas had me keeping the great man from his chub by half-an-hour while waiting for me. Damn you, S-bend. Finally on the river, CP generously gave me first choice of the delicious looking weir pool-swim. A 3-oz perch had me delighted to have survived January without
Hambridge

1.3.23 - River Kennet - Hambridge

So, life continues to get in the way of my fishing, It's been over a week now and cold turkey is not pleasant. Managed to squeeze in a couple of hours legering cheese paste on the Kennet for chub. No bites, except from one decent branch that I trawled from the depths in the first three swims. No cheese paste made it back on the hook from any cast making me suspect it wasn't sticking, or else the dreaded crays had woken up. On the fourth swim, on the edge of the mid-channel current, the
Willows/K&A Canal

2.1.22 & 5.1.22 - Willows & K&A Canal

Two short sessions squeezed in around Jo's shifts. Sunday - Willows. Why, oh why, do I repeatedly tell myself that lakes are a good idea in winter? OK, the temperature has been double-digit for 10 days with a steady SSW, wind and the water temperature has risen from 5.5 a few weeks ago to 10.5 degrees today, but the water was choppy and seemed dead. Dead enough to put a blank-bustin' maggot out on float for the last hour, but even that was a struggle. Managed just three roach to 3oz when for the
Alders

26.4.22 - Alders

Arrived at 3:30 in shirt-sleeve sunshine to find a gent tackling up in the swim I'd planned to fish. No problem, we had a friendly chat and wished each other luck as I took the swim opposite. He set up a pole rig, a tactic I am too clumsy to attempt,  which would prove an interesting comparison to my ham-fisted approach. Immediately, the sun went in, never to return and the NE breeze, prevalent of the last week or more built up and blew over my competitor and into my face, chopping the water in
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in Alders

5
Year summary

2022 - My Year End Summary

The end of another year, the third  after my 20 year+ hiatus from the sport that has totally recaptured me like a gudgeon to a pinkie. 2022 included my pb bream, brownie, chub, crucian, mirror, pike, rudd and tench. None of them will trouble the records office, but they're all kicking my can down the road and each one was very welcome I'm quite anal in my record keeping, writing a journal, updating a spreadsheet, and then there's been this jolly-old blog since March 21, so I am well-equippe
knotts

30.3.21 - Knotts

Yesterday I took a look around the lakes after work. No sign of fish despite the sudden burst of twenty degrees, apart from one swim at Knotts in which I watched two carp basking in the reeds not 5 metres from me. So that's where I went today, though typically, no sign of carp either basking or otherwise. No takes on various methods, and a handful of roach and a perch for about a pound on light float tackle was disappointing, but as with all fishing trips, there was some magic. This came in
Bayleaf the Gardener

Bayleaf the Gardener in knotts

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