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About this blog

Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

Entries in this blog

10 August

Harris Lake - Marsh Farm Fishery - Milford 1430 - 2300 Hot and sunny with a warm southerly breeze all evening - very welcome as it kept the mossies and dew at bay. AT 25º and still 18ºC when I left. 5 Crucians: 3lb 4oz, 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb 13oz. 9 Tench - various sizes from barely a lb up to a best of 4lb 14oz. 16 Rudd - all handsized with 3 netters of around 10-12oz. 5 Roach& 6 perch - all small. Fabulous evening's sport. Only my second trip over to Milford

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

7 August

Willows Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 2300 Overcast and breezy - clearing to cloudless skies as it got dark (the exact opposite to the forecast I watched in the morning!!) AT 19º-13ºC 6 (!) Tench: 5lb 15oz, 5lb 12oz, 5lb 8oz, 5lb 3oz, 4lb 11oz, 4lb 7oz. 1 Carp 7lb 13oz. 1 perch (small) Another splendid evening's tench fishing. (And another 3lb of blackberries collected which are being converted into jam as I type!) All the action after 8pm (again!) save for the micro perch. The peri

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 August (Part 2)

River Kennet - Brimpton 1415 - 1615 Mainly overcast and quite breezy. AT 20ºC. River up a good couple of inches and carrying a bit of colour. The Colthrop sluices are obviously open more than the Crookham ones' as there was a lot more flow here than a couple of miles upstream - before The Aldershot joins the river. 3 Chub: 4lb 6oz, 2lb 11oz, 2lb 3oz. 5 Brownies, a 'pounder', the rest between 6-10oz with one a repeat capture! All chub from my banker swim which I fished twice -

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

3 August (Part 1)

River Kennet - Thatcham 1130 - 1330 Bright and breezy. AT 20ºC. River at normal levels and with a bit of colour. 3 Chub; all small. 7 Dace & 4 Roach: ditto. 1 Brownie 1½lb First part of a chub hunting afternoon - and whilst it's always a good sign to see some juvenile fish in the river - I was hoping for something a little bigger!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

31 July

Willows Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 2300 Overcast and very breezy all evening after rain all afternoon - clearing to reveal a very bright full moon for last hour. AT 17ºC - 14ºC. 5 Tench: 6lb 0oz, 5lb 9oz, 5lb 5oz, 4lb 14oz, 4lb 6oz. 1 Carp 9lb 4oz. 1 Perch; small. Very lively evening - with bites from the off - started with maggot while my prawns defrosted but that only took a few minutes and there after it was chopped prawn - float fished lift method, all evening. Gotta love the

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

28 July

River Kennet - Marsh Benham 0730 - 1330 Warm(ish) and overcast and quite muggy. AT 18ºC - 21ºC. River down a bit - more than I expected after another wet week.... 2 Bream: 3lb 3oz & 2lb 10oz. 3 Chub; 2 around ¾lb and another even smaller. 40+ Dace & Roach (in roughly equal nos - slightly more dace) - only one fish to trouble the net - a super dace of 10oz. 2 Bleak. A rare failure at finding decent chub - though a couple of hard fighting river bream were more than adeq

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

24 July

Willows Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 2300 Cool, overcast and drizzly with a more substantial shower as it got dark. AT 14ºC - 12ºC. 2 Tench: 5lb 11oz & 4lb 4oz. 3 perch - all small. As expected, bites at a bit of a premium with conditions more akin to mid autumn than mid July. Pretty pleased then, to come away with 2 nice tincas and have an evening when I was NOT getting bothered by cyprinus carpio. And, as last week on Alders, 8pm appeared to be the 'witching hour' with the bi

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 July

River Kennet - Hambridge 1330 - 1530 Warm(ish) and overcast. AT 19ºC. River down quite a bit on Monday - at least 3 inches... 1 Chub: 3lb 4oz, 6 Dace, 2 Roach (all quite small). 2 Brownies both 6-8ozs. Really surprised to see how much the river had changed since my trip here on Monday - the swim I wanted to target had a completely different 'feel' to it (and not in a good way!!). Managed to winkle out a solitary chub from it - but not the barbel I was hoping for!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

