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Hi Both, I've been following your blog for a while Chris as I'm trying to learn about and access the Kennet. Really enjoy your reports. On rods, I have two Drennan Acolyte float rods, a 15' and a 17'. Both are wonderful rods and so far I have had no trouble with them despite much tangling with shrubbery. I have also heard of top section breakages, but for me, so far so good after two years. They have a wonderful combination of finesse and power. Despite their featherweight and ultra slim profile they seem to have "muscle" and speed in the tip section, which allows you to hit the m

Hi Chris, I'm the CSAS fisheries officer, and the barbel that were stocked a year or two ago were much bigger than the one pictured (that's assuming your Speedia is the same size as mine!) so this one is most likely naturally spawned. Glad you're enjoying fishing there, wish more people did.

Only you could catch a vegan pike, Chris

Feeling pretty sated after today!

15 - I know! As a gardener, my services are less required in Jan/Feb so I take good advantage on the bankside. OK, the fish don't much like the cold, but I struggled to catch anything other than the odd trout from several trips to Speen Moors and while one happy Bulls Lock gave me a surprise couple of grayling (and 10 minnows- beat that!), my return visits yielded nothing in either the stills, where I though they might be holed up, the crease with the mainflow, or alongside the south bank. I really enjoyed my January trips on the Lamborne, but there's more anglers there than pedestrians in Ne

In theory my blog is still in action, though I was shocked to see I haven't submitted any entries for over a year. A mixture of reasons. House move (though still in Didcot area), Covid and tackle shop closed, health. Bad back means I need to fish very near the car, and cataract means I can't do trotting and limits driving at night - though hopefully cataract will be fixed soon. Also the Thames doesn't seem to be such an all seasons river as the Kennet, being very hard to fish when up and coloured. Perhaps I should say it's a learning curve! Despite all this I do intend to start bloggin

Congratulations, Chris, particularly on the 3.10! I've heard some negative reports on the Kennet over the last 2 or 3 years, so good to hear it's not all bad. I also thought the conditions were OK, here at Didcot. The Thames was up and coloured, but I thought I might do OK in a lock cut, the only one around where you don't need a lock and weir permit, which are not available this year. Alas, the hard-standing that I fish from was underwater!

I have a Youngs Purist - but found it a little on the heavy side - especially if I'm on the bank all day - used to suffer with 'tennis aka trotting ' elbow when I used it for long periods!

Changing swims at the very same Speen Moors this morning, I stumbled across my fishing guru, Chris, extracting his line from the branches of a tree, a most ungodlike position I have often found myself in. All retrieved, he regaled me with details of his catch for the morning thus far, pretty impressive considering I'd not even had a bite. He was kind enough to answer all my questions about tactics and methods and allowed me to watch his next few casts, which resulted in 2 of the smaller fish mentioned. but confirmed what I was doing wasn't that wrong, but there were some subtle tweaks I could

So there I was, on the canal bank at Enbourne having pinched a Friday afternoon from work. I'd caught nothing, the canal seemingly in the 'off' position when along the bank walked another angler. I immediately recognised his face from this blog, the fabled Chris Plumb. I introduced myself as one of his blog stalkers, perpetually in awe of every catch in the same venues I just scratch in. As he told me of that morning's chub, for the first time some fish movement appeared in my swim, and as he left and walked west to complete his 18-perch haul, I had 3 roach in as many casts before all went qui

That explains it! Turned up at Hambridge at 2:30, I had the 1 bite for a 1lb 8 chub. I think you'd caught the rest.

Great to see a tench in the canal, that’s the first one I’ve seen in truth. There’s been some good perch caught at Enborne up on the stick ups and a 4lb bream made an appearance on the help the heroes match. Well worth a trip. Pegs 28, 19, 14 and 5 all worth a try.

Hi Chris, not barbel info but I did want to let you know I had one of the big crucians out of willows at the weekend. That’s my third now in 2 seasons and this one went 3lb 1oz, was in great condition. Caught it from peg 31 on dendrobena

Barbel? What are they? Well done, Chris. You bringing them back with you I trust.

Ha - it's a bit of a bugger when those double-figure carp won't leave your maggots alone! I hope to share in your bad luck sometime

4lbs of bramble jelly made this morning so it was well worth it!l

Catch on first cast and you might as well go home lol.

Hi kenj - I recall Paul talking about you - and you're right about the Embrook - I was always very envious that it ran through his garden - not many anglers can rightfully boast of catching had 1lb+ roach from their own gardens! Paul and I last fished together back in Sep though I know his last trip was about a month after this toward the end of October - he died 6 weeks later.....

