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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    14 March

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Hambridge
    0945 - 1445
    Mainly cloudy with sunny spells and light drizzly showers. River still full to bursting, not dropped at all!
    3 Chub: 4lb 13oz, 3lb 4oz & a tiddler. 3 Dace - all small, 1Grayling. 3 Brownies (all around 8oz) and a 2lb rainbow!
    Plan for the last day was for a Double Header in the hunt for a big chub - morning at Brimpton and the afternoon here. But having trekked ¾mile with chesties and full pack I turned around and walked straight back to the car (arriving rather hot and sweaty!) - the reason - a tree had come down bang smack in the middle of where I wanted to fish - poo!

    So I quick hop downstream - to another favourite flood swim and the session was topped and tailed by the 2 bigger chub - 4lber first cast and the 3 pretty much last - certainly last fish of the season.
  2. Chris Plumb
    And so another season comes to a close - not a bad one despite the wet weather disrupting several plans over the autumn and winter (including the annual Itchen IAC fish-in). I did at least get a  PB this year. Still no barbel,though there is a planned trip to the Wye to try and rectify that in 2020  - and the season finished strongly with 3 SB's in the last 4 days.
    Biggest Carp. 15lb 8oz, 28th June. Ledgered pellet - Method Feeder. Jubilee Lake - Thatcham. My now annual trip to try and get a half decent carp!

    Biggest Tench. 7lb 7oz. 19th June. Float fished prawn section. Johnsons Lake - Milford. Only 3 oz off my PB.

    Biggest Chub. 6lb 3oz. 12th March. Trotted red sweetcorn. Middle Kennet. 2nd season in succession I've had a 6lb chub - after a 7 year spell without one.

    Biggest Bream. 4lb 3oz. 16th June. Trotted maggot. River Kennet  - Marsh Benham. Turned up an a favoured chub swim on the first day of the season.
    Biggest Crucian. 3lb 14oz. 19th June. Floated fished prawn section. Johnsons Lake - Milford. Only PB of the season - though I was actually slightly disappointed - as I was convinced it would go 4lb!

    Biggest Pike. 3lb 9oz. 30th December. Float fished lob. Kennet & Avon canal - Woolhampton. Common 'by-catch' when perching!
    Biggest Perch. 2lb 13oz. 11th March. Float fished lob. Kennet & Avon canal - Woolhampton. The search for new perch hotspots continues!

    Biggest Grayling. 1lb 15oz. 14th October. Trotted maggot - Lower Itchen Fishery. Dreadful season for grayling - rivers were out of sorts due to flooding from early autumn onwards  - meant this was the first season since 2000/01 that I didn't get a 2lber!
    Biggest Dace. 14oz. 12th March. Trotted maggot. Middle Kennet. Usual dace hotspot produced the goods again!
    Biggest Roach. 14oz. 27th October. Trotted maggot. Northcroft Stream - Newbury
  3. Chris Plumb

    12 March

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
    0730 - 1730
    Cool (5ºC or thereabouts all day) and very blowy with frequent squally showers of rain,sleet or hail! River VERY VERY high - highest I've ever seen it here - many swims needed waders just to get to the'bank'. 
    21 Chub; 7 over 4lb - biggest 6lb 3oz - a real lump! 4 Dace; 2 that were weighed went 14oz & 12oz - the other 2 weren't much smaller. 2 Roach - small and only 3 Brownies - all 3lb +
    A wild day on a wild venue - thankfully though, despite the huge volumes of water everywhere, the chub were in their usual haunts. Spent until mid afternoon just trotting red corn (got through 3 tins of the stuff) before switching to one of the carriers for a succesful dace hunt.

    My first 6lb chub from this venue since my PB from here back in 2012.

