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Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

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29 October

Kennet & Avon 'flowing' canal - Thatcham 1300 - 1500 Mild, calm and overcast. AT 14ºC. River quite pacey, some of the barges were making very slow progress upstream, against the current! 1 Grayling 1lb 1oz. 4 Dace: all chunky with one good-un of 10oz. 2 Roach - a netter of around 8-10oz and a small-un. Never been so disappointed to get a 1lb+ grayling! I don't fish here very often but it has thrown up some really big dace in recent autumns and that was the target for this

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

25 October

Kennet & Avon Canal & River Kennet backstream - Colthrop 0730 - 1400 Mild and overcast with occasional light showers. AT 14ºC. River quite pacey with a tinge of colour. 6 Chub (!) 5lb 6oz, 5lb 1oz, 4lb 11oz, 4lb 8oz, 4lb 4oz, 3lb 13oz. 7 Roach: all hand-sized. 3 Perch: all c6-8oz. 4 Brownies; 4lb 6oz (yes I actually weighed it!), 2 'pounders' and a parr. Another recce session - started off on a stretch of the canal I've never fished before hoping to find some decent p

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

23 October

River Kennet - Hambridge 1330 - 2130 Sunny spells, cool after dark and very dewy! AT 16º - 9ºC. River quite 'full' and with a little colour. 1 Perch: 2lb 14oz. 2 Chub: 2lb 10oz & a 'pounder'. 1 Barbel: 2lb 2oz. A doz+ Roach - all small. 5 Dace - nothing noteworthy. 3 Grayling: 6-10oz. 2 Gudgeon. 5 Brownies; C2lb+ and 4 parrs. Another trotting/ledgering session and another small barbel - hooray! This swim is in danger of returning to its former glory! The highlight of the

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

18 October (part 2)

River Kennet backstream - Colthrop 0930 - 1330 Misty at first clearing to bright sunshine. AT 10ºC - 15ºC. River quite full with a tinge of colour. 2 Grayling: 1lb 6oz & 1lb 4oz. 1 Roach: small. 10+ Brownies; a couple of 'pounders' the rest all small or parrs. A venue that always flatter's to deceive - it looks fantastic - but I've always struggled here. However I'd heard of some decent chub coming out back in the summer which had me returning for a rare visit. Needless t

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

18 October (part 1)

River Kennet - Widmead 0715 - 0900 Cool and misty. At 7º - 9ºC. River fairly full and a little coloured up. 5 Roach; all handsized. Decided on a recce day today - visiting a couple of less frequented venues. This bit of river is reputed to hold good perch and they were my intended target. Alas, all I could attract were crayfish which depleted my modest stock of lobs at an alarming rate - also a sign that perch are unlikely to be in residence if crayfish are around. Trotted ma

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

15 October

Middle Kennet - carrier (and main river), Marsh Benham 0900 - 1400 Mild & misty. At 11ºC - 16ºC. River at normal levels with a tinge of colour. 3 Chub: 4lb 3oz, 3lb 7oz & a chublet. 3 Barbel: all small ½-1lb. 1 Bream: 3lb 6oz. 20 Roach: all small. 5 Dace: all chunky with one real goodun of ½lb+. 1 Perch c6oz. 5 Brownies; four between 2-3½lb and a smallun. Super morning's trotting - first cast resulted in a 1lb barbel - quickly followed by a couple of even smaller ones

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

11 October

River Lambourn - Shaw 1245 - 1515 Sunny spells. AT 11ºC. River at normal levels - 1.48 on the Shaw gauge. 23 Grayling; 12 over a lb - best five 2lb 1oz, 1lb 12oz, 1lb 10oz 1lb 8oz X2. 6 Brownies - all small or parrs. Looks like being a stellar season for grayling on this river - never had a haul like this from this stretch in 30 odd years of fishing it, quite common to get more ladies here than further downstream - though unusual to get anything much above 1¼lb, so today was

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

9 October

River Kennet - Hambridge 1330 - 2130 Overcast with showery rain at dusk. Quite mild: AT 13ºC. River up around 6 inches on my last trip and quite coloured up after an inch of rain yesterday. 1 Barbel (hooray!): 3lb 6oz. 4 Chub: 3lb 3oz, 2 'pounders' and one of around ¾lb. 2 Doz+ Roach & Dace: slightly more roach - nothing noteworthy. 1 Gudgeon. 3 Brownies; a 2lber and 2 parrs. 4 Hours trotting for the usual mixed bag, followed by 4 hours hunched under my brolly in the rain

