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Chris Plumb

Anglers' Net Contributor
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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet*
     
    0815 - 1630
     
    Bright and Breezy. River 'full' and carrying some colour - dropping out during the day.
     
    8 Chub - best 3; 4lb, 3lb 13oz, 3lb 6oz, other 5 <2½lb. 13 roach - best 3; 2lb 1oz (Yippee!!), 1lb 12oz, 1lb 10oz, (next biggest 14oz), 10 dace (6 over 8oz - biggest 11oz), 5 Brownies (to around 3lb), 3 Rainbows (ditto!), 1 Salmon Parr and a Gudgeon!
     
    Fantastic day! Fished with Paul - who I think had a similar day - catching more smaller fish - though only one chub and 3 1lb+ roach to 1.10. All my fish fell to trotted maggot. Paul's biggest roach fell (eventually) to bread - once he'd fed the Rainbow's off (he had one of 7lb!). Did quite a bit of wandering around as fish quite hard to find at first. First 2lb + roach for nearly 5 years (since Feb 03).
     

     
    * - How the EA classify the Kennet: Upper reach; Source to Eddington Bridge, Hungerford. Middle reach; Eddington Bridge to A34 Newbury by-pass. Lower reach; A34 to the Thames
  2. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0630 - 1230
     
    Bright and sunny 7.5ºC -> 19ºC
     
    3 Chub (4lb 2oz, 3lb 10oz, 2lb 13oz) 2 Perch (2lb 2oz, >1lb) 1 Barbel (2lb), 2 Trout (both 1lb+ - probably same fish!) 60+ Dace, Roach & Gudgeon (mainly dace).
     
    A morning trotting red maggot for a nice mixed bag. Big perch 1st cast and all the chub came in the 1st 1½hrs otherwise caught steadily throughout the morning despite the bright conditions. River still 'full' though with little colour and some debris - mainly weed coming down.
  3. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet
     
    0845 - 1745
     
    Bright and sunny after a cold (-7ºC) start. River still 'full' with nearly all colour dropped out.
     
    3 doz Dace - best 10oz. 3 Perch (2lb 2oz, 1¼lb), 1 Chub 3lb 11oz, 7 Brownies to 2lb, 1 Rainbow 1½lb. 1 Roach, 1 Grayling.
     
    Usual day of playing 'hunt the fish'. Fish quite spooky in bright conditions - necessitating many swim moves - though the dace in the 'keepers cottage' swim were positively suicidal at times! Dace are close to spawning condition - caught quite a few sand-papery males. Perch on lobs.
  4. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet
     
    0800 - 1730
     
    Bright, calm and sunny after a frosty, misty start. River still high with most colour now dropped out.
     
    10 chub (3lb 7oz, 1¾lb & 8 chublets), 40 roach (best 1lb 3oz, 3 or 4 others ½ decent - most very small), 20 Dace (4 'good-uns', best 10oz), 7 Brownies - biggest 4lb 11oz*, 1 rainbow 2½lb, 2 gudgeon.
     
    Most - actually nearly all apart from the 3-7 chub and a couple of brownies - fish caught in first and last couple of hours. Walked miles in between times looking for fish prepared to feed in bright conditions. Biggest roach on trotted bread flake in first hour - though most fish on red magg (trout seem to like bread even more than maggots!). Saw remarkable sight of 5 buzzards circling and calling in the same thermal (right above us). Paul had 2 or 3 dozen - mainly roach plus the obligatory brownies and a 2½lb chub.
     
    *2nd biggest ever - would have been a PB but for last Monday!
     
     

  5. Chris Plumb
    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1830 - 2345
     
    Warm, still and sultry. 20ºC at 0000. Overcast/clearing to reveal a near full moon. Shirt sleeves all night - lovely!
     
    6 Tench: 6lb 4oz, 5lb 9oz, 3lb 14oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb3oz, 2lb 10oz, 1 Roach, ½doz perch.
     
