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Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

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29 December (Part 2)

Kennet & Avon 'Flowing' canal - Thatcham 1345 - 1545 Bright and breezy. AT 8ºC. River very full with a tinge of colour. 14 Roach. 1 Dace. All small. Another rarely visited swim which can be very hit or miss - usually miss - but which I knew would be a large slack on a flooded river. Lots of silvers in residence but no signs of anything bigger.  

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

29 December (Part 1)

River Kennet - Newbury (Whitehouse) 0900 - 1300 Bright and breezy with heavy showers. AT 8ºC. River very pacey with a tinge of colour. 1 Chub: 5lb 14oz. 9 Roach - all a 'nice' size - the one I deemed worthy of the scales went 14oz - with all the others around half that! 2 Dace - small. A quick return to my pre-Christmas venue. When I walked back to my car last week I spied a slack which simply screamed 'here be chub' and I wasn't wrong! First trot through the float buried at

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 December (Part 2)

River Kennet - Newbury ('Whitehouse' stretch) 1230 - 1430 Mild, overcast and windy. AT 12ºC. River full and clear. 8 Roach - all quite chunky - in the 6-10oz class. 1 Dace: a good-un - worthy of the scales at 13oz. Been yonks since I last fished here - but rumours of good silver fish catches (including big dace) had me investigating on a recent visit to B&Q and vowing to return with rod in hand. Had originally intended to fish down the length of the Lambourn again - but i

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 December (Part 1)

River Lambourn - Newbury 0900 - 1200  Mild, overcast and very windy due to Storm Pia - some swims had some jeopardy due to falling branches! AT 11º/12º. River very high and clear. 1.67m on the Shaw gauge. 8 Grayling: half over a lb - best 1lb 11oz. 3 Brownies - all small/parrs. Bit of a 'scratchy' morning with most of my more reliable swims hardly producing a bite. Think all the extra water has pushed the fish into some unlikely spots. Eventually found some fish and had 4 fro

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

18 December

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0845 - 1400 Mild and overcast - quite breezy. AT 10º-12ºC. River VERY high, up another 3 or 4 inches on last month and with a hint of colour. 4 Chub: 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb 10oz. 4 Roach, 3 Dace, 1 Perch (all small). 1 Brownie 4½lb Morning got off to a cracking start with all four chub caught in the first ½hour - then switched to a slack on the weir-pool that has been throwing up nice perch all autumn - but they weren't in residence - thou

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

15 December (Part 2)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 1400 - 1600 Cool, calm with some milky sunshine. AT 7ºC 10 Perch; most quite small - with one good-un @ 2lb 4oz. 1 Pike c2½lb Successful dusk session after a big stripey, in a canal basin that is something of a winter aquarium - for predators and prey - as evidenced by a couple of the club's seasoned match anglers who were also fishing it when I arrived. They kindly let me drop in above them - and I was quickly having problems with pike - I g

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

15 December (Part 1)

Middle Kennet (& Carrier), Marsh Benham 0900 -  1315 Cool, calm and cloudy - a lovely benign winter's day. AT 5º-7ºC. River very full and clear - though down a couple of inches on 10 days ago. 2 Chub: 3lb 5oz & 2lb 7oz. 3 Brownies; 2½-3½lb. I had a cunning plan for today - return to the south bank flood slack I found last week - pre-bait with copious amounts of red sweetcorn and empty the swim of big winter chub - or at least that was how it played out in my imaginati

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

13 December

River Lambourn - Shaw 0930 - 1330 Cool, overcast and drizzly. AT 6ºC. River full and clear. 1.68m on the Shaw river gauge. 6 Grayling - a couple of 'pounders' - biggest 1lb 6oz, 3 around 8-10oz and a tiddler. 12 Brownies - all small/parrs. I had planned to fish the Kennet today - but another 14mm of rain yesterday will have completely stuffed up even my most favoured flood swims. Somewhat of a scratchy morning - largely failing to avoid the small trout which were everywhere.

