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About this blog

Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

Entries in this blog

28 December

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   1245 - 1600   Mild (very - 11ºC), overcast, slight drizzle at times and quite breezy (though we found a sheltered spot). WT 46º   1 roach, 1 dace and err 10 bleak!   Paul and I had penciled in this date a while back for a Christmas trip and permissions had been granted to fish an estate water on the middle Kennet. Unfortunately the heavy rains over the past 10 days have put paid to that - a real shame as conditions othe
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

21 December

K&A Canal Thatcham   1300 - 1600   Bright and breezy. 9ºC. WT 47ºF Canal very high, over the banks in several places when I arrived - but dropped over a foot during the afternoon.   4 Perch; 2lb 12oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb 14oz and 1 sub pounder (but not by much). 2 Chub (lets), 15 Roach, 1 dace and a bleak (1st of the season!)   Plan was if I can't find the perch - maybe they can find me! Plonked my self in one spot and sparingly fed maggot all afternoon - wit
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

24 December

River Lambourn - Newbury   0945 - 1145   Overcast, mild and very breezy - with more sodding rain - becoming really quite heavy by the end. Would have fished longer but reached that "I'll be glad when I'm fed up with this moment" earlier than anticipated. River very, very full and carrying a little colour.   13 Grayling - 2 pounders (best 1.05) and a couple more just shy. 3 Brownies - 2 parrs and a 1¼lb fish.   Maggots have their annual eviction as my bait fridge gets its once yearly cle
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

23 October

K&A Canal, Thatcham   0715 - 1115   Mainly overcast, some sun just after dawn and a couple of light showers. AT 50ºF, WT 47ºF.   10 Perch: 3lb 9oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb 3oz, 3lb 0oz, 2lb 15oz, 2lb 9oz, 2lb 8oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 8oz. 27lb of fish!!!!!   Brilliant morning's perching!! 3lb 3oz fish first cast and thereafter caught steadily upto 1030 when 3 barges came through in quick succession and killed the swim. First ever time I've had 4X3lbers in a ses
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

26 June

NAA Stillwater - Widmead   0445 - 1045   Warm and overcast with sun breaking through after 0900. 15ºC->24ºC   1 Crucian; 3lb 13oz - new PB! 2 Commons; 11lb 3oz & 8lb 5oz. 2 Perch - 1 just on 1lb and a nice Rudd of 10oz.   Yippee got what I came for - had heard of some big 3's showing and even whispers of a 4lber so thrilled to have snaffled one. Sat right back and float fished under my rod tip about 2 foot from the bank - lots and lots of little l
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

9

25 October

River Kennet - Padworth   1800 - 2200   Cold and clear! AT down to 30ºF, WT 45ºF down 2ºF on Saturday. River also low and clear.   1 Brown Trout; 3lb 9oz.     Brrrrrrr! Probably need my head examined going barbel fishing in such chilly conditions - but it was the only free evening I've got this week. Not surprised I blanked with old whiskers - especially with a falling WT. Might have hoped for a chub or two - so mightly surprised to get a 3½lb trout - which picked up my 14mm hair-rigged
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

1 November

River Kennet - nr. Thatcham   1830 - 2330   Mainly overcast and quite breezey. AT54ºF, WT52ºF and both rising. Positively balmy compared to last Monday evening, despite the wind!   4 Barbel: 10lb 7oz, 9lb 5oz, 7lb 4oz, 5lb 15oz   Cracking evening in a swim not a million miles from where John, Chris & Steve have been in the last 72 hours! 9lber first cast - all be it ¾hr after casting out and the double right at the end of the session. Biggest barbel f
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

5

30 October

River Kennet - Thatcham   0800 - 1130   Bright and sunny. AT 54ºF, WT 52ºF - up 7ºF on Monday evening!   1 Barbel 4lb 11oz, 1 brownie 1¼lb, 5 dace & a roach.   Slowish morning's trotting - started out with lobs for 1st hour hoping for a chub or two but nothing doing. Then an hour's trotting maggot before the barbel showed up - target for the morning was a barbel so at least that box got ticked! Rather a lot of minnows in residence - more than I've seen for a long time!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

