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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Newbury
    0930 - 1400
    Cool & cloudy - another day of anti-cyclonic gloom. AT 3º-5ºC. River high, pacey and as clear as it always is. 1.75m on the Shaw gauge (top of normal range).
    22 Grayling: 9 over a lb, with 3 over 1½lb - best 1lb 14oz. 7 Brownies: one of 2½lb, all the others 6oz - 1lb.
    Super morning's sport with nearly all the fish coming from just three spots which is a bit unusual. However, the fish were shoaled up in the slightly quieter water so this was a good guide to finding the ladies. Biggest of the day, the last fish caught - would have continued a bit longer but I ran out of gentles!
  2. Chris Plumb

    7 February

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon (Flowing) Canal - Colthrop
    1030 - 1400
    Cold, overcast with sleety showers and a raw Easterly wind. AT 2º-3ºC. River clear and pacey.
    1 Chub: 4lb 2oz, 1 Grayling: 1lb 2oz. 3 Brownies: all ¾-1lb.
    Brrrr! 🥶, somewhat sub-optimal conditions, so pleased to winkle out a chub from my first swim. Had always planned to come here today and reports of another BIG chub being caught on this stretch kindled my enthusiasm against the cold. Had planned to fish longer but no bites for an hour plus the showers becoming heavier and more frequent culminated in an "I'll be glad when I've had enough of this" moment!
  3. Chris Plumb

    4 February

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Middle Kennet Carrier (& main river) - Marsh Benham
    0900 - 1500
    Cloudy, with the odd sunny spell. Mild. AT 8º - 10ºC. River very pacey with a tinge of colour.
    6 Chub: 2lb 8oz - 3lb 13oz. 2 Dace: both quite chunky. 2 Roach: smallish. 6 Brownies: 1½ - 3¼lb
    Started off on the main river - making the long walk down to my south bank slack for just 2 bites and 2 fish, a 3lb 7oz chub and a 3lb spottie! By 1100 I was working my way up the carrier hoping against hope not to get too many trout. Rather pleased with the final chub-to-trout ratio, my best haul of chub from here since June. Even the swim so named 'chub corner' actually produced 3 of the chub for a change!
  4. Chris Plumb

    31 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    1100 - 1430
    Cloudy with sunny spells, milder. AT 8ºC. River high, pacey with colour dropping out - was noticeably less turbid when I packed up than when I arrived.
    2 Chub: 3lb 4oz & 3lb 0oz. 1 Dace: 10oz - a sandpapery male in spawning condition. 2 Brownies: 1¼lb and one half that.
    Bit of a gamble, but hopeful that the river would have dropped down enough from last weekend's rain to make it fishable - and so it proved. Trout first cast wasn't a great start but thankfully it didn't  thrash around on the surface and the 2 chub followed on quite quickly. Resting and returning produced the smaller trout and a lovely chunky dace.
  5. Chris Plumb

    30 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Shaw
    0930 - 1300
    Cold, bright and sunny. AT 0º - 7ºC. River full, clear (of course!) and pacey. 1.71m on the Shaw gauge.
    10 Grayling: a couple of 'pounders' (though not by much) all the others 6-10oz. 3 Brownies,  two of around ¾lb (and possibly the same fish!) and a parr.
    Default when the Kennet is in flood - which it most certainly is after Éowyn and Herminia recently. Very scratchy morning, to be expected in bright conditions with half the ladies coming from one shady swim on the Church stretch. 
  6. Chris Plumb

    22 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    0930 - 1230
    Cool, calm & cloudy. AT 3ºC. River very high and clear - higher than my last trip here just after Christmas despite no rain for the past 2+ weeks.
    1 Chub: 2lb 5oz. 3 Grayling; all 6-10oz.
    With storm Éowyn on the way and Mrs P out with her sister I switched my usual Friday outing. Chub first cast - on lob intended for a big perch that have been showing up here  lately. It would be my only bite on worm - grayling caught after I switched to maggot.
  7. Chris Plumb

    21 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon 'flowing' Canal - Colthrop
    0900 - 1300
    Cool, cloudy & calm. AT 0ºC - 5ºC. River at normal winter levels with a hint of colour.
    1 Chub: 4lb 6oz. 1 Grayling: 1lb 1oz. 1 Brownie: c¾lb.
    Another recce session exploring some new swims based on some recent 'intelligence'!😉 Fished 3 new spots giving each an hour or so and had the chub and grayling from the first one I dropped into. Only other bite was from a nuisance brownie which trashed my third swim!
  8. Chris Plumb