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

8 December

River Kennet - Hambridge 0945 - 1415 Cool with a bright start - clouding over (thankfully). AT 4º-10ºC.  River VERY high - highest I've seen it this winter - yet with surprisingly little colour considering it rained most of yesterday! 2 Chub: 3lb 10oz, 3lb 3oz. 2 Perch: 3lb 0oz , 2lb 7oz. 1 Roach (small), 1 Grayling (ditto). 1 Brownie - c2lb. Started off in my downstream flood swim - as it is more shady and had both chub from it (plus the red-fin, lady and brownie). Moved ups

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

5 December

Middle Kennet (& Carrier) - Marsh Benham 0900 - 1400 Cool, overcast with some light drizzle at times. AT 4º-5ºC. River very full with a little colour after yesterday's rain. 4 Chub: 4lb 13oz, 4lb 3oz, 3lb 11oz, 3lb 8oz. 1 Roach - small. 9 Brownies, 8 between 2lb-4½lb and a small-un. Fished the whole length of the carrier in the morning, think I pretty much ran a float through every swim for a solitary roach and the 9 Brownies (groan). Then walked down the canal bank to re

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

1 December

River Lambourn - Newbury 0845 - 1415 Cold and cloudy. AT -2º -> +1ºC. (Proper Grayling weather!). River very full and clear. 23 Grayling. 8 over a lb - best 4 went 1lb 14oz, 1lb 12oz & 1lb 10oz (X2 - different fish). 5 Brownies: all small/parrs. I do love cold days like this - wrapped up warm and staying mobile. Had the rare luxury of not seeing another angler so fished the length of the stretch twice with a break for lunch in between. Took corn but forgot it in the mo

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

28 November

River Kennet - Colthrop 0900 - 1300 Sunny spells - quite cold. AT 5ºC. River very high and gin clear! 1 Dace, 1 Roach (both small). 2 Gudgeon. 1 Brownie. Another venue I visit infrequently (last time was  three years ago), but whispers of large chub had me investigating first hand. Started out on the flowing canal in a failed attempt at emulating last week's big dace capture. All in all I struggled for bites all morning....

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

24 November

River Lambourn - Shaw 1215- 1500 Sunny spells - quite breezy and getting chilly. AT 8º-5ºC. River very full but crystal clear as always. 11 Grayling: 5 over a lb. Best two @ 1lb 10oz & 1lb 9oz. 8 Brownies; one 'pounder' the rest all quite small. Looks like being a great year for Lambourn ladies - another couple of fish well above expectations for this venue - and both first cast fish from a couple of usual hot-spots. River very pacey which meant some of my other favoured

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 November (Part 2)

River Kennet - Hambridge 1245 - 1500 Overcast and drizzly. AT 9ºC. River VERY high up yet another couple of inches on my last visit (11 days ago) - but with hardly any colour. 2 Chub: 3lb 6oz & 3lb 2oz. 1 Perch: 3lb 1oz (SB), 1 Dace:(small), 1 Grayling;(ditto) Usual 'flood swim' bonanza - 2nd winter in a row I've had a 3lb+ perch from here. Started  downstream of my usual swim which produced the 'smaller' chub and the 2 'silvers'.  

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 November (Part 1)

K&A 'flowing' Canal - Thatcham 0900 - 1200 Cool, overcast and drizzly at times. AT 8ºC. River VERY full, flowing quite hard (for a canalised section) but clear. 2 Dace: 1lb 1oz (!!!) 😲 & 11oz WOW! I visit here quite infrequently as it isn't a particularly prolific stretch - though it has thrown up some big autumn dace in recent years - and that sort of what I was hoping for - but wasn't expecting anything quite so jaw dropping.  I'd started on The Arrowhead - for

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

17 November (Part 1)

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0900 - 1330 Cool and sunny, clouding over late morning. AT 2º-10ºC. River very high but with only little colour. 3 Perch: 2lb 2oz and a couple around ¾-1lb. 1 Dace, 1 Roach. 1 Brownie - 2½lb. Bit of a gamble with the river so high - but I reasoned if I could find some 'quiet' water I'd find some fish. Morning got off to the worst of starts - trickling in small amounts of maggot for 10 mins didn't bring the hoped for first cast chub but another ruddy