19 July

Alders Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 2300 Warm and overcast with a stiffish breeze for the most part - which kept the mozzies at bay. AT 21ºC - 18ºC 4 Tench; 3lb 11oz, 3lb 2oz, 3lb, 2lb 13oz (all 3 smaller ones feisty hard fighting males). 2 Bream; 4lb 11oz & 4lb 8oz. 2 Perch, 2 Roach (all small) Well that was an entertaining evening! All the action between 8pm and 10pm - no bites at all before or after. I started off (as I usually do) alternating between chopped prawn and maggo

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

17 July (Part 3)

River Kennet - Padworth 1500 - 1630 Bright and breezy. Quite warm out the wind. AT 21ºC. River quite full for mid July. 1 Chub: small. 1 Roach, ditto. 2 Brownies both around 1½-2lb (definitely different fish - one had a growth on it) My day on the river was rounded off with a visit to a rarely visited venue - but one that has thrown up some nice roach from time to time - and that was sort of what I was after today. However and somewhat predictably, the only fish to put a seri

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

17 July (Part 2)

River Kennet - Brimpton 1135 - 1415 Bright and breezy quite warm - 20ºC. River quite full with good flow - especially for July 1 Chub 2lb. 6 Trout - various sizes from 6oz - 1½lb. Oh, how I detest spotties - they were in every swim I tried (I lost nearly as many as I landed!) and even resting and returning to my favourite chub hot-spot just brought more of the blighters! Dropped into the weir-pool for a solitary fish without an adipose!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

17 July (Part 1)

River Kennet - Hambridge 0700 - 1100 Bright and breezy. Felt quite cool to start. AT 12ºC - 19ºC. River up an inch or so on last week - after a very wet weekend! 6 Chub: 4lb 5oz, 3lb 11oz, 3lb 7oz, 3lb 3oz, 2lb 10oz & a 'pounder'. 4 Dace, 2 Roach - all quite chunky. 3 Brownies a fish of around 1¼lb and a couple in the 6-8oz bracket. Quick return to last week's venue hopeful that I could pull off another float caught barbel - so concentrated my efforts on a swim where I've

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

13 July

Willows Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 0000 Warm (ish), overcast with drizzly rain to start - clearing and becoming quite cool. AT 21ºC -> 12ºC. 1 Carp 8lb 1oz, 1 Tench 3lb 8oz. A frustrating evening on the float. Lots of dithering, dips and rises and lots of striking at thin air for the first 3 hours! When I did eventually connect with something it was the right weight - but the wrong species! 8lb+ tench have been coming out of here this summer and I'd really like to get one as m

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

11 July

River Kennet - Hambridge 1300 - 1600 Warm, overcast and breezy - with a couple of very light showers (much lighter than was forecast!). AT 23ºC.  River still with good flow for mid July though down an inch or two on 3 weeks ago.  3 Chub: 4lb 5oz, 2lb 3oz & a 'pounder'. 1 Barbel 2lb 2oz (hooray!), 2 Perch; 1¼lbs & a tiddler. 9 Dace, 4 Roach (nothing noteworthy), 1 Gudgeon, 3 Brownies two in the 12oz - 1lb class (possibly same fish!) and one half that. Normal service ha

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

27 June

River Kennet - Thatcham 0930 - 1100 Bright and breezy and a lot cooler. AT 18ºC. River surprisingly low (given how full other stretches are...) 3 Brownies: 2½lbs, a pounder and one of around 8oz... Quick session to use up some maggot before I go to Devon on Friday. Surprised to find another angler in one of my banker swims - I rarely see another soul here - even less so on a week day! Could only winkle out spotties from my other 'bankers'...

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

26 June

Alders Lake - Thatcham 1800 - 2300 Fresher than recent days and cooler. Quite breezy.AT 21º-15ºC. 1 Bream: 4lb 14oz. 1 Tench; 1½lb. 1 Rudd - a netter of around 8-10oz, 1 Roach - small. 5 Perch - handsized. Alders campaign gets off to a sluggish start - though it started promisingly with the nice rudd first cast. Dusk brought quivering lilies and raised expectations - fulfilled with the tench a little after 2200. The bream arrived an hour later just as I was packing up - resul

