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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    1 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0515 - 0745
     
    Cool (5ºC when I started) and clear. River with a little more flow and quite clear for a change.
     
    1 Chub; 5lb 13oz. 30 Dace. 20 Roach. 6 Gudgeon. 1 Grayling.
     
    Cracking dawn trotting session and home for breakfast! Chub were the target and I was at the head of the swim before 0500, trickling in maggot for 20 mins or so waiting for it to get light enough to see my float. Sure enough the trick worked and first trot through the float buried and I was connected to a lump of a chub - which thankfully I managed to keep out of the various obstructions on offer to it to effect an escape.
     
    After such a great start I was hopeful of some more chevins - however it soon became clear that Mr Esox was in residence (or probably MRS Esox judging by the size of it) and after its brekkie so I dropped downstream 60m or so and fished a fast streamy run for the rest of the morning - where it was practically a fish a trot.
     

  2. Chris Plumb

    10/11 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    1930 - 0500
     
    Warm, overcast and still. No need of a shelter or brolly - could have sat in shirtsleeves all night if it wasn't for the mozzies. Super night to be out.
     
    1 Crucian; 2lb 6oz. 5 Carp; 17lb 14oz, 16lb 0oz, 10lb 1oz, 9lb 5oz, 7lb 1oz. 1 Perch (small).
     
    Love it when a plan actually comes off! One of the lake's crucians was always number one priority and I had one as soon as it got completely dark - should probably have added to it as I had crucians rolling in my swim up to midnight and bumped another couple of fish. Plan B was to try and get some of the carp feeding in the margins - so again as soon as it was dark and the ducks and geese had settled for the night I was trickling in bits of bread crust - waiting for slurps and swirls. When the carp eventually arrived it was simply a case of dapping a bit of bread under my rod tip - and then hanging on for dear life! All 4 biggest carp caught this way, the 7lb though, falling to a tiny speck of prawn meant for a crucian - which also resulted in an 'interesting' battle of light-ish tackle! My biggest carp from this lake and my biggest for 7 years... http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?/blog/82/entry-263-1415-august/ . Dawn saw an armada of wildfowl head for my swim so a quick pack up saw me fast asleep in my own bed before 0600.
     

     
    17lb 14oz

     
    16lb on the nose!

  3. Chris Plumb

    13 March

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
     
    0645 - 1815
     
    Bright and sunny - cloudy for final couple of hours. AT up to 14ºC. River at near normal levels.
     
    19 Chub; 17 over 2lb (14 over 3!), Best 6: 4lb 9oz, 4lb 7oz, 4lb 4oz, 4lb 2oz, 3lb 14oz, 3lb 12oz. Circa 60lb of chevins! 12 Dace; Best 2 11 & 10oz. 12 Roach (all small), 10 Brownies to 3lb.
     
    End of season chub-fest on this lovely corner of West Berkshire in the company of Rusty. All chub from just 3 spots and all on trotted red corn (plus a couple of chublets on maggot). Fished on into dusk hoping for a big dace as per last year - but only managed to significantly up my trout tally in the final hour - oh hum. A wonder if Mr otter as been worrying the chub - about a third of the fish I caught had bite out of their tail fins!
    A couple of pics of damaged chub - both 4lbers...


     
  4. Chris Plumb

    21 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Brimpton
     
    0930 - 1330
     
    Cold & Sunny. AT -5º -> +3ºC. WT 5.3ºC. River low and clear - very low for mid January.
     
    5 Chub: 5lb 4oz, 4lb 15oz, 4lb 5oz, 4lb 0oz, 3lb 2oz. 4 Grayling - all over 10oz with 2 over 1lb - best 1lb 3oz. 2 Brownies - to 2lb+.
     
    Blimey! Didn't expect that! Best haul from here in over a decade. A trip more in hope than expectation given the conditions - bites at a premium but when they came it resulted in a quality fish. Fished 3 swims in total - not a touch from the first one so chased the maggots downstream and had 4 of the 5 chub from the second swim 40m below where I started. Size of the grayling a real surprise too! All fish on trotted maggot.
     
    Biggest 2 chub.
     
    5lber

    Nearly 5!

     
     
  5. Chris Plumb

    11 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    1230 - 1600
     
    Cool, with milky sunshine. AT 8ºC WT 12.1ºC
     
    1 Pike; 5lb 6oz. 5 Roach, 2 Dace, 2 Bleak.
     
    Blank perch trip! Spent the first couple of hours fishing (and feeding) mag - hoping to attract prey fish - but the only bite I had on lobs resulted in the pike.
  6. Chris Plumb

    5 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal, Avington
     
    0645 - 1200
     
    Cool and overcast. AT 2º -> 8ºC. WT 10.6ºC
     
    4 Perch; 2lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 10oz and a tiddler. 2 Chub 1lb 13oz & 2lb0oz. 14 Roach, 2 Dace and 5 Skimmers.
     
