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About this blog

Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

Entries in this blog

3 December (pt2)

River Lambourn - Shaw   ​1045 - 1330   ​Still cool - with cloudy breaking to give some sunshine. River very low - 16cm on the Shaw river gauge.   ​9 Grayling; 2 'pounders' - biggest 1lb 6oz. 8 Brownies - most parr fish with a couple of bigger ones.   ​Usual catch a couple and move on tactics - fish very spooky in low water conditions.....
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

3 December (pt1)

Northcroft Stream - Newbury   0730 - 1030   Cool and overcast. AT 3-5ºC. River very low and clear.   3 Chub; 3lb 11oz, 3lb 7oz, 2lb 2oz. 6 Perch (all small), 4 Dace & a 2lb+ Brownie.   A morning travelling very light - most fish from the weirpool.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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26 November

​River Kennet - Newbury.   ​0715 - 1100   ​Cool (5ºC), calm & cloudy. River surprisingly low and clear given all the rain earlier in the week. WT 9.4ºC   ​4 Chub; all between 1½lb - 2lb 14oz. 12 Dace, 5 Grayling, 3 Roach, a Gudgeon & 8 brownies.   ​Pleasant morning's trotting. Chub were the target so very pleased to get that box ticked with 3 fish in the first 30 minutes. Trout were a flippin nuisance always jumping in the shallow water and killing whatever swim I was in!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

19 November

​River Lambourn - Newbury   ​0700 - 1100. Frosty and bright - clouding over for the last hour. River very low.   ​31 Grayling; Most quite small but around a dozen needed the net - the 2 I weighed went 1lb 3oz & 1lb 2oz - with another half dozen not much smaller. 10 Brownies - all small save for one 2lber.   ​Usual catch a couple and move on tactics - fish quite spooky in low water - though found a big shoal in the last 45 minutes which produced nearly half the total!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

13 November

​Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   0645 - 1130   Bright and sunny. AT 6º -> 10ºC. WT 10.4ºC   12 Dace. 1 Perch (small), 1 Pike (tiny!).   Fished 3 new swims (for me), the first of the basis of some recently acquired 'intelligence'! In truth it wasn't ideal conditions for prospecting and whilst I did get a little interest in my lobs before the sun was up it was from a small perch and a micro pike! Will be back when conditions are more optimal!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

7 November

River Frome - Wool   0745 - 1500   Cool, bright (too bright!) and very breezy. River very low (lowest I've ever seen it). 56cm@ East Stoke.   19 Grayling; 7 over 1lb, best 1lb10oz. 1 Dace, 9oz, 7 Brownies.   A bit of a struggles in challenging conditions - though the lure of a 3lb grayling will keep me coming back here! Fish very spooky in the low water so it paid to rest 'hot spots'. Dace was a nice bonus.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

5 November

Kennet & Avon Canal, Avington   0645 - 1200   Cool and overcast. AT 2º -> 8ºC. WT 10.6ºC   4 Perch; 2lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 10oz and a tiddler. 2 Chub 1lb 13oz & 2lb0oz. 14 Roach, 2 Dace and 5 Skimmers.   Thought I was taking a bit of a gamble after the first proper frosts of the autumn - but a quick reading of the WT on arrival gave me cause for optimism. As it turned out the only takes I had on lobs were from the chub - with the perch arriving l
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

29 October

​Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   ​0730 - 1015   ​Calm and overcast. AT 13-15ºC. WT 13.9ºC   ​5 Perch; biggest 2, 1lb 10oz & 1lb 6oz.   ​Perfect perch morning somewhat ruined by early boat traffic. Bites from the off - but after the first barge came through at 0830 I didn't get another touch!!!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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22 October

Kennet & Avon Canal - Avington   0715 - 1215   Cool, and overcast. AT 6º -> 9ºC. WT 11.4ºC   6 Perch to 1lb 12oz (3 over lb). 3 Chub; all over 1lb - best 4lb 5oz. 15 Roach, 4 Dace, 1 Bream (circa 1½lb).   Pleasant morning on this rather remote part of the canal - started off on lobs which accounted for all the perch and one of the chub. Switched to maggot for the last couple of hours hoping to snaffle some decent roach as per last autumn here - no b
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