    Very pleasant evening - especially as the mossies were absent! Most (5) tench caught in the last 2 hours when it was dark. All caught on float fished meat at a couple of rod lengths out. Not a touch on the margin rod.
     

  6. Chris Plumb
    Pumphouse Lake, CEMEX Yateley.
     
    2000 - 0700
     
    Clear night, min temp 13ºC.
     
    2 Bream: 6lb 15oz, 4lb 10oz, 2 Tench - biggest 4lb exactly, ½doz small perch.
     
    All fish caught float fishing under rod tip - biggest tench on black pudding, all other fish on maggot and all caught during darkness. Not a touch on the lead - fished out in the middle (with a variety of baits!)
  7. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1830 - 0100
     
    Warm overcast night - light drizzle from 2200 - temps never below 15ºC. River up a bit and carrying a bit more colour than of late.
     
    1 Barbel 9lb 11oz
     
    A very pleasant and 'educational' evening on the river in the company of Paul. The plan was for both of us to fish a couple of new swims which neither of us had ever fished before on one of our favourite club stretches. I struggled with both my choices - struggled to find clean gravel in fact. Paul on the otherhand hit the motherlode with his 2nd swim and ended up with 5 barbel - smallest just under 5, biggest just under 9 and included a brace of 8lbers. Being the gentleman that he is he invited me to share his pitch for the last hour or so just time for me to snaffle out the biggest fish of the session - cheers Paul!!!! And thanks for discovering a swim which will get a bit more attention from me this autumn.
     

  8. Chris Plumb
    Blue Pool - CEMEX Burghfield
     
    1000 - 0900
     
    Breezey with showers, cool night (down to 8ºC), bright morning.
     
    1 Carp 27lb 6oz (new PB) 10 small perch.
     
    Mini IAC fish-in. (Thanks to Neil). Though for a while it was nearly an IAC 'blank-in'!!! Only 2 carp caught between 7 of us, The other fish, (13lb14oz), to Neil. My fish came at 0400 and took a ball of hemp (stuck together with Kryston bogey) fished with a method feeder. Had been getting knocks on the method - but no takes on boilie or pellet until switching...
     

  9. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Nr Newbury
     
    0700 - 1800
     
    Bright and breezy - with heavy afternoon showers - becoming really quite windy. Max AT 10ºC. River 'full' and carrying a bit of colour,
     
    7 Chub - best 3; 6lb 6oz (new PB) , 4lb 5oz, 4lb 0oz) 70+ Roach and Dace in roughly equal nos. - all small save for one lovely roach of 1lb 1oz, ½doz Gudgeon, 1 skimmer Bream, 1 small Perch, 5 Brownies - biggest 4lb 4oz, 1 Rainbow 2½lb.
     
    A day of the river with Paul. All fish of trotted maggot (single reds mainly). Big chub (my 4th 6lb+ fish) from weirpool - just as it started raining. Paul had a succesful -if rather different day. Had no chub - despite us fishing the same swims (I had my 6 from a swim he'd not long vacated! ) He did manage a couple of pike. A brace of ½ decent perch - and last cast of the day - a surprise common carp. (From my 'banker' chub swim!!). Both his biggest pike and carp weighed exactly the same - 9lb 6oz.
     

  10. Chris Plumb
    River Itchen - Nr Eastleigh
     
    0830 - 1830
     
    Overcast and mild all day, some v light drizzle at first. 15ºC. River at normal levels with some leaf litter.
     
    51 Grayling (36 over 1lb including 13 over 2lb (!!!) Best two: 2lb 13oz, 2lb 9oz), 9 Brown Trout (all between 1½-2½lb), 1 chub 4lb 12oz, 1 Salmon 5lb 10oz.
     
