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About this blog

Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

Entries in this blog

30 October

River Lambourn - Shaw   0800 - 1200   Overcast and chilly with a couple of short, sharp showers. 2º -> 6ºC. River at normal levels with a lot of debris and leaf litter (EA were cleaning the Gauge Weir at the top of the venue!)   17 Grayling (best 1lb 5oz), 5 Roach, 1 Brown Trout   Catch a couple and move on - fished a dozen swims - never had more than 2 fish from any of them. Trotted red maggot.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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1 November

River Kennet - Newbury   0700 - 0945   Cold, overcast with a chilly easterly breeze. AT 1º -> 4ºC. WT 43ºF (down 6ºF in 5 days) .River quite low, clear with some leaf litter.   1 Pike (6lb 6oz), 4 Chub (all between ¾lb - 1¾lb), 11 Dace, 1 Grayling.   Slow morning in one of my favourite trotting swims. Pike followed a couple of dace in - so 10 mins with a floating plug soon had him on the bank! All other fish on single red maggot.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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5 November

River Kennet - Speen Moors   0700 - 1100   Dull and overcast - some very light drizzle. AT 52ºF, WT 50ºC. River up a couple of inches - some colour but fining down.   7 Perch (2lb 13oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz, 1¼lb and 2 small-uns), 1 Trout (2¾lb), 1 Chub (small), ½doz Roach, 3 Gudgeon.   Perfect conditions for perch - 2lbers all came in a rush between 0800 - 0900 - all caught on lobs. Smaller perch and trout form the weirpool on trotted maggot.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

6 November

Middle Kennet Estate water - Nr Hungerford   0700 - 1700   Dull and overcast - Last day of Anti-Cyclonic gloom? 10ºC. River at 'normal' levels colour from the weekend's rain now all dropped out.   41 Grayling (4 'pounders' best 1lb 5oz, over 2 doz circa 12oz), 17 Dace - (best 2 weighed 12oz & 10 oz, 8 over 8oz), 1 doz Trout (50-50 Rainbows/Brownies) best 3¼lb Brownie.   Lovely day exploring the carriers with a float rod and CP. 12oz dace was first fish of the morning - which got me r
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

15 November

Kennet & Avon Canal - nr Thatcham   1400 - 1630   Overcast, mild with and upstream breeze.AT 13ºC. WT 51ºF. Water quite clear.   5 Perch (3lb 2oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 5oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb14oz) 1 Pike (4¼lb), 1 Chub (c1lb)   Couldn't pass up such perfect conditions for perching! All fish on float fished lobs and all caught after 1530 - a manic last hour of daylight!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

29 November

River Lambourn - Shaw/Newbury   0715 - 1230   Cold and overcast 1ºC -> 2ºC   14 Grayling - 5 pounders - best 1lb 5oz, 5 Roach, 7 Brownies.   A trip with Paul - and a change of plan - had originally planned a morning's perching - but we decided that conditions were too 'sub-optimal' for stripeys!!!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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6 December

Kennet & Avon Canal - Nr Thatcham   1400 - 1615   Cold and clear. AT 7ºC -> 3ºC. WT 42ºF - canal carrying a little colour.   2 Perch - a fine brace - 3lb2oz & 2lb 9oz. 1 Pike, 8lb 6oz.   A succesful dusk trip for stripeys - despite the cold bright conditions. Pike 1st cast (yet another worm caught pike) and biggest perch on the stroke of 4pm just as the light was fading fast.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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14 December

Middle Kennet Estate Water   0800 - 1600   Cold and overcast 0ºC ->5ºC. River very coloured - very unusual for this stretch.   2 Chub (5lb 0oz, 1lb 6oz), 2 Perch (2lb 1oz, 1lb 11oz), 14 Dace (2 X11oz, 1X10oz), 4 Brown Trout - (best 2½lb)   Bit of a struggle in a very coloured river. Both chub and 2 biggest trout on sweetcorn. Perch were first AND last fish of the day - one on maggot one on lobs. All dace were a good size - had 4 more around the 8oz mark. Paul had a very similar return
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

