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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.

Entries in this blog

Marsh Benham

17.11.23 - Marsh Benham

A rare trip back 'home' to Newbs allowed me a visit to one of my favourite stretches, albeit the high water level put pay to a few of my favourite swims. I arrived after a cold night to bright sun which, as well as making float trotting blindingly impossible,  contributed to many of the resident fish taking shelter. Except for the trout, of course. I landed three of the snarly-faced swim-trashers but lost another seven, each one leaving the swim in tatters. A handful of roach, dace and
Marsh Benham

25.1.23 & 31.1.23 - kennet(2) Kennet & Avon 1

Wednesday - The first non-frosty day for a couple of weeks, but with the ground bone hard, I was postponed from my gardening work. 1.5 hours lure fishing on the Kennet at Widmead. Looked lovely, at one point I did see the long body of a pike swim away from me near the bank, but despite swapping lures, speeds and swims, not a single knock. I could have moved on to the constant water temps of the Lambourn , but me being me I plumped for the canal at Hambridge where last year I found the roach hole
Marsh Benham

20 & 24.1.23 - Marsh Benham

Friday - with a week of sub-zero temperatures, the lakes are both frozen and in flood, so I stick with the syndicate water which seems more reliable to my skill level than other parts of the Kennet. This easy option was not rewarded by the fish gods. Finding their prince on Earth, Mr Plumb in the swim I had planned to start in (no prob, CP) I kept walking and trotted the normally prolific carrier swims. Hardly a bite, though I did bump two fish: one small, one larger.The sun was now above the ho
Marsh Benham

18.1.23 - Marsh Benham

Minus 5 last night, so my gardening work was off. Hung about until 9 when it'd warmed to minus 2 and made my way to the beautiful frosty and sunny syndicate. Water level still high with a few unfishable, I prebaited half a dozen with mashed bread. Legered breadflake smeared with my mystery ingredient. I knew it would attract trout, but it was so cold I was happy to keep catching and, who knew, maybe the temperature will keep them subdued and let the chub in. No such luck. I think the low, bright
Marsh Benham

8 & 10.1.23 - Dixons & Marsh Benham

Sunday. It rained much of yesterday and with showers due I decided against the fast-flowing river or canal so I could sit unmoving under the brolly at the lake. With some maggots left, I'd fish lightly to attract, maybe catch some silvers, while a deadbait on rod 2 may snap up a marauding pike, maybe two. A great plan, but as so often happens, it didn't come off. The 'light showers' forecast turned out to be two hour-long bouts of proper rain, cold too, which doubtless hit the water temps. Resul
Marsh Benham

29.12.22 - Marsh Benham

Having suffered a wet day on the Kennet at Speen Moors and Enborne Canal for a solitary 1lb perch which did not merit its own blog entry, but have pictured here, on Thursday I made my way to the more reliable syndicate. As alluded to by the revered CP on his blog, it was a delight to see him and the majority of our small number of members fishing this short stretch between days of pouring rain. Usual disasters for me: firstly, I'd forgotten to pack my boots in my new, smaller car so had to
Marsh Benham

24.12.22 - Marsh Benham

When you're told by your spouse that your request to help with Xmas preparations will add to her concerns and not detract from them, the only thing to do to overcome the emasculation is to go fishing. Yesterday's rain brought more flow and depth to the carrier which boded well. Once again I went first to the weir swim, anticipating the fish shoaled in the deep eddy, primed to leap through the crease to pluck passing tidbits. Wrong, and had no bites in 45 mins. Moved to the far end with the
Marsh Benham

11.11.22 - Marsh Benham

A third consecutive week trotting on the syndicate, and a similar return from the other two. The warm autumn continues, 13 degrees and overcast making it comfortable to fish, though the water level was considerably lower from last week - maybe down a foot in the weirpool, and the predominantly sandy bottom visible in most of the carrier swims. This didn't put the fish off. I fished maybe 6 swims in all for 36 roach to 14 oz, mainly in the 6-9 oz range, 10 dace, 10 chublets, 8 perch and 2 brownie
Marsh Benham

4.11.22 - Marsh Benham

Another lovely day on the syndicate. Water level not much higher than last week after all that rain, but flow running quicker. Caught fish from the off, moving swims every half an hour or so. Having lost too high a number of larger fish last week, I landed all that I hooked, except one. In the weir swim, I struck into something unmoving that after a few seconds making up its mind, turned on the afterburners and my 4lb hook length never stood a chance.  I ended up without anything huge, but
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
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