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About this blog

Diary of a (mainly) river angler.

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Coarse Fishing

Season's Bests 2020/21

Plumby’s Annual Round-up. And so another season comes to a close – and I’m just thankful that I had a season at all. The Angling Trust somewhat came of age this year and showed itself to be an effective voice for anglers with its successful lobbying of government for angling during the pandemic. Fishing local did curtail my usual winter jaunts south in search of big ladies – but it was a small price to pay. Best Carp: 13lb 14oz. 9th September.  Float fished maggot – Willows. I rarely c
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

16 July

Alders Lake - Thatcham 1830 - 2300 Warm, sunny evening with a gentle breeze for much of it - which kept the mossies off for all but the last hour. 25ºC when I arrived - still 17ºC when I packed up. 3 Bream: 4lb 4oz, 3lb 14oz, 3lb 11oz. 1 Tench 3lb 13oz. 3 Carp; all ¾-1lb. 3 Perch - all 6-8oz. Productive evening which got off to a slow start. And whilst I had a perch first cast I'd have to wait 2 hours for my next bite. All the fish then came in a 90min spell around dusk. Agai
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

9 January

River Lambourn - Shaw 0915 - 1130 Cool & bright. AT 1º-6ºC. River low and crystal clear as it always is! 11 Grayling. Best 1lb 7oz with another 4 in the 10oz -1lb class. 4 Brownies - a 'pounder' and 3 small-uns. Usual tactics of catch a couple and move on - though in most swims it was catch one and move - apart from the very last swim I dropped into which accounted for nearly half of the morning's catch. Rather busy with other anglers - though, thankfully, I'd fished (and
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

16 January

Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton 1415 - 1640 Mild(ish), mainly cloudy. AT 8ºC. 6 Perch: Biggest 1lb 11oz - all the rest ½-1lb. Quick sesh to make the most of the short mild 'snap' though suspect the water temps haven't caught up with the air ones. Only 1 bite before 1615 - then a flurry of activity for 20 mins in the increasing gloom - as per normal!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

Season's Bests 2021-22

And so another seasons draws to a close - quite a good one on the numbers front with over 400 fish over a lb landed and 12 (14 including trout - which I'd rather not!) different species over a lb caught. The best returns since 14/15 season. Few fish came close to a PB however - so quantity not quality probably sums it up! Best Carp 12lb 14oz.  9 July  Freelined Bread flake - Willows. I rarely have carp as my primary quarry - but they are often a by-catch (usually unwelcome!) when I'm after
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

22 June

River Kennet - Brimpton 0430 - 0900 Bright sunny morning - lovely to be out before the heat of the day set in - shared my morning with the local wildlife - deer, heron and kingfishers. River low and clear 7 Chub: best (by a very long way!) 5lb 11oz (!!!) with a couple of around a lb and all the rest 6-8oz  - nice to see some juvenile fish. 7 Dace, 2 Roach (all fairly small). 4 Brownies - 3 over a lb one of which was nearer 2lb. Well I wasn't expecting that - especially after
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

20 August

River Kennet - Thatcham 0630 - 1000 Bright and sunny. AT 14º -> 20ºC. River VERY low. 10 Chub; 3 over a lb (two not by much - the other around 2lb) all the others small - 4-6oz. 6 Roach - all around the same size as the small chub (and occupying the same swim). 2 Gudgeon - a rare sight in these parts. 1 Ruffe - a MUCH rarer sight. 3 brownies - all small. I first fished the Kennet in 1969 at the age of 8 when I was taken to a weirpool on Lower Benyons by my Great Grandfathe
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

10 September

River Kennet - Brimpton 0700 - 1100 Cool (compared to lately) and mainly overcast. AT 11->16ºC. River still low but up a good couple of inches on my last visit here in July. 4 Chub: 5lb0oz, 3lb 6oz, 1lb11oz and one <1lb. 5 Roach & 1 Dace - all a 'nice' size circa 6oz. 4 Brownies; a lber and the others around half that. With 1½inches of rain already this month (nearly as much as the whole of June, July & August!) I was hopeful that the river might have perked up
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
Coarse Fishing