    17 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Frome - Wool
    0830 - 1400
    Cool, calm & cloudy. A benign winter's day! AT 4º - 7ºC. River quite pacey with a tinge of colour. 1.17 on the East Stoke gauge.
    11 Grayling; 6 over a lb - best three: 2lb 2oz, 1lb 14oz, 1lb 10oz. 7 Brownies: a 3lb+ and half a dozen small-uns. 2 Sea trout; 2½lb & 3lb.
    Slow and steady day - fish from 3 swims though the majority from just one spot. Sea trout were a bit of a menace - I lost 3 after extensive aerial antics and was also briefly connected to what I think was a salmon! All fish on maggot, didn't get a single bite on sweetcorn which was a surprise. 10th, 2lb+ grayling of the season!
  9. Chris Plumb

    8 January

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Middle Kennet Carrier (& main river), Marsh Benham
    0930 - 1400
    Cold & cloudy. AT hovering around 0ºC all day. River very full and quite coloured up - sort of milky in appearance.
    3 Chub: 1lb 14oz, 2lb 7oz & 3lb 7oz. 7 Trout between 1½ - 3lb. 5 browns and 2 that were bright silver and if I was on the Itchen would have said immediately were sea trout - but this stretch is a long way from the sea! 
    A frosty day on the bank. Hoped the cold snap would have put the trout down - but not much sign of that! All trout from the carrier but 2 of the chub from the main river which made it worth my while walking down the canal bank to fish 'my' south bank slack below the weir pool.
    Looks like Mr otter has been pike fishing - sizeable fish on the bank, around 3 foot long so around 14/15lb at a guess. Looked a fresh kill judging by the eyes yet something (a fox??) has tried to bury it. Spent an entertaining 20 mins over lunch watching a stoat having a successful hunt for its lunch! 
     
     
     

  10. Chris Plumb

    2 January 2025

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Newbury
    0930 - 1330
    Cold and sunny. AT -1ºC - 3ºC. River quite full and clear as always despite yesterday's rain. 1.66m on the Shaw gauge.
    12 Grayling; 5 over a lb (though not by much) best 1lb 6oz. 5 Brownies - all small.
    Scratchy session, to be expected given the bright conditions. Most of my usual banker swims produced nothing apart from the odd trout - all the grayling coming from just 2 spots...
    First fish of 2025.
     

  11. Chris Plumb

    31 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Colthrop
    0930 - 1330
    Mild, overcast becoming breezy. AT 9º - 11ºC. River at normal winter levels and quite clear.
    3 Chub: 5lb 6oz, 4lb 11oz, 3lb 5oz. 1 Grayling 2lb 1oz (!!). 1 Brownie; c½lb.
    With heavy rain forecast for tomorrow and likely to stuff the river up for my 'traditional' New Year chubbing trip I thought I'd get in early! A splashy brownie first cast in my 'banker' swim wasn't a great omen - thankfully my 'less reliable' back up produced all the remaining fish. Biggest 2 chub in the morning, the smaller one and that rarest of fish, a 2lb Kennet grayling, after resting the spot for an hour while I had some lunch and a natter to another angler. My biggest grayling from the Kennet in well over a decade and only my 5th ever 2lber from the river - the others all coming from a long way upstream of Newbury in the mid-noughties.
    Biggest of the morning.

    2lb Kennet Lady.

  12. Chris Plumb

    27 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    1000 - 1330
    Cool and misty. AT 6ºC. River high, pacey and clear - pretty much the same level as 2 weeks ago despite no appreciable rain in the interim.
    1 Perch: 2lb 9oz. 2 Grayling: 1lb 7oz & 1lb 2oz. 3 Brownies: a 'pounder' and a couple @ c½lb.
    Failed attempt to get more than one perch from this swim - though very pleased to get another fish over 2½lb from here - my 6th this season over this weight from this spot. Mainly fished lobs - which also accounted for the bigger trout. Trotted mag for ¾hr - hoping for a chub but had to make do 😀 with the bonus grayling and the 2 smaller trout.
  13. Chris Plumb