17 October

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   0700 - 1100   River Kennet - Thatcham   1145 - 1415   Bright and sunny after a cloudy start (thankfully!). AT 15ºC WT 12.9ºC. River up a bit and with a tinge of colour after yesterday's rain.   Canal: 1 Perch; 2lb 11oz, 4 Chub; all ¾-1lb, 11 Roach 1 Dace. River: 7 Chub; between 8oz and 2lb (4 over lb), 8 Dace, 2 Roach, 5 Brownies to 1¼lb.   First decent perch of the autumn - though the chublets
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

15 October

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne   0700 - 1000   River Kennet - Speen Moors   1030 - 1300   ​Overcast, with some light early drizzle becoming bright and sunny. River (and canal) very low.   ​K&A - 11 Perch; 4 over 1lb - biggest 2lb 2oz. 1 Chub; 1lb (ish) ​Speen Moors - 1 Chub; 2lb 10oz, 2 Perch; 1lb 8oz and one just under 1lb. 2 Gudgeon and a Brownie.   ​Slow start on the canal - having arrived before it was light enough to see my float I had to wait until 0830 for my first bit
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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10 October

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   1745 - 2215   Cool, clear evening under a bright half moon. New thermal trousers made their debut - so was quite toasty! River quite low and clear.   1 Barbel 10lb 4oz, 6 Dace (all around 6oz), 1 Brownie of 2¼lb.   Quick half an hours trotting - rather hoping to get a chub followed by the expected long hours of staring at stationary isotopes - so somewhat surprised to see the boilie rod wrap around after ¾hr of casting out. Had
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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7 October

Lower Itchen Fishery   0730 - 1800   Cool, calm and cloudy. A lovely benign autumn day. River quite low.   70 Grayling (!): Best 1lb 12oz with nearly half the fish over 1lb - I weighed the first 6 fish I caught (to get my eye in!) and 5 were over a lb (but not by much!) pretty much every fish caught was of a similar stamp. 10 Brownies; 1½ - 2½lb. 1 Chub 2lb 5oz.   Cracking days sport - which reached Mr Castwell proportions by the end of the day (yet anothe
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

2 October

​Kennet & Avon Canal (flowing) - Thatcham   ​​0630 - 1030   ​Cool, clear and bright. River quite low but with a tinge of colour after yesterday's rain.   ​4 Perch - all between ¾ - 1¼lbs. 13 Dace, 1 Grayling.   ​First perching trip of the autumn and with a bright clear day forecast I wanted to make the most of the dawn light, Consequently I was at the water's edge way too early and had to wait a while before I could see my float. But as soon as I could it went under with some alacrit
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

1

28 September

River Kennet - Newbury   1730 - 2230   Warm, overcast and breezy - with annoying light drizzle to finish! River quite low.   4 Chub; 3lb 0oz, 2lb 2oz and a couple of pounders. 14 Roach - with around half in the 8-10oz bracket, 3 Dace.   A cracking hours trotting, followed by incessant crayfish activity! Had intended to stay longer but the drizzle was being blown in under the brolly and I was starting to get very damp!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

24 September

Warwicks Water - Thatcham   0730 - 1000   Mild, with milky sunshine becoming (too) breezy.   4 Crucians (all small). 1 Perch - circa 10oz, 1 Roach - circa 8oz(!)   Around 18 months ago NAA decided to turn this small fishery into a Crucian water - the place was drained - all the fish (mainly carp) taken out, lilies were planted, fish refuges were installed and lines of tape were strung from bank to bank to keep the cormorants off!   The crucians w
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