    First ever autumn trip to this stretch of water - courtesy of Paul's excellent networking skills. Brilliant day's angling - Paul had 27, 1lb+ grayling including 9, 2lbers. (His biggest 2lb 7oz IIRC) He managed to all but avoid the trout and also had a 4lb 14oz chub. Most fish on trotted maggot though also had some decent fish on corn. However corn tended to pick out the trout more! My 2nd biggest ever grayling and first ever 'proper' Salmon (not counting the Parrs amd Smolts the EA keep stocking in the Kennet). Also hooked - and had on for quite a while a MUCH, MUCH bigger Salmon. Jumped a couple of time so that I could get a good look at it. Quite relieved when it shed the hook (a 16) as I was totally undergunned!
     
    Pic below is of the 2lb 9oz fish - camera was in my coat ¼mile downstream when I caught the bigger one.
  11. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet nr Newbury
     
    1915 - 2315
     
    Very breezy, 15ºC, Drizzle for last ½hr. River down as low as I've seen it all summer (but still with good flow and a little colour).
     
    7 Barbel, (8lb 4oz, 6lb 7oz, 6lb 2oz, 4lb 10oz, 4lb 4oz, 3lb 14oz, 3¼lb), Chub 3¼lb.
     
    Fished a rarely visited swim - though it won't stay that way after last night's haul!!! 8lber first cast (and a frying pan 2nd cast - see picture!) - all fish in the first 3 hours - no bites after 2215.
     

  12. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet Estate - Nr Hungerford
     
    0700 - 1745
     
    Clear and misty then overcast - touch of frost to start, Max of 10ºC. River at 'normal' levels.
     
    36 Grayling - 16 over 1lb - best 3; 2lb 1oz, 1lb15oz, 1lb 13oz, 6 Roach - best 4; 1lb 6oz, 1lb 4oz, 1lb 3oz, 14oz, 9 Dace - best 4; 15oz, 14oz, 12oz, 11oz, 9 Rainbow Trout to 2lb, 3 Brownies to 2½lb.
     
    Fantastic days trotting. First ever 2lb+ Kennet grayling - my previous river best was 1.14 so beat it twice today. All roach and big dace in last 2 hours - nearly all on single white maggot.
     

     

  13. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Barton Court
     
    0630 - 1815
     
    Dull and over cast some light drizzle in the morning some milky sunshine in the afternoon. Max AT 11ºC.
     
    17 Perch: 9, 1½lb+, best 3: 2lb11oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 0oz. 1 Chub 2lb 10oz, 3 Dace, 2 Roach, 7 Gudgeon, 1 Brownie - 1¼lb
     
    Anglers Net fish-in. Biggest two perch from Gunters, all others (including chub) from Railway Cut. 4 perch on maggot 5 on float fished lobs.
     

  14. Chris Plumb
    River Itchen - Lower Itchen Fishery
     
    0830 - 1745
     
    Bright and sunny start - clouding over in afternoon. Max AT 13ºC. River still quite high and carrying a surprising amount of colour given that we've had no rain for a fortnight.
     
    16 Grayling (10 over 1lb - in order of capture: 1lb 2oz, 2lb12oz, 2lb 6oz, 1lb 4oz, 2lb 10oz*, 1lb 5oz, 2lb 1oz*, 1lb 10oz, 2lb 11oz, 1lb 7oz*), 1 Chub 3lb 3oz, 2 small brownies.
     
    Hard (well harder than usual!) but very rewarding day's trotting. All fish on sweetcorn except * which fell to single white maggot. No fish caught at all on red maggot! 3rd, 4th= & 6th= (!) biggest ever grayling.
     
    2lb 12oz

     
    2lb 11oz

  15. Chris Plumb
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    1315 - 1715
     
    Cold & sunny - AT 5ºC (± 1ºC!) Water quite coloured - and this section of canal around 10-12 inches lower than last visit in December. WT 42ºF.
     
    2 Perch - 3lb 5oz, 2lb 8oz. 1 Chublet
     
    Biggest perch at 1530 - just as the sun left the water. 2lber last cast in the gloom. Both on lobs. Biggest perch of the season so far.
  16. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
     
    0715 - 1115
     
    Overcast start then bright and sunny. 5º -> 11ºC. River at normal levels - little leaf litter or debris.
     