    24 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    0900 - 1230
    Mild and overcast. AT 9º - 11ºC. River 'full' with little colour - looked in fine fettle - pity no one told the fish!
    4 Dace: all quite chunky though nothing noteworthy. 2 Brownies 1¼lb and one half that.
    'Traditional' pre Christmas trip to use up any bait in the bait fridge before said fridge is commissioned for Christmas duties! A bit of a head scratcher angling wise. River looked neigh on perfect but I struggled for bites all morning, ho hum!
  14. Chris Plumb

    20 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet Backstream - Colthrop
    1300 - 1530
    Cool and cloudy. AT 7ºC. River at normal winter levels - not quite as pacey as last time here.
    3 Chub: 4lb 5oz, 3lb11oz, 3lb 2oz. 1 Grayling c ¾lb.
    Another sesh in my new found chub swim and the chub were at home this time! Caught the bigger two then rested the spot for an hour while I tried yet more new swims - for the solitary grayling. Third chub immediately after the hiatus - adding up to a very satisfactory short trip!
  15. Chris Plumb

    16 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Shaw
    0900 - 1330
    Mild and mainly overcast. AT 8º - 11º. River quite high (1.65m on the Shaw gauge) but still a foot lower than last winter's floods. Gin clear as always.
    13 Grayling: 5 over a lb. Best two; 2lb 2oz, 1lb 9oz. 9 Brownies - all small (6-8oz) or parrs.
    Scratchy morning, with only one of the usual hotspots producing anything of note (the 1-9 lady). After an early lunch, tried a nice glide under the trees (hence quite tricky to trot from) which I've never fished before which produced the 2lber - a venue best and only my second ever 2 from here (my first was back in October)!
    Venue best.
     

  16. Chris Plumb

    13 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    1315 - 1515
    Cold, dreary & drizzly. At 4ºC. River high, pacey and clear.
     1 Perch: 2lb 14oz.
    Just fished lobs. One bite, one fish, though it was another belting perch from here. All the same, I'm beginning to wonder how many are re-captures as I've not had more than 2 from here in a session this season!
     

  17. Chris Plumb

    11 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Middle Kennet Carrier (& main River)
    0900 - 1400
    Cool and overcast. At 4º - 6ºC. River high, very pacey, clear and weed free.
    3 Chub: a couple of 3lbers (best 3-07) and a 'pounder'. 3 Roach, 2 Dace - all fairly small. 9 Brownies 2-3½lb. 1 Rainbow: C. 2½lb.
    Worked my way down the entire length of the fishery - trying to avoid trout - though not very successfully - a very disappointing Chub to Trout ratio! And it looks like the silvers are doing a bit of a disappearing act like they did last winter!  
  18. Chris Plumb

    4 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet (& Backstream) - Colthrop
    0900 - 1300
    Cool, calm & cloudy. At 4ºC - 8ºC. River quite pacey with a hint of colour.
    1 Chub; 4lb 13oz. 4 Brownies - all 10-12oz.
    I had a cunning plan for today. Return to my newly found big chub swim, use up the last of my corn from the weekend's Itchen trip and empty the swim of its inhabitants! Well that was how it played out in my head - the reality was somewhat different. After a couple of hours without a bite from my target species (on corn OR maggot) I was starting to feel grateful for the fact the trout had saved my blushes as well as a blank. A switch to a new swim on the main river did at last produce a chub though - phew!
  19. Chris Plumb

    1 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Lower Itchen Fishery
    0830 - 1600
    Mild and rainy all morning, brighter after lunch save for a shower as I packed up. AT 13º. River at normal levels (maybe a little high) with some colour which got worse during the day.
    9 Grayling: 7 over a lb, Best 4: 2lb 6oz (SB), 2lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 14oz. 2 Chub: 4lb 12oz & 4lb 3oz. 6 Brownies 2-3½lb.
    A soggy day in Hampshire at a fish-in organised by Neal (Big thank you BTW!). Got a 2lb 2oz grayling first trot through which took the pressure off some what!! Thereafter bites at a bit of a premium but when I did connect it usually resulted in a decent fish. Alternated between red corn and maggot - both chub and all the trout on corn - most of the grayling on maggot, though the first cast 2lber was on corn. Both bigger grayling from the same swim once the sun had come out in the afternoon - improved visibility in turbid water??? Got asked for my rod licence - first time in around 20 years!
    A trio of 2lbers
    2-02