  4. Chris Plumb
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
    1430 - 1800
    Still bright and breezy with a brief drizzly shower. AT down to 8ºC when I packed up.
    10 Perch; 6 over 1lb - best 3, 1lb11oz, 1lb 14oz, 2lb0oz.12 Roach - all small & 3 Bleak
    At last some bigger perch - with the odd exception I've had loads of perch around the 1lb mark this winter from different parts of the K&A - I obviously found a different year class today as the pounders were all over 1lb 4oz.
  5. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    1000 - 1400
    Bright and breezy - though thankfully nowhere near as windy as yesterday. AT upto 12ºC. River flooded but clear.
    1 Chub; 2lb 7oz, 3 Dace - all smallish. 2 Brownies a pounder and a parr.
    Late start after yesterday's exertions - and a scratchy session really just killing time before a dusk raid for stripeys on the canal (see part 2).
  6. Chris Plumb
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
    1500 - 1800
    Mild, bright and very breezy. AT still 11ºC when I packed up. Canal quite coloured up after all the rains.
    13 Perch; 5 over 1lb and a couple just an ounce or 2 shy of that. Biggest 2: 2lb 13oz & 1lb 13oz. 1 Roach - 9oz (on a whole lob!)
    I've now had nearly 2 doz perch over 1lb from here this winter but this was my first 2 (and I think the 1-13 may be my 2nd best from here this year!) Yet again I fished a different spot - but one which will certainly get a return visit next winter!
    Fat as a football!

  7. Chris Plumb
    Kennet Carrier - Marsh Benham
    0645 - 1145
    Mild with sunny spells AT 12ºC when I packed up. River VERY full but with little colour.
    17 Chub (!): 8 over 3lb - best 4lb 4oz, the rest all over 2lb. 6 Brownies to nearly 5lb & a 2lb Rainbow.
    Start of my 4 day end of season extravaganza when I hope to fish 7 or 8 venues in the next 4 days. First up was 'my' syndicate stretch of the middle Kennet and for the first time this winter 'Chub Corner' lived up to its moniker.
    First 7 fish I landed were all without an adipose and whilst the 8th fish was a 2lb brownie the scene was set for a bit of a chub fest! Seems half the syndicate had the same idea - usually have the place to myself but 5 other anglers turned up this morning - including Rusty with a cunning plan to try and avoid the troot - which wasn't exactly working when I left him!!!🤔
     

  8. Chris Plumb

    22 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    0745 - 1315
    Mild and Windy, VERY VERY Windy! River in the fields - but with only a little colour.
    1 Chub: 2lb 10oz, 3 Dace: 13oz, 10oz & 8oz. 1 Roach - small. 1 Rainbow Trout 4lb 4oz.
    A WILD day in West Berkshire. Couldn't get to most of the swims I'd usually fish because of the flooding and when I could it was way too windy - had trouble just standing let alone holding a rod! However was keen to fish here as the venue's been closed all winter for bridge repairs and extensive tree felling. Thankfully found a couple of slightly sheltered spots which at least had the wind at my back. Chub was first cast which somewhat cemented confidence for the morning but bites generally were few and far between - however when they did come a lovely trio of chunky dace was the result - biggest one is my season's best - a male in full sandpapery breeding condition!

  9. Chris Plumb
    River Lambourn - Newbury
    0730 - 1000
    Overcast and mild. River VERY full - over a foot up on normal winter levels, BUT clear as always.
    22 Grayling - most in the 10-14oz class with a few slightly bigger. 1 Dace - 11oz (another sandpapery male). 2 Brownies.
    Usual fall back after another week of rain has pushed the Kennet into full flood again. Fish of a remarkably similar stamp - dace was a real bonus.
  10. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    0930 - 1230
    Cool, bright and quite breezy at times. AT 5-7ºC.  River very high - highest I've seen it this winter - though with minimal colour.
    1 Chub 2lb 13oz. 3 Grayling - one close to 1lb the other 2 half that. 1 Dace. 2 Brownies a 2lber and a tiddler.
    Fished for over an hour for my first bite - just starting to doubt my sanity and planning a move around the corner to fish the Lambourn when the bigger grayling turned up. Clearly the slow trickle of maggot worked as the chub was next cast and thereafter had slow but steady sport in unpromising conditions.
  11. Chris Plumb

    21 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
    1500 - 1745
    Mild and breezy - with sunny spells. AT 10ºC. Canal still with quite a bit of colour.
    3 Perch; 1lb 13oz, 1lb 10oz & a tiddler.
    Bunked off work early to snatch a couple of hours on the canal - though in truth I needn't have rushed - no bites till gone 1700 and all the fish came in a flurry around 1730. Fished half a dozen new swims - including the one which produced.
  12. Chris Plumb