22 June

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   0700 - 1000   Cool, breezey and overcast. One sharp shower followed by an absolute downpour just after packing up!! Max 15ºC   3 Barbel; 7lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz, 2lb 9oz. 1 Chub (unweighed but circa 1lb). 3 Dace, 1 Gudgeon & 2 Brownies one of which went 2lb 14oz.   A return to the venue I visited on opening day and as I hoped I had the place to myself! This meant I could fish all ½ doz swims in rotation. Biggest barbel from 2nd s
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

3

20/21 June

NAA stillwater - Widmead   1400 - 0800   Warm and overcast - rain from 1600 - 2100 with drizzle during the night. Min temp 15ºC   9 Carp - biggest 8lb, 9 Roach, 3 Rudd & a perch   Slow, disappointing session - especially as we were after tench!! Couldn't even find any of the bigger carp - had them down to 3lb! Didn't even know there were any that small in the lake! Paul had a couple fewer carp and like me had one decent(ish) common of nearly 9lb - though he did manage a solitary brea
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

17 June

Newbury AA Stillwater - Thatcham   0530 - 1430   Cool & overcast - drizzle from 1100.   3 Carp; 10lb 10oz, 8lb 1oz & 3lber. A doz rudd & roach and 1½doz small perch.   Slowish day alledgedly fishing for crucians - though Paul fared better snaffling a brace of 1¼lb+ fish. 10lb carp 1st cast - lucky to land it on a size 18 to 2¾lb bottom! Fished meat & maggot in rotation. All the roach were of a good stamp circa 8-10oz - pity there weren't a
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

22 August

Newbury AA Stillwater - Widmead   0530 - 1100.   Bright and sunny after a cool, misty start. 10º -> 20ºC   1 Crucian; 2lb 2oz. 8 Carp; best 2 - 12lb 6oz & 11lb 9oz, smallest 6¾lb. 3 rudd & a perch.   A morning's float fishing (lift method as per usual!!). Crucian and 3 of the smaller carp on 6mm S-Pellet. Meat just got nailed by the rudd. Last couple of hours spent freelining bread - which brought 5 more carp including both bigger ones. Smallest
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

1

26 September

River Kennet - Newbury   1830 - 2330   Warm, still evening - really surprised to see the thermometer in the car down to 11ºC when I left as it felt MUCH warmer under the trees - quilted shirt and coat both remained 'unworn' all evening. River LOW (now the norm for this time of year - alas ) and carrying quite a bit of colour.   4 Barbel; 6lb 15oz, 6lb 10oz, 5lb 2oz, 4lb 1oz.   Nice to get amongst some 'schooly' sized barbel! Got off to a cracking start wi
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

1

28 September

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley Complex   1600 - 2330   Warm clear night - temps still 14ºC when I packed up.   1 Tench 3lb 3oz. A doz+ perch & 2 rudd.   This Indian Summer has persuaded me to have one last session here. The perch were really having the meat but switched off when it got dark. Tench on the stroke of 8 o'clock and 'bumped' another ½hr later - which proved to be the last bite of the session!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

19 August

River Kennet - Newbury   0545 - 1015   Cool, bright and sunny. 8ºC -> 13ºC. River up a tad and carrying a bit of colour after yesterdays rains.   50+ Dace - mainly small save for one really goodun of 11oz and 2 or 3 of around 6oz. 20+ Roach, 2 Chublets - both just shy of a pound, 4 Gudgeon and a Brownie.   Pleasant mornings trotting. Hoped a barbel or two would put in an appearance plus a few bigger chub - but as these were the first chub I've heard of from here this season I was glad
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

15 September

River Kennet - Thatcham   1000 - 1200   Warm and sunny - lovely early autumn morning. 17ºC but felt a whole lot warmer.... River very low 1 Barbel; 4lb 15oz. 1 Chub; 2lb 2oz. 2 dace, 2 brownies and a grayling.   Meant to be mowing the lawn today and as I type this while having some lunch I 'spose I better get out there. My excuse this morning was that it was too wet to cut (heavy dew last night) - so with a pint of maggots in the fridge, a trotting rod made up in the quiver I was on the
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

3 October

NAA Stillwater - Thatcham   0630 - 0930   Warm despite clear skies. 15º - 20ºC   1 Crucian, 2lb 15oz. 1 Carp 5lb 7oz, a rudd (small!)   Mini campaign to get an autumn crucian meets with success!! Though in fairness this morning felt more like high summer! Thought my chance had gone, as despite having the odd crucian rolling it wasn't until the sun just started to bathe the swim in full light at around 0900 that I had a bite from one (the carp trashing the
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