    2-06

    2-05

  20. Chris Plumb

    27 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Middle Kennet - Marsh Benham
    0900 - 1200
    Cold and cloudy. AT 5ºC. River very high and the colour of milky tea - very sub-optimal!
    1 Roach: handsized. 1 Brownie: 3½lb.
    I knew conditions would be challenging but didn't expect to see the river quite so coloured up - quite a rare sight this far up the Kennet. Nearly turned around and went straight home but instead walked down to the flood swim I fished quite a bit last winter in high water. Bumped a fish in the first 5 mins which gave me a glimmer of confidence, alas the next bite was the swim trashing brownie. Rested the spot while I went for a (non-fishing) wander, but the only bite on returning was the modest red-fin.
  21. Chris Plumb

    22 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Brimpton
    1300 - 1530
    Cool, bright and breezy. AT 6ºC. River at normal levels with a tinge of colour.
    1 Chub: 3lb 3oz. 2 Dace: both quite chunky. 6 Brownies: 4 over a lb, three between 1¼lb-2lb and a brute of 4lb 6oz.
    Makes a change for my first cast trout not to ruin my chub chances! In fact I'd caught 2 brownies before my target species put in an appearance - thankfully both trout had been  hooked a long way downstream from the chub lair! Rested the swim for ½hr or so but that just resulted in even more (and bigger!) trout - I'm surprised the chub I did catch got a look in!
  22. Chris Plumb

    20 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Newbury
    0800 - 1200
    Cold & clear. AT -2º - +3ºC. River at normal levels and gin clear as always - despite nearly an inch of precipitation falling yesterday.
    13 Grayling: 6 over a lb - the best two went 1lb 11oz & 1lb 9oz. 1 Brownie - small.
    First cold snap of the autumn - proper grayling weather with the ferrules icing up for the first hour or so. Bit of a scratchy session - usual catch a couple and move on tactics with only one of the 'hotspots' from my last trip here producing any fish at all!
  23. Chris Plumb

    15 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    1145 - 1515
    Cool, overcast becoming brighter. AT 8ºC. River still 'full' and clear - has hardly dropped since my last trip despite no significant rain since 19th October!
    3 Perch: 3lb 9oz(Season's Best), 2lb 11oz & a tiddler. 1 Chub: 3lb, 1 Dace; chunky! 3 Brownies: a swim trasher of around 2½lb and two,½lbers.
    Successful (very) perch hunt! Started out on lobs and had the 2lber almost immediately - however it would be my only bite on worm. Somewhat strangely I had the 3lber within 5 mins of switching to maggot from the exact same spot my worm had been ignored for the previous 90 mins! Rested the spot while I hunted out some chub further downstream and managed one before further bites were swiftly curtailed by a very acrobatic brownie. Returning produced just the tiddler stripey - but was already more than happy with my biggest ever perch from here.
    Venue Best.
     

  24. Chris Plumb

    12 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon 'flowing' Canal & Backstream, Thatcham/Colthrop
    0730 - 1430
    Cool & breezy with sunny spells. AT 4ºC - 10ºC. River at normal levels and quite clear.
    5 Chub: 5lb, 4lb 10oz, 4lb 3oz, 3lb 15oz, 3lb 7oz. 4 Dace: a smallun and 3 good-uns - which all got weighed 2@10oz topped by one of 12oz. 1 Grayling 1lb 2oz. 2 Brownies - a 'pounder' and a parr.
    Started off on the hunt for big dace and for the second trip running here a 1lb grayling turned up in my dace swim! Fishing around ¼ mile upstream from my previous lady, this time I was totally  convinced I was into a really good dace, as I'd just slipped the 12oz one back and the grayling was next trot through with the float burying at the same spot! Having worked my way down the canal it was off to my new favourite chub swim on the backstream (after a bit of lunch). Took it nice and slow - resting the spot for 10-15mins after each fish which seemed to do the trick as I had bites pretty much straight away each time I re-started trotting...
  25. Chris Plumb

    8 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Northcroft Stream - Newbury
    2145 - 1515
    Cool, calm and overcast. AT 8ºC. River at normal levels.
    1 Chub: 2lb 5oz. 2Doz+ Dace: One real good-un of 13oz the rest hand-sized. 2 Roach: small. 2 Brownies both ¾-1lb.
    Another failed attempt to get a barbel on the float from here. All fish apart from the big dace from the weirpool.
    Season's best (so far!)
     
     

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