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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    28 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    1245 - 1600
     
    Mild (very - 11ºC), overcast, slight drizzle at times and quite breezy (though we found a sheltered spot). WT 46º
     
    1 roach, 1 dace and err 10 bleak!
     
    Paul and I had penciled in this date a while back for a Christmas trip and permissions had been granted to fish an estate water on the middle Kennet. Unfortunately the heavy rains over the past 10 days have put paid to that - a real shame as conditions otherwise were pretty good. Still we went with plan B with some confidence after my expedition to the canal a week ago - and given that we found prey fish straight away were sure the perch would put in an appearance - eventually. Alas it was not to be and as 4 o'clock approached our confidence drained away so it was off to the pub to sit in front of a roaring fire and sup some ale.
     
    At least I had the consolation of winning the bleak match 10-6*.
     
    *Rusty Match Rule 3B applies - "A match may be announced at any time within 24 hours of it having taken place"
     
    Pics to follow (of the beer and floods - I don't think Paul was daft enough to photo a bleak!)
     
    Nicked from the NAA forum - but Paul's piccies show the same scene.....
     

     
    Beer!

  2. Chris Plumb

    21 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal Thatcham
     
    1300 - 1600
     
    Bright and breezy. 9ºC. WT 47ºF Canal very high, over the banks in several places when I arrived - but dropped over a foot during the afternoon.
     
    4 Perch; 2lb 12oz, 2lb 3oz, 1lb 14oz and 1 sub pounder (but not by much). 2 Chub (lets), 15 Roach, 1 dace and a bleak (1st of the season!)
     
    Plan was if I can't find the perch - maybe they can find me! Plonked my self in one spot and sparingly fed maggot all afternoon - with a single red on the hook - and planned to switch to lob as it got dark. In the end I didn't really need to. Bites were slow at first but after an hour or so the float dipped with satisfying regularity and every so often a strike met with solid resistance. Very pleasing afternoon's sport!
     

  3. Chris Plumb

    24 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Newbury
     
    0945 - 1145
     
    Overcast, mild and very breezy - with more sodding rain - becoming really quite heavy by the end. Would have fished longer but reached that "I'll be glad when I'm fed up with this moment" earlier than anticipated.
    River very, very full and carrying a little colour.
     
    13 Grayling - 2 pounders (best 1.05) and a couple more just shy. 3 Brownies - 2 parrs and a 1¼lb fish.
     
    Maggots have their annual eviction as my bait fridge gets its once yearly clean and is press-ganged into Christmas duty. Plan had been to hit the canal at first light with Paul - but we both checked the rain radar at 0530 - thought 'sod that for a game of soldiers' - quickly exchanged emails to abort the mission and returned to bed.
     
    However I still had ½pt of maggot that needed using so making the most of a lull in the rain headed off to the welcoming Lambourn. Alas the respite was brief - and I probably would have fished longer if it weren't for the rain and more scarily the wind which was snapping off branches of the trees around me - one quite substantial bit of timber landing within 6 feet of me - so for the 2nd time of the day 'sod this for a game of soldiers' flashed through my brain and I was driving home not 5 minutes later!
  4. Chris Plumb

    23 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal, Thatcham
     
    0715 - 1115
     
    Mainly overcast, some sun just after dawn and a couple of light showers. AT 50ºF, WT 47ºF.
     
    10 Perch: 3lb 9oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb 3oz, 3lb 0oz, 2lb 15oz, 2lb 9oz, 2lb 8oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 8oz. 27lb of fish!!!!!
     
    Brilliant morning's perching!! 3lb 3oz fish first cast and thereafter caught steadily upto 1030 when 3 barges came through in quick succession and killed the swim. First ever time I've had 4X3lbers in a session (had 3 a couple of times) - one of the rare times I take a keepnet. Even had time to lose a rather nice carp!
     
    Pic was meant to be of all 4, 3lbers - alas the 4th one flipped back into the water when my back was turned to pick up the camera and ruined my 'mirror image' shot!
     

  5. Chris Plumb

    26 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA Stillwater - Widmead
     
    0445 - 1045
     
    Warm and overcast with sun breaking through after 0900. 15ºC->24ºC
     
    1 Crucian; 3lb 13oz - new PB! 2 Commons; 11lb 3oz & 8lb 5oz. 2 Perch - 1 just on 1lb and a nice Rudd of 10oz.
     
    Yippee got what I came for - had heard of some big 3's showing and even whispers of a 4lber so thrilled to have snaffled one. Sat right back and float fished under my rod tip about 2 foot from the bank - lots and lots of little lifts and movement from the off - which was obviously just rudd and perch. Had one classic lift about an hour after starting and briefly connected with something solid which quickly shed the hook - felt this was a crucian and that my chance had gone - thankfully a little after 0800 same thing happened and as soon as it was hooked I knew it was a crucian - couldn't believe the size of it when it popped to the surface for the first time and it took 3 more plunges before I had it subdued - very very nervy couple of minutes - was convinced I had a 4lber!! Had to settle for 3oz light but still can't wipe the smile of my face!!!! Biggest common off the top - with bread flake - other one on the method.
     