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

8th Paul Goulbourn Memorial Trophy

Harris Lake - Marsh Farm, Milford 0730 - 2315 Hot, sunny and sultry. AT around 25ºC all day and still 18ºC when I drove off at a little before midnight. 11 Tench: various sizes from quite small bars of soap up to 5lb - biggest 5lb 3oz. 2 Crucians 2lb 4oz & 1lb 2oz. 30 Rudd - most handsized - with a few a bit bigger, the one I deemed worthy of the scales went 14oz. A dozen roach - all small. Annual gathering of the Internet Angling Club - to remember our departed friend Pa

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

21 June

River Kennet - Widmead (Bulls Lock) 1200 - 1430 Warm and mainly sunny. AT 23ºC. River good depth and flow. 1 Chub - small. 1 Grayling 1lb 3oz, 9 dace all small save for one that needed the net. Quick lunchtime session in a swim that always flatters to deceive. Grayling was a nice bonus though.

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

20 June

Willows Lake - Thatcham 1500 - 2230 Warm with sunny spells - clearing at dusk with a nice southerly breeze to keep the mossies off. AT 21ºC or there-abouts for most of the afternoon. 3 Tench; 6lb 8oz, 5lb 3oz, 1½lb. 3 Carp; 10lb 11oz, 7lb 8oz, 6lb 11oz News that the carp in here weren't showing very well (post spawning malaise?) had me chancing my arm for the tincas. Went all out with my default tench tactics - prawn sections float fished lift method style and it wasn't long

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

19 June

River Kennet - Brimpton 1700 - 2030 Warm and sunny. AT 24ºC. River quite full for high summer - great to see so much water in it! 6 Chub: (in order of capture) 2X ¾-1lbers, 2lb 5oz, 3lb 13oz, 4lb 3oz, 5lb 4oz (they got bigger as the shadows lengthened!). 4 Brownies, a 'pounder' and 3 in the 6-8oz class. Super evening's sport - though, as per usual, had to rely on the 'rest and return' policy after 2 splashy trout in the first 5 mins from my banker swim. Fished 5 swims in tota

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

17 June

River Kennet - Hambridge 0430 - 0800 Warm, muggy and overcast with a welcome heavy shower just after I packed up. AT 17ºC (but felt a lot warmer!). River quite full - especially for June! 6 Chub; 3lb 3oz, 2lb 10oz and 4 between ¾-1½lb. 21 Dace - nothing especially noteworthy - though they weren't tiddlers either. 2 Roach (same!) and 2 Brownies c½lb. A morning's trotting and home for breakfast - gotta love June! And I really should follow my own advice - I recently re-worked t

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

16 June 2023

River Kennet - Marsh Benham 0430 - 1200 Warm and sunny. AT 13º -> 26ºC. River in good nick, nice depth and flow - still benefiting from a wet winter and early spring. 3 Bream: 5lb 2oz, 3lb 0oz, 2lb 11oz. 2 Chub 2lb 13oz and a 'pounder'. 6 Dace - 2 gooduns that needed the net, 1 Roach - small. 1 Brownie - 2lber and 1 Rainbow - around 4lb. For the second year running my season opens with some nice river bream - the 5lber my biggest from here. Started in the weir-pool but str

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

Season's Bests 2022-23

And so endeth another season. And a pretty pleasing one - with some of my favourite Kennet swims producing good fish (mainly chub) throughout the season. The summer started off with a bang - in the shape of my first ever 4lb+ crucian - the biggest of 5 X 3+lbers in an afternoon - any of which would have been season's bests in recent years - a real Red Letter Day! Best Carp 14lb 5oz. 10 August  Free-lined bread flake - Willows. As usual I spent most of the summer trying to avoid carp in my q

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

14 March (Part 3)

Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne 1500 - 1730 Bright and breezy to start - heavy sleet showers to finish! AT 6ºC 3 Perch - a couple of 'pounders' and a tiddler. Disappointing end to the day (and the season) - I guess the topsy turvey temps over the last week have put the perch off somewhat, Didn't get a bit until nearly 5 o'clock - and then a brief flurry of activity - as the sleet fell - saved a blank!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

14 March (Part 2)

River Kennet - Speen Moors 1230 - 1430 Bright and sunny - though quite cool in a northerly breeze. AT 6ºC. River at normal winter levels. 2 Chub: 2lb 1oz & 1lb 6oz. 2 Dace & 2 Roach - all fairly small. Killed a couple of hours in the weirpool - prior to a dusk perching session on the canal - bit too bright for good sport - so pleased to see anything in my landing net!

Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

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