2 January (Part 2)

River Kennet - Hambridge 1330 - 1500 Bright and sunny. AT 6ºC. River bank high - with a lot less colour than I expected to see after such a wet weekend. 2 Chub: 6lb 5oz & 4lb 13oz. 2 Perch: 3lb 6oz & 2lb 6oz. 4 Roach, 1 Dace - all fairly small. 1 Gudgeon. WOW! Gotta love a good flood swim! Having fished out the Lambourn I thought I'd at least have a look at the Kennet - expecting to see it coloured up and flooded. And whilst it was bank high there was surprisingly lit
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb in Coarse Fishing

4
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

4

4 October

River Kennet - Padworth   1830 - 2300   Clear and misty evening. 15º -> 10ºC. River at normal summer levels - though carrying a bit more colour than usual after the weekend's rain.   2 Barbel: 8lb 11oz, 4lb 14oz.   Both fish in first 1¼hrs - smaller one 1st cast. Was also greeted by a Barn Owl flying within 10-15' of my head - probably hunting for the legion of rats scurrying around on the bank behind me after it got dark!!
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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16 January 2011

Middle Kennet Estate.   0800 - 1615   Overcast and breezy - drizzle for last hour, 10ºC. River still quite low - up maybe a couple of inches on our last visit here in November. Carrying quite a bit of colour - more than I expected to see!   6 Chub; 5 over 1lb, best 3:- 5lb 6oz, 4lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz. 6 Perch; biggest 2lb 2oz, rest all small. 1½doz dace, 2doz+ roach - all small though a few of the dace were circa 6oz and one roach warranted the scales though it 'only' reg
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

3

22 June

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   0700 - 1000   Cool, breezey and overcast. One sharp shower followed by an absolute downpour just after packing up!! Max 15ºC   3 Barbel; 7lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz, 2lb 9oz. 1 Chub (unweighed but circa 1lb). 3 Dace, 1 Gudgeon & 2 Brownies one of which went 2lb 14oz.   A return to the venue I visited on opening day and as I hoped I had the place to myself! This meant I could fish all ½ doz swims in rotation. Biggest barbel from 2nd s
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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24 August

River Kennet - Padworth   1815 - 2345   Mainly cloudy and quite breezy. 15ºC - Though felt chillier in the wind. River up a couple of inches (judging by the grass growing under water!)   4 Barbel; 9lb 7oz, 8lb 0oz, 5lb 6oz, 4lb 11oz.   Smallest one 1st cast - within 10 minutes of arriving! Then followed by 2 hours of crayfish activity - attacking the bait within miuntes of it settling. It stopped at dusk - obviously the fish had gone on the munch, as I qui
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

3

31 October

River Kennet - Nr Thatcham   1800 - 2330   Mild, overcast with a soft southerly breeze - really lovely night to be out. River low and carrying quite a bit of leaf litter as you'd expect. WT a balmy 56ºF.   1 Barbel; 9lb 0oz. 1 Carp; 15lb 9oz!!   Trick or Treat? Never been so disappointed to get such a lovely looking carp - as for nay on 10 mins I thought I was connected to the mother of all barbel!!! This is my 30th season barbel fishing this stretch of ri
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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12 February

Middle Kennet - Nr Newbury.   0730 - 1700   Cool and overcast. -2º ->5ºC Positively balmy compared to recent arctic conditions - WT was a chilly 39ºF though.   8 Chub; 4 'pounders' to 2¼lb and 4 chublets. 19 Dace; most a 'nice' size - only one warranted the scales though; a lovely fish of 11oz. 6 Roach, 8 Brownies to 2½lb.   Plan for today was to catch some chub in the morning and then move up to where we'd caught all those roach earlier in the winter.
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

3

15 December

River Kennet - Newbury.   0800 - 1200   Bright and mild. River high and carrying a little colour, too high even for chesties in my fav swim.... 2 Doz Dace - a few quite chunky ones but nothing as impressive as last weekend. 4 Grayling, 2 Chublets & 2 Roach.   Bit of a shall we shan't we session - knowing that the river would be well up and far from ideal for good sport. Having the Lambourn round the corner as back up should it be hopeless helped the decisio
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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22 February