    30 December (part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal - Woolhampton
    1400 - 1615
    Bright sunshine - and quite mild at 9ºC but quickly got cooler as the sun set.
    1 Perch; 1lb 3oz. 1 Pike 3lb 9oz.
    With a couple of cracking perch already 'under my belt' (see 30 December part 1)! for the day I decided to fish a couple of new swims on this stretch. The first appeared to be Pike heaven - lost one, then landed one, so moved to another new spot - where I had a solitary bite right at the death resulting in the stripey.... 
  13. Chris Plumb

    6 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal - Woolhampton
    1515 - 1615
    Mild and breezy with heavy, squally showers. 11ºC
    5 Perch; 4, lbers - though not by much - best 1lb 7oz.
     Left work early for a last minute decision to make the most of the mild snap and have a last hour of daylight on the canal. All the bites came a few minutes either side of 4 o'clock - and resulted in fish of  a remarkably similar stamp - here's hoping there are still some bigger  ones to be found!
  14. Chris Plumb

    27 October - Pt1

    By Chris Plumb,

    Northcroft Stream - Newbury
     
    0645 - 0945
     
    Cool, bright and sunny. River up a touch and with a hint of colour.
     
    1 Chub; 1¾lb, 11 Roach - best 14oz. 9 Dace, 1 Perch & a Gudgeon.
     
    Trotted maggot. Most fish from the weirpool.
  15. Chris Plumb

    5 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
     
    0700 - 1430
     
    Mild, overcast and becalmed - perfect perching weather - pity no one told the perch!
     
    5 Chub to 2lb 2oz. 1 Perch - small, 8 Roach - with a couple needing the net - both just shy of 12oz. 4 Gudgeon & 2 Bleak.
     
    Another frustrating day on the canal - this time I had incessant boat traffic to contend with - had hoped to get at least a couple of hours peace but the first boat came through at 0710 when it was still nearly dark! and thereafter it was constant all morning - can't believe it's this busy in the height of summer! So no interest at all from the stripeys, in a swim that proved a bit of a banker last winter, with just the occasional chub (and roach!) snaffling my lobs.
  16. Chris Plumb

    28 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Avington
     
    0700 - 1400
     
    Mild and VERY gusty with drizzle for the first couple of hours or so (lovely - not!)
     
    1 doz+ perch - most around to 10-12oz mark but couldn't find anything bigger (which what I was after primarily). 2 doz+ roach nothing big), 1 Gudgeon (1st of the season), 1 Dace, 1 Chublet and a Skimmer.
     
    'Orrible session! Wind was a nightmare for casting and presentation (and nearly knocked me off my feet twice). Fished half a dozen or so swims in search of a decent perch and pretty much had similar results from all of them - though at the last place I tried they were slightly bigger so might start here next time. I truth though it was a bit of a 'I'll be glad when I've had enough of this session' !! as the wind made for very difficult conditions - my wrist was sore from holding the rod against it - as it was straight downstream.
     
     
  17. Chris Plumb

    7 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet & Carrier - Marsh Benham
     
    0900 - 1430
     
    Overcast and fairly warm (18ºC). River low and clear.
     
    6 Chub: Biggest 3lb 15oz the rest all less than half that! 3 Doz Dace and Roach in roughly equal nos. A couple of really nice dace of 10 & 11oz and quite a few roach in the 6-8oz class with a couple bigger ones (best went 12oz). 3 Perch - best nearly 1lb, 1 Bleak.
     
    Lovely day's trotting. Did try a couple of hours ledgering - with no returns (not even a crayfish!)
  18. Chris Plumb

    23 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Bucklebury Ponds
     
    1500 - 1730
     
    Bright, warm and sunny.
     
    A doz roach tp ¾lb. 5 Perch. 4 Skimmers.
     
    No fishing this weekend - upto Birmingham to watch the athletics - so a snatched couple of hours at my nearest venue to home - most of the roach were a 'nice' size.
  19. Chris Plumb

    11 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Widmead
     
    0900 - 1200
     
    Bright and breezy. River at 'normal' summer levels.
     
    1 Chub: unweighed but needed the net! 1 Grayling 1lb 1oz. 2 Doz Dace & a bleak.
     
    Swim I've not fished for 35 years! (last time was Sep 1985 - and I had stacks of dace then too!). Grayling was first cast which was unexpected thereafter it fish a chuck for the first 45 mins.
  20. Chris Plumb

    6 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0430 - 0800
     
    Clear and sunny. River at near normal summer levels and carrying its usual summer colour...
     