2

17 September

River Kennet - Newbury   0830 - 1330   Cool (well cooler than of late) and overcast. River looked in great nick - up a bit but not as coloured as I expected given the flooding in Newbury on Friday!   1 Chub; 1lb 14oz. 2 Perch; 1lb 7oz & 1lb 4oz. 40+Dace, 13 Roach, 2 Grayling - both circa ¾lb, 2 Gudgeon (1st of the season!), 1 Brownie.   Pleasant morning's trotting - fished 5 swims in all hoping to find more/bigger chub, but very pleased to snaffle a co
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

12 September

Alders Lake - Thatcham   1800 - 2300   Very warm and muggy a shirtsleeves evening. Still 20ºC when I packed up.   2 Bream; 5lb 3oz & 3lb 12oz. 1 Perch (small)   Making the most of the warm evenings! Both fish coming just as it got fully dark - my only bites (apart from the early perch)...
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

11 September

Northcroft Stream   0645 - 0930   Cool bright morning - distinct autumnal nip in the air (was down to 6ºC when I started). River low and clear   1 Chub, circa 2lb, 2 doz Dace, 7 Roach, 2 Perch (both small), 1 Brownie 2lb 8oz.   Dawn trotting session hoping to find a few decent chub - but they weren't in residence - probably not enough water at the moment. Brownie and chub from weir pool.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

7 September

Alders Lake - Thatcham   1800 - 2315   Warm, still evening. 16ºC when I packed up.   3 Bream ; 5lb 6oz (again!), 5lb 0oz, 4lb 2oz.   A lovely benign September evening. Bites not as prolific as last Friday (not that prolific is ever an apt adjective here!), but caught enough bream to get well and truely slimed!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

5 September

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   1800 - 2300   VERY warm and overcast- still 20ºC when I packed up! River up a bit after the weekend's rain.   1 Chub; 2lb 2oz, 2 Roach, 1 Grayling, 1 Brownie - c 1lb.   Seems everyone had the same idea as me!! Car park was full when I arrived - so ended up fishing a swim I last fished in 2007. No barbel interest on the lead and no dace on the float either.Chub was also caught in somewhat unusual circumstances as it took a minnow I was reeling in!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

2 Sep

Alders lake - Thatcham   1800 - 0000   Cool and overcast after heavy shower.   3 Bream; 4lb 13oz, 5lb 2oz, 5lb 6oz. 2 Tench; both circa 1½lb.   That was a fun evening - seeing my starlit float rise and go flat with satisfying regularity. First bite as it got properly dark at 2030 - with slow but steady action there-after! All fish on meat.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

30/31 August

TAA Stillwater - Thatcham   1800 - 0600   Warm night becoming increasingly cool (9ºC) by dawn.   4 Tench - 2 4lb+, 5 Carp biggest 2 14lb 9oz & 10lb 6oz.   A quick return to try and find some more tench - a plan which got off to a great start as 4 out of the first 5 fish were all tincas - caught float fishing the margins as well. Alas the carp then moved in! 14lber was one of the mankiest beat up fish I've ever caught - hence no pic!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

26/27 August

TAA Stillwater - Thatcham   1800 - 0600   Warm, still night despite clear skies for the early part. Temps still 14ºC when I packed up.   1 Tench; 4lb10oz, 10 Carp; all between 5-8lb, apart from biggest 3 of 9lb 4oz, 10lb 2oz, 12lb 11oz.   First ever trip to this lake drawn by the lure of tench and rumours of huge bream! Did indeed see quite a few bream porpoising - unfortunately not usually in my swim. Carp were rather too eager at times - need to find awa
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

22 August

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   1800 - 2315   Warm evening - still 17ºC when I packed up.   1 Barbel; 5lb 3oz. 1 Chub (sub 1lb), 3 Dace & 2 brownies both over 1lb.   Beginning to get the hang of this! 2 Hours trotting for the obligatory chublet/dace/brownie combo, followed by an expected 3 hours staring at stationary isotopes - but again within an hour of darkness my downstream rod gave a familiar 3 foot twitch and I soon had my 3rd barbel of the summer on the bank - deja vu again...
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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