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

7 October

River Kennet - Brimpton 1415 - 1645 Sunshine and showers. Quite warm @ 16ºC. River at normal levels with a tinge of colour. 8 Dace: 4 really chunky ones and 4 smaller ones. 3 Brownies 2 'pounders' - and one of those was probably nearer 2 and one of around ½lb. A first cast trout in my most reliable chub spot is never a good start and despite resting it for over half an hour couldn't winkle out a chevin. Good to see some nice dace throughout the stretch though - caught them in

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4 October

Northcroft Stream, Newbury 1300 - 1530  Mainly cloudy with sunny spells, Quite warm @ 16ºC. River at normal levels and reasonably clear. 1 Chub; 2lb+. 20+ dace most quite chunky - with one real good-un of around 8oz. 2 Roach - small. 1 Brownie 2½lb+ Tales of barbel, large and small showing up here recently had me checking out this rarely visited venue. Most fish from the weir pool. Though some of the bigger dace and the brownie, which did a good impersonation of a barbel (sig

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 October (part 2)

River Kennet - Speen Moors 1215 - 1345 Sunny spells. AT 14ºC. River down 3 or 4 inches on last week and with very little colour. 1 Chub: 1½lb, 4 Roach - small (ish). 1 Brownie c1¼lb. Having packed up earlier than planned on the canal - a quick hour of so on the main weir pool - provided a bit more action than last week. Though the perch that were in residence last season here seem to have done a disappearing act - not a sniff of them when I started out on lobs for the first 3

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 October (part 1)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 0700 - 1200 Cool and clear. AT 6º - 14ºC 4 Perch: 2lb 4oz, 1lb 13oz and 2 small-uns. Quick return here for more 'reconnaissance'. Fished 5 different swims to last weeks trip - though the bright conditions were somewhat sub-optimal for perch and had me seeking out spots with a bit of shade. Both bigger fish in the first hour before the sun was on the water - bites few and far between there-after - though a bite off from a pike didn't help eith

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

30 September

River Lambourn - Newbury 1330 - 1600 Mild, overcast and very breezy. AT 14ºC. River at normal levels and gin clear as ever. 24 Grayling with half over a lb. Best five: 2lb, 1lb 15oz, 1lb 14oz (X2), 1lb 12oz. 6 Brownies: one of around 1½lb, four between 6-10oz and a parr. Fabulous afternoon's sport - great to see so many lovely big grayling here - harks back a couple of decades when it regularly produced fish of this stamp. One of the 1-14's was first cast and a passing (thoug

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

26 September (part 2)

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0945 - 1215 Sunny spells and showers. AT 13ºC - 16ºC. River up around 6 inches on my last visit and carrying quite a bit of colour. 1 Chub: 3lb 1oz. 5 Roach: small, 1 Perch; c½lb. 3 Gudgeon. 1 Brownie 1½lb. Bit of a scratchy morning here too. Most fish - including the chub from the little weir, the big weir-pool producing a solitary roach. Had planned to stay longer but looming black clouds in the west had me packing up after lunch - good thing too

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

26 September (part 1)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 0700 - 0930 Sunny spells - breezy. AT 12º-13ºC 4 Perch: 1lb 11oz, 1lb 7oz, 1lb 2oz & one around 10-12oz. Bit of a 'recce' session - fished 4 swims, giving each half an hour or so but only caught in one of them. Water seemed a little life-less and looking at the state of the banks it's been little fished this season!  

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

24 September

Middle Kennet Carrier (& main river) - Marsh Benham 0700 - 1300 Mild and overcast. AT 12º - 15ºC. River up several inches and carrying quite a bit of colour (after a month's worth of rain fell yesterday!) 16 Chub: 2lb 7oz and a pounder, the rest all small or very small. 2 Barbel !! 'biggest' 1lb 2oz. 9 Dace - all quite chunky. 21 Roach - most quite small with 3 or 4 better ones (4-6oz). 6 Brownies: 4 over a lb - all 2½-3½lb and a couple around 10-12oz. Had today pencilled

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

20 September

River Kennet - Hambridge 0630 - 1230 Warm (ish) and overcast. AT 17ºC. River low and looking a little threadbare. 2 Chub; 3lb 5oz and a 'pounder'. 1 Grayling: 1lb 2oz. 30+ Roach: most small, save the one I put on the scales as I thought it might make a pound (twas 2oz shy!). Doz Dace; all quite chunky. 1 Gudgeon, 1 Bleak and 4 Brownies; a pounder, another of around 10-12oz and a couple of parrs. Fairly 'routine' session! Chub at the 3rd and 5th swims of asking and pleased wit