    Crucian beats previous PB by 3oz - a 3-10 fish from a nearby lake caught on 22/6/99 - my 2nd longest standing PB until today.
     

     

  6. Chris Plumb

    25 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Padworth
     
    1800 - 2200
     
    Cold and clear! AT down to 30ºF, WT 45ºF down 2ºF on Saturday. River also low and clear.
     
    1 Brown Trout; 3lb 9oz.
     
     
    Brrrrrrr! Probably need my head examined going barbel fishing in such chilly conditions - but it was the only free evening I've got this week. Not surprised I blanked with old whiskers - especially with a falling WT. Might have hoped for a chub or two - so mightly surprised to get a 3½lb trout - which picked up my 14mm hair-rigged pellet and then went airborne - repeatedly - rather hard to work out what was happening in the dark!
  7. Chris Plumb

    1 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - nr. Thatcham
     
    1830 - 2330
     
    Mainly overcast and quite breezey. AT54ºF, WT52ºF and both rising. Positively balmy compared to last Monday evening, despite the wind!
     
    4 Barbel: 10lb 7oz, 9lb 5oz, 7lb 4oz, 5lb 15oz
     
    Cracking evening in a swim not a million miles from where John, Chris & Steve have been in the last 72 hours! 9lber first cast - all be it ¾hr after casting out and the double right at the end of the session. Biggest barbel for 3 years. All on hair-rigged halibuts.
     
    9lb 5oz

    10lb 7oz

     
    Just realised I haven't reset the clock on my camera!
  8. Chris Plumb

    30 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Thatcham
     
    0800 - 1130
     
    Bright and sunny. AT 54ºF, WT 52ºF - up 7ºF on Monday evening!
     
    1 Barbel 4lb 11oz, 1 brownie 1¼lb, 5 dace & a roach.
     
    Slowish morning's trotting - started out with lobs for 1st hour hoping for a chub or two but nothing doing. Then an hour's trotting maggot before the barbel showed up - target for the morning was a barbel so at least that box got ticked! Rather a lot of minnows in residence - more than I've seen for a long time!
  9. Chris Plumb

    22 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    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 swim other 2 from 5th one I dropped in. Brownie was chasing in minnows - so 'spinning' a red/white maggot past its lair induced a take! Session was curtailed by the river suddenly turning to the colour of chocolate with loads of debris coming down. Wandering upstream to investigate - there was a JCB in the tail of the weir re-modelling the the river bed! Given the subsequent rain I'm not too displeased!
     
    Pic of the 7lber - which put up a merry battle on the Harrison!
     

  10. Chris Plumb

    20/21 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA stillwater - Widmead
     
    1400 - 0800
     
    Warm and overcast - rain from 1600 - 2100 with drizzle during the night. Min temp 15ºC
     
    9 Carp - biggest 8lb, 9 Roach, 3 Rudd & a perch
     
    Slow, disappointing session - especially as we were after tench!! Couldn't even find any of the bigger carp - had them down to 3lb! Didn't even know there were any that small in the lake! Paul had a couple fewer carp and like me had one decent(ish) common of nearly 9lb - though he did manage a solitary bream. Rather disconcerting to see 7 cormorants flying over the water at first light..... .
  11. Chris Plumb

    17 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    Newbury AA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    0530 - 1430
     
    Cool & overcast - drizzle from 1100.
     
    3 Carp; 10lb 10oz, 8lb 1oz & 3lber. A doz rudd & roach and 1½doz small perch.
     
    Slowish day alledgedly fishing for crucians - though Paul fared better snaffling a brace of 1¼lb+ fish. 10lb carp 1st cast - lucky to land it on a size 18 to 2¾lb bottom! Fished meat & maggot in rotation. All the roach were of a good stamp circa 8-10oz - pity there weren't a few more of them!
     
    A pic of one of Paul's Crucians - love the buttery colouration...

  12. Chris Plumb

    22 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Newbury AA Stillwater - Widmead
     
    0530 - 1100.
     
    Bright and sunny after a cool, misty start. 10º -> 20ºC
     
    1 Crucian; 2lb 2oz. 8 Carp; best 2 - 12lb 6oz & 11lb 9oz, smallest 6¾lb. 3 rudd & a perch.
     
    A morning's float fishing (lift method as per usual!!). Crucian and 3 of the smaller carp on 6mm S-Pellet. Meat just got nailed by the rudd. Last couple of hours spent freelining bread - which brought 5 more carp including both bigger ones. Smallest crucian from here in 7 years...
     