Rusty's pointed out to me that it must be my biggest chub from this bit of river in a while - and he's not wrong! First 5lber since Jan 2012: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?/blog/82/entry-822-7-january/ And biggest chub since this awesome session in 2010. http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?/blog/82/entry-452-7-march/ (A reminder on how the Kennet used to fish (at times!))

Another great entry Paul! Couldn’t agree more about the fresh brewed tea, first thing in the morning it really sets the tone for a great days fishing no matter how it actually turns out. I’ll have all I need for an overnight session pretty soon so will be in touch. To be honest I wouldn’t mind at all just catching tench, never had much success with the lift method and it looks like a good venue to practice. Good that the medication is working and even better that you’re not letting the treatment dictate your lifestyle. Pushing along a baggin’ up barrow is a small price to pay.

Yes, a brilliant blog! We may even take a trip to Alworth - bluebells and pub. Best wishes, prayers etc for you to be in the right 50%!

A brilliant blog entry Paul! I'd like to read a lot more of these so please keep them coming.

A very comprehensive blog Paul. Those chub look more like roach, their quality beating the quantity of my slimline chub from the Cut. Access is the main problem with the Emm Brook, but I found one bit with a layby, trouble was, I was out searching on my motorbike at the time, without a rod. Next winter?

Great angling Paul and the usual captivating report, love the pics too.

That swim always used to be a very good chub swim - in facta previous PB was from there a 6lb 5oz fish caught on a day (25/9/04) when I had another 6lber and 2 big 4's as back up fish! (Plus 3 bream over 4lb and a 2lb perch!)

Hi Paul, It's tipping down with rain at the moment and was reading through your blog. Your picture of the lake captured the fantastic September weather we had. I was in Brittany for some of it, where the weather was ideal for cruising in a convoy of MGB's (another hobby). Some nice pics of your fish, especially the little tench, they can be fun on the right tackle, but a pain, when after better fish. I was promised a guest ticket with a friend after big roach on bread last week, but it fell through at the last minute. That rudd got my juices flowing again. I did a blog about my local river r

Ooh I like a challenge! Last winter (7/12 - 13/3) I had 12 chub from that swim. Sizes as follows...5.14, 5.12, 5.0, 4.13, 4.0, 3.14, 3.6, 3.6, 3.5, 2.10, 2.09, 2.07 and this summer 4 @ 4.14, 3.12, 2.15 & 2.06. Given that quite a few of those fish are within an ounce of each other - there may not be more than half a dozen chub in that swim - which probably explains why I've never caught more than 3 in a single visit!

Thanks for the offer - though you mentioning B means I'm pretty sure where you've been hauling them out - a swim I usually visit come the Autumn when they start to put on a bit of weight!

Pretty disgraceful in my view - getting dangerously close to ledgering!!!

Well done Chris, congratulations on the new PB. My first four from last season was 4.02 as well. Now you need to catch a 4.06 on the last day of the season! :-)

"I thought lure fishing would cost me a lot less money than carping, but so far it's cost me a fortune" - Haha! Many have fallen into that trap

Amazing stuff, Rusty. Interesting to see the bright scarlet fins showing up so strongly in your photos. I think it was you or Steve noticed they were different from the more orangey ones in the Thames, and I'm fairly sure the local gravel pit ones are more orange as well. There has to be a reason .....

Ahh - Paul and I have been baiting it up for you then! ;-)

Wow....a comment from the boss.....where's my "notworthy" smiley gone....ah, just found it....

Note the interestingly shaped crucian - a quite extreme case of 'phenotypic plasticity'. High backed in response to the presence of predators. I've had a comment querying whether it is even a crucian (you know who you are Paul!) so back to Crock of Gold for a thorough check. And the verdict is it looks OK. Lateral line count is 33 - which is spot on, Dorsal fin is convex - goldfish are concave. And the tail is the right shape, goldfish have a more pronunced V shaped tail. No hint of any barbules so no common carp in the parentage (which is highly likely to increase the lateral line count as we

I'm sure there are many possible explanations. However I have fished this stretch since 1982 and it has been pretty consistent through ALL that time. It is a place that is usually blessed with excellent recruitment - one stretch where I have regularly caught small barbel from - I'm talking gudgeon sized upto 1lb - my only barbel this season falls into this bracket! Equally chub of all year classes are usually caught. Other species; dace, grayling, roach(small), gudgeon even brownies are still showing in good numbers this year it is just the 'capital fish' which appear to be missing - haven't e

Thanks Chris - got my head right for this venue ay last! Used to go wanting to get crucians everytime I went - and usually being disappointed - didn't catch one of the finicky little blighters all last season! This year I've been telling myself that I'm going tench fishing - so of course I've had a few crucians turn up amongst the tincas! 6 tench over 6lb with a couple of 7s - all float caught has made for a very satisfactory summer!