10/11 August

Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley   1930 - 0130   Overcast and very breezy - this lake is so sheltered it's unusual to feel any wind at all - not last night! Mild - min 15ºC.   1 Bream; 8lb. 1 Tench; 3lb 7oz. 2 rudd & a perch.   Fished a new swim for the first time - at other end of the lake to usual haunts! Both fish caught just as it got completely dark - tench on meat at 2200 and the bream on maggot ½ hour later. No bites at all thereafter - though a few l
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

15/16 September

River Kennet - Padworth   2015 - 0145   Cool & clear. AT down to 10ºC.   1 Barbel; 8lb 0oz*.   Out later than usual as I'd agreed to pick up one of my son's from a party at 'stupid o'clock' - any excuse to get out on the bank. Just as well, as I've I'd kept my usual hours I'd have been looking at a blank - only bite came on the stroke of 0100 when I'd have usually been tucked up in bed! No other excitements save for seeing a truely spectacular meteor - I half expected to see on the
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

5 December

Middle Kennet   0930 - 1600   Cold, bright and sunny after a foggy start. River low - waiting for those springs on the downs to burst - not long now (hopefully)!   9 Chub; 6 over 1lb biggest 4lb 4oz - all the others between 2-3lb. 19 dace; best 2 went 13 & 12oz - with quite a few others circa 8-10oz. 5 Brownies - biggest circa 2lb but unweighed.   Day didn't get off to the best of starts - as on arrival I discovered that I'd left my landing net at home
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

7 November

Middle Kennet   0730 - 1630   Cool and overcast after a bright start. River low but carrying just a tinge of colour after heavy overnight rain.   9 Chub, 7 over 1lb - best 2; 4lb 6oz & 4lb 4oz. 15 Perch, 8 over 1lb - best 2; 2lb 7oz & 2lb 2oz (most of the 'pounders' were over 1½lb). 1 Pike 5lb 6oz. 60+ roach & dace - in equal nos. ½doz gudgeon. 6 rainbow trout to 3¼lb & 5 brownies to 3¾lb.   Stonking session on one of my favourite parts of
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

27 November

River Lambourn - Shaw   O800 - 1130   Cold and overcast with the odd flurry of snow. -3ºC -> +1ºC   25 Grayling; 3 over 1lb and 3 more just an ounce or two shy. Best 1lb 7oz. 12 Brown trout, 1 Roach.   Pleasant morning's trotting in the cold. Unusually for here nearly all the fish came from just 2 swims, with just a couple of fish to show from the ½doz+ other swims I tried. Most of the trout were no more than fingerlings - A sign of a succesful breeding season methinks!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

20 November

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   0700 - 1200   Overcast with drizzle. AT6ºC. Near perfect conditions except for the fact that WT was only at 45ºF.   2 Perch: 3lb 3oz & 3lb 2oz. 1 Chub 1¼lb.   Chub very first cast - hit the lob as soon as it was in the water - thereafter bites at a premium - a fish at 0830 and another 2 hours later - but well worth the wait! Paul had a small chub and a 2lb 6oz stripey.     The 3-3   Pea
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

13 November

River Lambourn - Newbury   0800 - 1100   Cool & Overcast. 8-10ºC. River low, as per usual this time of year!   14 Grayling - 5 over 1lb - best 2, 1lb 9oz & 1lb 6oz. 7 Roach - all a 'nice' size - in need of a landing net! The 2 I popped on the scales went 11 & 13oz but the rest weren't much smaller. 1 Brownie (small).   Pleasant morning's trotting. Fish very spooky in the low water didn't get more than 1 from any swim EXCEPT the first swim I dropped into which produced 11 fish
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

12 March - Part 2

River Kennet - Thatcham.   0900 - 1100   Bright with milky sunshine. AT upto 13ºC when I left - a lovely early spring morning.   1 Chub; 2lb 13oz. 1 dace. 1 Brownie 1¼lb.   So having been crayfished off the canal, plan B was to see if I could snaffle a March barbel on the pin. (Having first picked up some maggot from Tony's for Monday - as ever he wasn't a happy bunny - this time coz I proffered a 20 and he had no change! ). Anyways, Plan B got scuppered almost before it got started. 1s
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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