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

18 September

Warwick's Water - Thatcham 1800 - 2230 Warm and clear - with quite a stiff SE breeze - great for keeping the mozzies away! AT 21ºC - 16ºC 3 Tench: 5lb 12oz, 4lb 12oz, 3lb 3oz. Summer is giving us a last hurrah this week so it was back to my new favourite tench water (but still secretly hoping for a big perch!). Got off to the best of possible starts - was wondering why my float wouldn't cock when I made my first cast then realised it was skating across the surface of the pond

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4 September

Marshall's Mere (aka Willows) - Thatcham 1800 - 2230 Calm, cloudy and cool(ish). AT 18ºC - 14ºC. 1 Tench: 4lb 2oz. 4 Carp: 11lb 9oz, 10lb 3oz, 6lb 3oz, 5lb 7oz. 1 Skimmer, 1 Perch - small. Both smaller carp on float gear in the first 30mins - but after this initial commotion bites at a premium. Tench on the stroke of 8 o'clock would be my last bite of the evening on the float. Bored of watching a stationary starlite for 2 hours I got the carp rod out for the last half an hour

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

2 September

River Kennet - Brimpton 1330 - 2200 Warm, overcast and quite breezy. AT 20ºC - 17ºC (though felt chillier when sat down, fully exposed to the breeze!) River at normal, late summer levels, i.e. quite low. 1 Chub 2lb 11oz. 7 Dace; all quite chunky with a couple of real good-uns at around ½lb a piece. 10 Brownies; 4 between ¾ - 1¼lb, the others all around 6-8oz. 4 hours trotting down the length of the stretch - for the expected 'trout-fest', followed by 4 hours watching a couple

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

28 August

Warwick's Water - Thatcham 1830 - 2230 Warm, overcast and muggy. AT 24ºC - 16ºC. 4 Tench: 7lb 14oz, 4lb 12oz, 3lb 1oz, 2lb 6oz. Another super evening on my 'new' favourite tench water. That's now 12 tench in 4 evening trips here - on what people keep telling me is a hard water! All the action between 8:15pm and 9:15pm as darkness set in - no bites before or after. All caught on float fished lobs. The biggie was the same fish I had out at the end of July when she was 4oz heavi

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

27 August

Middle Kennet - Marsh Benham  0600 - 1200 Warm, overcast with sunny spells. AT 15ºC - 21ºC. River low and looking a little 'threadbare'! 8 Chub: 4 between ½ - 1½lb and 4 even smaller! 20 Dace - all quite chunky. A doz Roach - all small. 1 Brownie: ¾lb & 1 Rainbow: 2lb. Usual morning's trotting - lots of silvers, as per usual, but hard to find the bigger chub. Loads of crayfish traps have appeared since my last visit earlier in the month, briefly met the trapper and he was

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

23 August

River Kennet - Speen Moors 0700 - 1200 Bright and blustery with Storm Lillian slowly abating. AT 16ºC - 20ºC. River at usual (low) summer levels. 3 Perch: all ¾-1lb. 3 Chub; all small. 29 Roach; mainly small. 1 Dace: - a good-un of around 8oz. 7 Gudgeon. 1 Bleak. 2 Brownies - a 'pounder' and one of around 10oz. For the second Friday running  I find the river stuffed with small roach - lets hope they grow on to be big roach in a few years time ! Started out with lobs - hoping

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

20 August

Marshall's Mere (aka Willows) - Thatcham 1800 - 2230 Bright and very breezy to start. Clear evening becoming quite cool. AT 20ºC - 12ºC 1 Carp 12lb 6oz. 2 Bream - one circa a lb, one way smaller, 4 perch - all small. An evening's fishing by the light of the Sturgeon super-moon - though the angling itself was a tad on the frustrating side. Loads of knocks and liners - which I took to be carp as I bumped a couple - but no sign of my hoped for tench. The swim was briefly fizzing

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

16 August

River Kennet - Hambridge 0600 - 1300 Bright and sunny. AT a cool 11ºC to start, 21ºC when I packed up. River at normal summer levels and with a tinge of colour. 4 Chub: a couple of 2lbers (best 2lb 10oz), one of around 1¼lb and one half that. 4 Perch: 1lb 1oz, 14oz and a couple of tiddlers. 40+ (!!) Roach - most quite small with just a couple needing the net. 14 Dace - all quite chunky but nothing especially noteworthy. 2 Gudgeon. 2 Brownies both c½lb. Super morning's trottin

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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