20 December

River Kennet - Speen Moors   0745 - 1115   Mild, overcast and breezy, 11ºC. Water levels down 4-6 inches on last Sunday - still carrying a tinge of colour. WT 47ºF.   1 Perch, 2lb 7oz, 6 chublets all ½ - 1lb, 4 gudgeon.   A real struggle for bites despite seemingly ideal conditions - though WT still a little on the low side - so I'm blaming that. Perch came after an hour and half of trying lobs - chub when I switched to maggot.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

24 December

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   1400 - 1615   Dull, overcast and calm. AT 7ºC. WT 50ºF   7 Perch - in order of capture... 3lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb2oz, 2lb 9oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz.   Opportunistic trip - as was unexpectedly allowed home early for Christmas! Float fished lobs. Last 4 fish caught in the last 20mins. Early Christmas prezzie!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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27 December

River Lambourn - Newbury   0815 - 1030   Cold and clear -1ºC -> 2ºC. River at normal levels.   7 Grayling - best 1lb 2oz, 2 small brownies.   Short session as I needed to pop out for some maggots for Monday's trip...
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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29 December

River Kennet - Nr Newbury   0800 - 1630   Cold, bright and sunny - no thermometer but temps must have hovered around 0ºC all day - line was icing in the rings upto 1000 and again from around 1500!   13 Chub - smallest 2lb 14oz, biggest 2; 5lb 6oz, 4lb 9oz. 1X2lb+, 7X3lb+, 4x4lb+, 1X5lb+. (Total Weight of Chub: 50lb 7oz). 3 doz Dace and Roach - mainly dace - all small. 2 Brownies - best 3lb, 1 Rainbow - circa 2lb.   Brrrrrr! A cold winters chubbing - all on trotted maggot. Paul managed 6
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

1 January 2009

River Lambourn - Shaw   1300 - 1600   Cold and cloudy, 1ºC. River quite 'full' and clear - suspect the springs have 'sprung' on the downs...   17 Grayling - 4 'pounders', best 3 - 1lb 12oz, 1lb 10oz, 1lb 9oz (!!!), 4 Roach - all small, 3 Brownies - 1 circa ¾lb.   Blimey! Where did they come from? Biggest ever grayling from here - and my first grayling over 1½lb from here since Oct 2001. All bigger fish from same swim - and all caught within first ¼ hour of fishing! Very pleasant afternoo
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

10 January

River Kennet - Speen Moors   1200 - 1500   Cold and overcast - everywhere looked a picture covered in hoar frost - but it just made the line stick in the rings. Thatcham weather site hasn't got above -0.2ºC all day. WT a balmy 39ºF.   1 Chub 2lb 7oz, 1 Brown Trout 2lb 14oz   Somewhat surprised to get anything given the conditions (I had hoped it would warm up a bit!) Both fish on trotted maggot. Brownie in superb condition - & fought well above its weight - thought I'd connected w
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

18 January

Middle Kennet Estate Water   0800 - 1700   Bright and very breezy, 4ºC. Water carrying some colour after yesterdays rain - though dropped out noticeably by the end of the day.   4 Chub; 3lb, 2lb 4oz and 2 chublets, 19 Dace; best 2, 13oz & 11oz, 8 Brownies; best 2, 4lb 7oz & 4lb 3oz, 1 Grayling.   'Scratchy' sort of a day playing hunt the fish. Spent the morning exploring a carrier I'd not fished before - and probably won't again as it appeared devoid of fish!! Biggest chub on cor
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

14 February

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   1500 - 1715   Cool with hazy sunshine. AT & WT both 43ºC. Water levels up with some colour.   1 Perch - 1lb 13oz.   So nearly a blank! Solitary bite at the 'death' - and even then I nearly lost it as it was grabbed by a jack - briefly - as it was landed.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