    5 Perch (1lb 14oz, 1lb 12oz, 1lb 10oz, 1¼lb and one of around ¾lb), 2 Pike (10lb 14oz, 5lb 13oz), 5 Dace (a couple close to 8oz), ½doz Chublets, Roach & Gudgeon.
     
    Early morning dawn raid for some perch with Paul. Shared the same swim and Paul had a nice brace (2lb 13oz & 1lb 15oz). My 3 biggest perch came in the first ½hr, Paul's though came out in full sunshine either side of 1000! (see pic below). 2 smaller perch after P had left. All perch and both pike on lobs.
     

  17. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet & Carrier - Marsh Benham
    0745 - 1200
    Bright and mild. River down an inch or two on last visit (10 January)- and quite clear.
    3 Chub; All 1¾ - 2½lb. 1½doz Roach - all a 'nice' size but nothing over 8oz. 8 Dace - most small with one chunky one of 8oz. 8 Brownies 1-2½lb & 3 Rainbow's to 4½lb
    Another morning failing not to catch trout! Fished all the usual chub banker swims - but they were mainly full of trout. The rainbows as ever gave a very chubby like fight so was doubly disappointed to see that flash of pink as I got them to the surface.
  18. Chris Plumb
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
    1515 - 1715
    Clearing skies after 24 hours of continuous rain courtesy of Storm Dennis. Canal very full and coloured up.
    2 Perch; a 'pounder' - but not by much and a tiddler.
    Snatched session to cure a weekend of cabin fever!
  19. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0830 - 1130
     
    Cold and bright. AT -2ºC -> 3ºC. WT 40ºF. Some colour and near normal levels.
     
    7 Chub: 4lb 2oz, 3lb 15oz, 3lb 9oz, 3lb 6oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 10oz, 2lb 3oz.
     
    An excellent morning on a frosty Kennet - or rather IN a frosty Kennet as I was wading for the whole session (warmer than on the bank!). All fish on trotted double red maggot (on a size 14).
     
    1st fish of the decade - below. (3-09)
     

  20. Chris Plumb
    River Lambourn, Shaw.
     
    0800 - 1045
     
    Bright and sunny 2ºC - 8ºC. River 'full' with a merest tinge of colour.
     
    7 Grayling - biggest 1lb 11oz, rest all sub 12oz. 1 Brown trout.
     
    Last minute change of plan - as I forgot to check the match booking sheet until I got into Newbury - so decided on Shaw (before it got too busy!) first followed by a quick jaunt to the Kennet. Biggie first fish of the morning - best grayling from the Lambourn this season.
     

  21. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet Estate
     
    0800 - 1645
     
    Drizzle/rain ALL day! Mild 7-8ºC. River at normal winter levels - carrying some colour - more than is usual for here.
     
    3 Chub; 5lb 7oz, 3lb 14oz, a chublet, 1 Perch 1lb 10oz, 1 Bream; 4lb 4oz, 1 Pike; 14lb 2oz, 2 doz Dace - biggest 2 - 12oz & 11oz, ½ doz Brownies - biggest 2lb.
     
    Belated birthday trip - loads of cracking dace - hardly a fish under 6oz and loads around the 8-10oz mark. 2 smallest chub and the bream on trotted corn. Pike and perch on lobs. Everything else on maggot. Pike is biggest ever worm caught esox - and biggest fish ever landed on my Harrison float rod ! It was laid up in my favourite perch hole and was subdued on 6lb B/S bottom and a size 8 - very lucky to hand it - it bit through the line in the net!!!
     
    Paul had a similar return of nice dace and a nice perch of 2¼lb and despite starting the day with a 1lb chublet couldn't find a bigger one!
     

     

     

  22. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet Estate - Nr Hungerford
     
    0730 - 1730
     
    Cool and overcast with afternoon showery rain. AT 1º -> 5ºC. WT 44ºF river carrying a slight tinge of colour.
     