    11 Chub; All quite small with a couple slightly bigger (just over 1lb). 3 Doz+ Dace, 1 Roach. 4 Brownies to 1lb.
     
    Lovely morning's trotting and home in time for brekfast. Really nice to see some juvenile chub in the river - augur's well for the future....
     
     
  21. Chris Plumb

    12 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet (and carrier) Marsh Benham
     
    0930 - 1530
     
    Overcast, mild and quite breezy. River down on a fortnight ago (well we have had zero rainfall in that time).
     
    3 Chub; 4lb 1oz, 3lb 3oz & 2lb 11oz. 1 Pike 2lb 10oz, 4 doz Roach & Dace (roughly 2 -1 ratio). Biggest roach 12oz with a lot more circa 8oz. 2 Brownies 4lb 14oz & a pounder, 2 Rainbows - both 3lbers (possibly same one!)
     
    Chilled out birthday trip! Carrier was very low so fish were very spooky - though did land the pike from here which had clamped down on a dace and didn't let go - steered it into the net before it realised what was happening! Most of the time spent trotting the weirpool. Big brownie was actually a bit of a disappointment - didn't fight at all like a troot - kept deep, hugging the bottom radiating gigantism, thought it had to be a huge chub - though I even entertained the notion it might be a barbel - didn't see it till I brought it to the net. Stunning fish but not what I was after!!
  22. Chris Plumb

    22 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Newbury
     
    0830 - 1100
     
    Mild and overcast - river still quite low and gin clear as always....
     
    22 Grayling; Biggest 1lb 8oz with around half the rest a couple of ounces either side of a pound. 1 Roach: 1lb 2oz. 2 Brownies - a 2lber and a parr.
     
    Quick trotting session usual catch a couple and move on tactics - nice to get another decent roach from here.
  23. Chris Plumb

    12 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    Lower Itchen Fishery
     
    0830 - 1830
     
    Warm (still 19ºC when I got home at 2030!), overcast and very windy - rainy for the first hour or so. River very low and weedy with lots of leaf litter and detached weed coming down.
     
    50+ Grayling - nearly every fish in the 12oz-1lb class with a lot just over 1lb too. Nothing substantially bigger - alas - best went 1lb 7oz. 2 Chub; 3lb 5oz & 2lb 14oz. 1 Roach (13oz) & 10 brownies to 2½lb.
     
    A very blowy day in Hampshire - upstream wind, so by and large it helped presentation - though on one occasion my 4ssg loafer got blown upstream - impressive considering the speed of the flow here! Nearly lost my hat on more than one occasion too! Rotated between red corn and maggot hoping to find some bigger fish and found the bottom of the fishery (between the M27 and concrete bridge) particularly productive - possibly because it appeared to have had less angling pressure (I didn't see anyone else on that stretch!). Tired limbs and tennis (fishing!) elbow this morning!
  24. Chris Plumb

    4 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Brimpton
     
    0530 - 1130
     
    Hot and sultry. AT 19ºC when I left home at 0445! River still seeing the benefits of a wet spring.
     
    6 Chub: 4lb 3oz, 4lb 0oz, 3lb 14oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb 9oz, 3lb 2oz. 10 Dace - 4 over 8oz - best 10oz. 10 Brownies - mostly small - with 3 over lb.
     
    Lovely morning'c chubbing - the more so as I spent most of it up to my thighs in cool Kennet water. Nice stamp of fish which came from 3 separate swims.As ever, these days the trout were a bit of a pain - often killing a swim with their antics when hooked.
     
  25. Chris Plumb

    28 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Marsh Benham
     
    0830 - 1430
     
    Warm, bright and breezy with a couple of lumpy showers. River still higher than anticipated and carrying quite a bit of colour.
     
    2 Pike; both 3lbers, 7 Chublets, 1½doz Roach. 1 Doz Dace, 1 Perch, 1 Gudgeon, 2 Bleak and a Trout.
     
    First trip of the season to 'my' syndicate stretch of river - both pike on ledgered meat from the weirpool - had me thinking I hooked small barbel both times!
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