1 March

Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham   0630 - 0900   Dull, overcast and mild. AT & WT 47ºF. Water quite clear.   4 Perch: (2lb 14oz, 2lb 6oz, 1lb 11oz & a tiddler), 2 Chub: 2lb 10oz & 1lb 14oz, 1 Pike 3lb.   Perfect perch dawn - so somewhat surprised to find some chub taking up residence in my favourite perch swim. They were the first two fish I caught. Lost another at the net and then caught the pike so moved swims to (succesfully) find some perch! All fish on float fished lob
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

14 March

River Kennet - Speen Moors   0615 - 1015   Bright and breezy AT up to 12ºC. River surprisingly full and bombing through. Canal above Guyers Lock has been practically dewatered - so think a breach must be emptying into the river.   2 Chub (3lb 2oz, 2lb 14oz), 1 Brownie (2lb) 4 Gudgeon   3 hours playing 'hunt the fish' eventually led to a couple of chub from a swim I've never caught one from before! Upto that point it looked like a few early gudgeon were going to be 'blank savers'!!!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

26 May

Eastern Solent - on Valkyrie out of Langstone Harbour - Skipper Glenn Cairns   0830 - 1500   5 Bream (all 'keepers'), 5 Pouting   Bright and breezy after a dull drizzly start - becoming VERY breezy!   A day spent on a rather choppy Solent in the company of Alan Tomkins and friends. Alas, I left my sea legs at home - spent ½ the morning chucking up and all afternoon trying not too - did very little actual fishing! Which was a pity as the bream fishing was rather good, everyone caught wit
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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17/18 June

Newbury AA Lake - Thatcham   1500 - 0900   Very breezy with heavy drizzle to start, fine clear night.   5 Carp - best 8lb 1oz, 1 rudd, 1 roach.   Very very quiet night on a usually very prolific water. Paul did somewhat better in the next swim with 10 carp to 12lb 6oz. Tried - and failed miserably for one of the lakes few big crucians
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

19/20 June

Newbury AA Lake - Widmead   1500 - 0800   Bright and breezy, calm and clear overnight, rain at dawn.   12 Carp - all between 5-8lb, best 8¼lb, 1 Tench, 3lb 1oz, 3small perch.   This was meant to be a tenching session - and all seemed to be going to plan with a tinca first cast. Alas it was my only one - the carp obviously muscling in on the action. Bread, pellet and meat - all caught.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

22 June

CEMEX Summer Pit - Yateley   1830 - 2330   Warm, overcast and muggy. Min temp 17ºC at midnight as I left.   1 Tench - 2¼lb   Despite seemingly ideal conditions the lake was pretty lifeless with only sporadic bubbling and little of this after 2030 (around the time I caught my blank saving tinca). No crucians showing. Only had 1 other bite!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

1 July

Summer Pit - CEMEX, Yateley   1830 - 2330   Hot and Sultry. AT still 21ºC at 2330. WT 77ºF in margins (about 2' depth 4' from bank)   1 Tench - 2lb, 1 Rudd (Small)   Another evening struggling for bites - made all the more frustrating by being able to see lots of Crucians cruising in the upper layers of the lake during the hours of daylight. Stubborn refused to even look at any bait that was offered them!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

0

5 July

NAA Still Water - Thatcham   0430 - 0815   Overcast and mild. AT 63ºF at 0430. WT 73ºF   Blanked!   And blanked in some style too!! This is the 'easiest' water in the NAA portfolio - the one where they hold junior fish-ins. And yet for nearly 4 hours I couldn't buy a bite - despite fishing a single red maggot for most of that time - suicidal tactics usually if you wanted to avoid being plagued by small stuff. Paul did at least manage a couple of bites resulting in a carp & a crucian
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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6 July

River Kennet - Newbury   1845-2315   Breezy and dry at first with heavy (& prolonged) showers developing - 17ºC. River quite low but quite coloured.   3 Chub - best 3¼lb   An after work barbelling session - without the barbel!! All chub came in the 1st couple of hours - had quite a few chubby type bites which died off when the rain got more intense. Fish on 14mm Halibuts.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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