  13. Chris Plumb

    26 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    1830 - 2330
     
    Warm, still evening - really surprised to see the thermometer in the car down to 11ºC when I left as it felt MUCH warmer under the trees - quilted shirt and coat both remained 'unworn' all evening. River LOW (now the norm for this time of year - alas ) and carrying quite a bit of colour.
     
    4 Barbel; 6lb 15oz, 6lb 10oz, 5lb 2oz, 4lb 1oz.
     
    Nice to get amongst some 'schooly' sized barbel! Got off to a cracking start with 3 fish by 8 o'clock - basically first 3 casts all produced fish. Had to wait until 2230 to bank the next one but did inexpicably 'miss' a couple of 3 foot twitches in the intervening period. No sign of the otter - which probably explains why the barbel were in residence!
     
    Last night's biggest...
     

  14. Chris Plumb

    28 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley Complex
     
    1600 - 2330
     
    Warm clear night - temps still 14ºC when I packed up.
     
    1 Tench 3lb 3oz. A doz+ perch & 2 rudd.
     
    This Indian Summer has persuaded me to have one last session here. The perch were really having the meat but switched off when it got dark. Tench on the stroke of 8 o'clock and 'bumped' another ½hr later - which proved to be the last bite of the session!
  15. Chris Plumb

    19 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0545 - 1015
     
    Cool, bright and sunny. 8ºC -> 13ºC. River up a tad and carrying a bit of colour after yesterdays rains.
     
    50+ Dace - mainly small save for one really goodun of 11oz and 2 or 3 of around 6oz. 20+ Roach, 2 Chublets - both just shy of a pound, 4 Gudgeon and a Brownie.
     
    Pleasant mornings trotting. Hoped a barbel or two would put in an appearance plus a few bigger chub - but as these were the first chub I've heard of from here this season I was glad of any. Good to see so many roach and dace showing. Although the dace were mainly small quite a few of the roach were in the 6oz bracket which was very acceptable - especially as they were in every swim I dropped in (I fished 4 spots in all - giving each around 45 mins....)
  16. Chris Plumb

    15 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Thatcham
     
    1000 - 1200
     
    Warm and sunny - lovely early autumn morning. 17ºC but felt a whole lot warmer.... River very low
    1 Barbel; 4lb 15oz. 1 Chub; 2lb 2oz. 2 dace, 2 brownies and a grayling.
     
    Meant to be mowing the lawn today and as I type this while having some lunch I 'spose I better get out there. My excuse this morning was that it was too wet to cut (heavy dew last night) - so with a pint of maggots in the fridge, a trotting rod made up in the quiver I was on the bank (or rather IN the river) within ½hr of deciding on this short impromptu trip. Barbel pretty much first cast - and I wrecked the swim coaxing it out of some rununclus (waded down to get below it) so left the swim alone and had a wander - picking up the odd fish here and there. Returned for the last 20 mins and immediately had the chub - which pulled off the same trick as the barbel - necessitating the same solution! And with that it was home for lunch!
  17. Chris Plumb

    3 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    0630 - 0930
     
    Warm despite clear skies. 15º - 20ºC
     
    1 Crucian, 2lb 15oz. 1 Carp 5lb 7oz, a rudd (small!)
     
    Mini campaign to get an autumn crucian meets with success!! Though in fairness this morning felt more like high summer! Thought my chance had gone, as despite having the odd crucian rolling it wasn't until the sun just started to bathe the swim in full light at around 0900 that I had a bite from one (the carp trashing the swim an hour earlier didn't help either! ). My biggest ever crucian from this lake - very thick set which doesn't come across in the photo...
     

  18. Chris Plumb

    10/11 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1930 - 0130
     
    Overcast and very breezy - this lake is so sheltered it's unusual to feel any wind at all - not last night! Mild - min 15ºC.
     
    1 Bream; 8lb. 1 Tench; 3lb 7oz. 2 rudd & a perch.
     
    Fished a new swim for the first time - at other end of the lake to usual haunts! Both fish caught just as it got completely dark - tench on meat at 2200 and the bream on maggot ½ hour later. No bites at all thereafter - though a few liners and fish topping which kept me bankside longer than I intended!!!
     

  19. Chris Plumb

    15/16 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Padworth
     
    2015 - 0145
     
    Cool & clear. AT down to 10ºC.
     
    1 Barbel; 8lb 0oz*.
     
    Out later than usual as I'd agreed to pick up one of my son's from a party at 'stupid o'clock' - any excuse to get out on the bank. Just as well, as I've I'd kept my usual hours I'd have been looking at a blank - only bite came on the stroke of 0100 when I'd have usually been tucked up in bed! No other excitements save for seeing a truely spectacular meteor - I half expected to see on the news that the ISS had de-orbited!
     
