Middle Kennet (& Carrier) - Marsh Benham

0900 - 1300

Wind and rain to start followed by a couple of hours of sunshine - though I then packed up in a very heavy shower of sleet and hail - 4 seasons in a morning! AT 4º-7ºC. River VERY high (of course) and with a tinge of colour.

3 Chub: 4lb 6oz, 3lb 7oz, 2lb 11oz. 2 Roach - handsized. 4 Brownies - all around 3½lb+

I was meant to be fishing the Itchen yesterday but it was called off due to a flooded river. However I'd prepped some red sweetcorn for the day so thought I'd use it on the Kennet chub rather than the Itchen's grayling! And first cast produced a fish - the 3lb chub from a slack on the main river and as usual it was my only bite from the swim - but more than adequate compensation for the long walk. All the other fish came from the carrier - and, alas, brownies love corn as much as chub so I ended up switching back to maggot - this produced the biggest chub of the morning - which had been attacked by something (see below), and the 2 roach.