River Kennet - Nr Newbury   0730 - 1745   Cold and overcast with a raw easterly wind - though thankfully reasonably sheltered on most swims at this venue. Max temp all day was 2ºC though judging by the times the line was freezing in the rings it was close to or below freezing for all but 2 or 3 hours around midday. WT 43ºF River clear with good flow.   10 Chub; 8 over 2lb, best 3, 4lb 12oz, 4lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz. 18 Perch; all small except for one clonker of 3lb 3oz!. 3
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

3

20/21 June

Harris Lake, Marsh Farm Fishery, Nr Godalming.   1530 - 0930   Overcast and muggy becoming cooler am. (And DRY despite the forecasts for days beforehand forecasting rain!)   14 Tench; 7 over 4lb, best 3 - 6lb 2oz, 5lb 7oz, 5lb 5oz. 6 Crucians; 3lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 3oz*, 2lb 1oz*, 1lb 15oz, 1lb 10oz. 4 Roach - 3 over 1lb (!) best 1lb 6oz. 3 Rudd - all 10-12oz.   3rd time Paul and I have done a night here and this cracking session was following on from las
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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23 November

River Lambourn - Shaw   0815 - 1145   Bright, cool and sunny. Temp up to 5ºC. River quite low as you'd expect this time of year.   31 grayling; All a decent size, nothing below a band 3 (20cm) and most 25cm+. Biggest 1lb 5oz with lots of fish an ounce or so either side of the 1lb mark. 1 trout parr.   First trip to the Lambourn this winter and it didn't disappoint. Most fish (2/3rds) from the church stretch where I was also bitten off by a rather large pik
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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22 December

River Kennet - Newbury   1000 - 1345   Cool, bright and breezy. River 'full' but not in flood condition - carrying a little colour but not as much as I expected!.   2 Chub; 1¾lb & 1½lb. 1 Pike 3lb 14oz. 18 Dace, 8 Roach. 3 Gudgeon.   Not so much a trotting session as a hold the float in a slack behind the tree session. Seems a lot of fish were shoaled up in a very small slack! In truth I hadn't intended to go today - Paul and I had acquired the required permissions for a session on t
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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24 January

Middle Kennet Estate - Nr Newbury   0800 - 1645   Drizzly. 7ºC. Little wind - though enough to blow my brolly into the river when my back was turned! River 'full' with quite a bit of colour - more than I expected - and more than is usual for here.   19 Chub: All over 1lb - though biggest 'only' 3lb 13oz and 'only' 8 over 2lb! Pike; 10lb 11oz. 3 Dozen Dace with many many fish in the 6-8oz class, 9 roach - all small and only 3 troot (2 brownies and a rainbow).  
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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2 March

River Kennet   0800 - 0930 - Newbury   1000 - 1230 - Thatcham   Overcast, mild (8ºC) and breezy. River high but clear.   Newbury - 1 Grayling and a couple of gudgeon. Thatcham; 2 Chub; 4lb 0oz & 3lb 6oz, 1 Perch 4lb 2oz (!) and a small dace.   Started at a favoured flood slack which was surprisingly devoid of fish. So shifted off downstream to show Paul and Rusty how its done! However, the first hour and a half or so was bite-less and
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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10 August

River Kennet - Thatcham   1200 -1400   Warm and breezy - large thunderstorm just missed me!   2 Chub; 3lb 12oz & 2lb 6oz. 5 Dace (all chunky ones!), 1 Roach.   One of the advantages of living in the Kennet valley is that within 30 mins of deciding on a quick trip between the showers you can be slipping the net under a 2lb chub! This was a quick trip to Rusty's 'surf float swim' and it's clear from the jungle I had to hack through to get to it that no o
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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26 October

Speen Moors   0730 - 1645   Mild, overcast and quite breezy. River low.   4 Chub; a 2lber and 3 chublets. 9 Perch; 4 over 1lb, best 1lb 15oz. 20 Roach & Dace. 30+ gudgeon and a brownie of around ¾lb.   First time in years that Paul and I have spent a whole day at Speen and it meant we had time for a good wander - though the best of the action was had in the first couple of hours which accounted for all my decent perch (and the 2lb chub) and a fine brac
Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb

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