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

15 November

Middle Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham 0800 - 1300 Bright and sunny - clouding over for last hour. AT 7º-11ºC. River VERY full. Main river over the banks and carrier bank high but with little colour. 2 Chub: 2lber and a chublet. 30+ Dace & Roach roughly equal nos - nothing particularly noteworthy some of the dace were quite chunky and one of the roach needed the net. 1 Perch - small. 5 Brownies: all between 2½-3½lb. Sparkly morning in West Berkshire - though I was thankful

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

10 November

River Kennet - Hambridge 1230 - 1515 Sunny spells after morning rain. AT 8ºC (felt a lot cooler!). River still very high - if anything up and inch or so on last Friday but with nearly all the colour dropped out and LOTS of leaf litter. 3 Chub: 5lb 1oz and a brace of 2lbers. 1 Perch: 2lb 15oz. 1 Roach - handsized. Favourite flood swim produces the goods yet again! Took it nice and slow resting the swim for at least 10 mins after each fish and keeping the bait trickling in - se

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

7 November (Part 2)

River Kennet - Brimpton 1145 - 1445 Bright and breezy. AT 8º-10ºC. River still very high - though most colour has now dropped out. 6 Brownies; a fish of around 2½lb - the rest all around 8-10oz, all almost identical in size - kept thinking I was catching the same fish. Normal service has been resumed - alas. My Nemisis turning up 'early doors' in every swim I tried - thwarting all attempts at attracting a chub or 2!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

7 November (Part 1)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 0715 - 1045 Bright, crisp morning, though the breeze picked up a lot and was clouding over when I packed up. AT 2º - 8ºC 1 Pike: small (very - see pic below!). 1 Perch c6-8oz. 1 Roach - handsized. A cold start with bright sunshine above and grass frost under my feet are not the most ideal conditions for autumn perching! Another exploratory session and I fished 4 swims along the length of the section - but regardless of where I cast, bites

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 November (Part2)

River Kennet - Hambridge 1230 - 1430 Mainly overcast, quite breezy with a couple of lumpy showers. AT 13ºC. River up over a foot on my last visit and the colour of 'builder's tea'! 1 Chub 3lb 5oz. 1 Bream 3lb 2oz. 3 Roach - all small. 1 Gudgeon. Fished my 'banker' flood water swim - but even I was surprised I caught. River was really coloured up after Storm Ciarán had dumped an inch and a half of rain on West Berkshire in the past 24 hours - and didn't look at all promising.

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 November (Part 1)

River Lambourn - Newbury 0800 - 1200 Bright and breezy with a few light showers. AT 7º - 13ºC. River very full - but crystal clear as always! 16 Grayling with 7 around a lb or better - 2 of which were substantially better at 2lb 2oz & 1lb 14oz 😲(!). 8 Brownies - one real lump of around 3lb the rest all small/parrs. Default venue when the Kennet is in flood and my first 2lb+ grayling from the Lambourn in over 2 decades. (Last time was 27/12/01). Took red corn for a change

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

31 October (Part 2)

Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham 1000 - 1400 Bright and sunny with heavy showers to finish! AT 10ºC - 15ºC. River at normal levels with a hint of colour. 7 Chub: 3lb 3oz, one of 12oz+ and 5 chublets. 1 doz Roach: all small. 4 Dace: one good-un of at least 8oz. 1 Perch - small. 'Popped' into my syndicate stretch on the way home from Avington. And as I had my lobs with me I started out with them to try and snaffle a decent perch from here - though they produced not a single bite.

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

31 October (Part 1)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Avington 0630 - 0930 Brightening up after overnight rain. AT 6º - 10ºC. 2 Doz perch. Nothing noteworthy - though they weren't tiddlers - most around 6-8oz with a couple twice that. I had great plans for this week - and they didn't involve prospecting for perch on my club's most westerly venue. The coarse season on the Frome opens tomorrow and I had intended to travel down to Dorset to make the most of the opening day. Alas heavy rain over the past we

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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