    33 Grayling; 13 over 1lb (7 over 1½lb) - best 1lb 14oz, 2 Dace (small), 5 Rainbows to 2¾lb, 3 Brownies to 1¾lb
     
     
    A fruitless search for those elusive big Kennet dace. Fished with Paul who had a very similar return (36 ladies and 3 small dace). Thankfully the grayling are showing well here at present - much bigger average size than is usual!
     
    Pics below of my 1-14 and Paul's biggest two - 1-12 & 1-10 caught in consecutive casts. (He was letting the 1-10 recover in the net when he had a bigger one next trot!)
     

     

  23. Chris Plumb
    Lower Itchen Fishery
     
    0830 - 1730
     
    Bright and cool with sunny intervals. River high and carrying quite a bit of colour (alas).
     
    8 Grayling - 3 over 1lb - 2lb 4oz, 1lb 15oz, 1lb 12oz, 2 Chub 4lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 1 Rainbow trout 1½lb, 1 Brownie, 1 Parr (Salmon or trout - hopefully the former as it will mean another point for the species race - pic to be submitted for adjudication!!!)
     
    IAC day on the Itchen - and a bit of a grueller with bites at a premium - everyone caught - though I think 11 ladies was the most by any one angler (Merv). Didn't hear of any other 2lbers, most had fish to 1½+lb - and Paul had one of 1lb 14oz along with chub of 4¼ & 3½lbs. Nearly all my fish fell to red sweetcorn - except the bigger chub and the 1-15 grayling which were on white maggot.
     
    First ever (and hopefully last) Rainbow from the Itchen.
     

  24. Chris Plumb
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    0645 - 0915
     
    4 seasons in 2½hrs! Heavy rain stopped just as I arrived - followed by and hour of calm overcast conditions, then an hour of bright sunshine, with heavy rain/hail to finish off. AT dropped from 7ºC to 4.5ºC. WT 46ºF Water 'up' and carrying some colour.
     
    6 Perch - in order of capture: 2lb 13oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 10oz, 3lb 11oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb 1oz. 6 fish for 16½lbs!
     
    The plan for this morning was meant to be - a couple of hours easy trotting on the Lambourn - followed by the purchase of a couple of pints of maggots in readiness for tomorrow's drenching on the Middle Kennet. However on waking and checking the conditions - and seeing that temps had been steadily rising overnight I was out to the garage check my lobs were still alive. Thankfully they were - and it was off to the canal in double quick time!! Caught steadily through out the morning, 2-13 1st cast and the 3-11 in bright sunshine.
     
    The dilema is do I go tomorrow or not!
     
    Not very good self portrait of the 3-11 below....
     

  25. Chris Plumb
    Middle Kennet Estate.
     
    0845 - 1745
     
    Heavy drizzle all morning, dry afternoon, temps around 4/5ºC all day. River carrying some colour - more than is usual for here.
     
    3 Chub; 3lb 14oz, 3lb 12oz, 1½lb, 2 Perch; 2lb 14oz, 2lb 10oz. 1 Roach 1lb 2oz. 3 Grayling; biggest 14oz. 21 Dace - best 2 - 13oz & 12oz. 4 Brown Trout - biggest just on 4lb (caught twice!!)
     
    A day on the river with Paul (& Rusty ) nearly didn't go - thankfully the predicted monsoon was anything but. I said to Paul as we drove to the venue that I was perched out after yesterday so would be concentrating on snaffling a big dace or 2 . We started in a new swim which neither of us have seen before - but which was rumoured to hold big dace. My first couple of trots produced - you guessed - 2 nice perch - on a single white maggot to a size 18! After resting the swim I returned for ½ doz good dace and the roach. However biggest dace of the day was also the last of the day - just as the light was fading. Paul also lost something substantial at dusk which might have been a really good dace - though he'll mark it down as 'probably a chub' so save his sanity! All fish on trotted maggot except the two smaller chub on trotted sweetcorn.
     
    2-14 Perch.

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