    *I'm almost certain this was the same 8lber I caught from this swim on 24th August!
  20. Chris Plumb

    5 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet
     
    0930 - 1600
     
    Cold, bright and sunny after a foggy start. River low - waiting for those springs on the downs to burst - not long now (hopefully)!
     
    9 Chub; 6 over 1lb biggest 4lb 4oz - all the others between 2-3lb. 19 dace; best 2 went 13 & 12oz - with quite a few others circa 8-10oz. 5 Brownies - biggest circa 2lb but unweighed.
     
    Day didn't get off to the best of starts - as on arrival I discovered that I'd left my landing net at home - and despite taunts of 's,OK you won't need it!' from Merv & Paul managed to cadge one from one of the keepers. Fish very spooky but when you found them (the dace that is) were of an excellent 'stamp'. 3 biggest chub on trotted corn. All other fish on single red maggot. Tried lobs for an hour but couldn't tempt a stripey.....
     

     

  21. Chris Plumb

    7 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet
     
    0730 - 1630
     
    Cool and overcast after a bright start. River low but carrying just a tinge of colour after heavy overnight rain.
     
    9 Chub, 7 over 1lb - best 2; 4lb 6oz & 4lb 4oz. 15 Perch, 8 over 1lb - best 2; 2lb 7oz & 2lb 2oz (most of the 'pounders' were over 1½lb). 1 Pike 5lb 6oz. 60+ roach & dace - in equal nos. ½doz gudgeon. 6 rainbow trout to 3¼lb & 5 brownies to 3¾lb.
     
    Stonking session on one of my favourite parts of the river. Most fish on trotted maggot except all the perch (and the pike!) on trotted lobs. Paul had a similar return - more silvers than me though fewer chub and perch (and trout!) - oh and he did manage a 1¼lb roach!
     
    Pic of Paul's roach....
     

  22. Chris Plumb

    27 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Shaw
     
    O800 - 1130
     
    Cold and overcast with the odd flurry of snow. -3ºC -> +1ºC
     
    25 Grayling; 3 over 1lb and 3 more just an ounce or two shy. Best 1lb 7oz. 12 Brown trout, 1 Roach.
     
    Pleasant morning's trotting in the cold. Unusually for here nearly all the fish came from just 2 swims, with just a couple of fish to show from the ½doz+ other swims I tried. Most of the trout were no more than fingerlings - A sign of a succesful breeding season methinks!
  23. Chris Plumb

    20 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    0700 - 1200
     
    Overcast with drizzle. AT6ºC. Near perfect conditions except for the fact that WT was only at 45ºF.
     
    2 Perch: 3lb 3oz & 3lb 2oz. 1 Chub 1¼lb.
     
    Chub very first cast - hit the lob as soon as it was in the water - thereafter bites at a premium - a fish at 0830 and another 2 hours later - but well worth the wait! Paul had a small chub and a 2lb 6oz stripey.
     
     
    The 3-3

     
    Peas in a pod...
     

  24. Chris Plumb

    13 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Newbury
     
    0800 - 1100
     
    Cool & Overcast. 8-10ºC. River low, as per usual this time of year!
     
    14 Grayling - 5 over 1lb - best 2, 1lb 9oz & 1lb 6oz. 7 Roach - all a 'nice' size - in need of a landing net! The 2 I popped on the scales went 11 & 13oz but the rest weren't much smaller. 1 Brownie (small).
     
    Pleasant morning's trotting. Fish very spooky in the low water didn't get more than 1 from any swim EXCEPT the first swim I dropped into which produced 11 fish - including most of the roach - very strange!
  25. Chris Plumb

    12 March - Part 2

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Thatcham.
     
    0900 - 1100
     
    Bright with milky sunshine. AT upto 13ºC when I left - a lovely early spring morning.
     
    1 Chub; 2lb 13oz. 1 dace. 1 Brownie 1¼lb.
     
    So having been crayfished off the canal, plan B was to see if I could snaffle a March barbel on the pin. (Having first picked up some maggot from Tony's for Monday - as ever he wasn't a happy bunny - this time coz I proffered a 20 and he had no change! ). Anyways, Plan B got scuppered almost before it got started. 1st trot through - having fed the swim for over ½hour before fishing - resulted in the brownie - which went absolutely mental - jumping all over the place. So I never got to find out if my baiting had got anything else feeding in my 'banker' barbel swim!! I dropped down a swim a had the dace followed by the chub - hooked as I was reading a text message from the wife asking me to pick up one of the lads from training - bringing an earlier than anticipated end to my day's angling.....
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