    Thought I was taking a bit of a gamble after the first proper frosts of the autumn - but a quick reading of the WT on arrival gave me cause for optimism. As it turned out the only takes I had on lobs were from the chub - with the perch arriving late in the morning on float fished maggot.
  7. Chris Plumb

    17 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0830 - 1330
     
    Cool (well cooler than of late) and overcast. River looked in great nick - up a bit but not as coloured as I expected given the flooding in Newbury on Friday!
     
    1 Chub; 1lb 14oz. 2 Perch; 1lb 7oz & 1lb 4oz. 40+Dace, 13 Roach, 2 Grayling - both circa ¾lb, 2 Gudgeon (1st of the season!), 1 Brownie.
     
    Pleasant morning's trotting - fished 5 swims in all hoping to find more/bigger chub, but very pleased to snaffle a couple of nice perch from the last swim I dropped into.
  8. Chris Plumb

    31 July/1 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Marsh Farm, Milford.
     
    1730 - 2300 Johnsons
    2330 - 0530 Harris
     
    Cool clear night - down to a chilly 9ºC when I packed up.
     
    5 Crucians: Best 2lb 15oz, all others sub 2lb. 5 Tench - a brace of 3lbers and 3 in the 1-1½lb bracket. 2 TINY carp!
     
    Just back from a week in Norfolk (took Paul's travel rod and caught 'A' mackerel off the beach at Weybourne where we were staying!) Plan for tonight was to try and get a decent tench - so even set up a feeder rod. Alas the bigger tincas weren't playing ball - in what turned out to be a slow but steady night - first fish around 2100, a small tench, followed by the big crucian. Another small tench followed before the switch to Harris. Had planned to stay longer - but a warm bed and avoidance of the rush hour were a bigger attraction than a lifeless looking lake!!
     
    A couple of the carpers in the next swim seemed pretty impressed with the cru - and insisted I had it's portrait taken!

     
  9. Chris Plumb

    20/21 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    Marsh Farm, Milford
     
    1430 - 2315 Johnsons
    2330 - 0315 Harris
    0330 - 0730 Johnsons
     
    Warm, slightly overcast with a full moon. Simply a lovely night to be out - never really got dark!
     
    8 Crucians; 3lb 7oz, 2lb 14oz, 2lb 11oz, 2lb 7oz X2, 2lb 6oz, 1lb 13oz, 1lb 11oz, 11 Tench; Best 5lb exactly with another 5 over 4lb. 1 Brown Trout (!) 1lb 9oz.
     
    After the excitement of the IAC fish-in on the 16th, a quick return to MF in the hope (thankfully more than fulfilled) of some serious Crucian fishing. The session got off to a rather curious start however - with the first bite of the day producing a brown trout! Had to wait a bit for my next bite but dusk saw the crucians switch on and I had the 4 biggest ones in pretty much consecutive casts - before the tench moved in. A switch to Harris to circumvent my lack of night permit produce an hour's sleep plus the 3 smallest crucians and a 4lb tinca. Dawn saw me return to the evening swim - but it seemed to be full of tench - I don't think they were giving the crus a look in! Possibly over baited the swim! Well pleased with my 3= biggest ever Crucian...
     

    A VERY fat specimen which doesn't really come across in the photo...
  10. Chris Plumb
    Harris Lake - Marsh Farm, Milford.
     
    1100 - 0130
     
    Bright, hot and sunny (mainly)
     
    3 Tench: 5lb 14oz, and a brace of 3lbers.
     
    2nd Paul Goulbourn Memorial Cruican Fish-in attended by 16 IAC members. Fishing was hard going for most though a few crucians were caught - the biggest going to Krzystof (sp?) - who won the trophy for biggest cruican with a 2lb 4oz fish. Quite a few resorted to the training pond just to get bites! I always planned to fish on after the event and was hopeful that history would repeat itself as I had a lot of fish after dark at last year's event.
     
    3 tench as it got dark augured well though despite briefly having crucians rolling in my swim I couldn't so much as buy a bite once it was dark. So whilst I had planned to fish till dawn I figured 2 or 3 hours extra kip was the better option!
     

     
  11. Chris Plumb

    16 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Northcroft Stream
     
    0445 - 0715
     
    Warm (19ºC when I packed up) and overcast.
     
    2 Chub 3lb 15oz & 1½lb. 2 doz + dace, 6 roach and 6 gudgeon.
     
    Pre breakfast trotting trip - mainly after the chub - though I did hear of a few barbel coming out on the float from here last summer - which would have made a very nice bonus - alas not to be! Nearly all the silver fish from the weirpool - both chub further downstream.
  12. Chris Plumb

    14 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
     
    0700 - 1200
     
    Warm and overcast.
     
    5 Perch; 3 over 1lb - best 1lb 11oz. 1 Pike; 3¼lb, a doz+ Roach, 1 Chublet, 1 Dace, 1 Rudd, 4 Gudgeon, 2 Bleak (8 different species!)
     
    New venue for me and one which might be promising on the perch front! Boat traffic was a total PITA - way busier than I experience on other parts of the canal.... ?
  13. Chris Plumb

    8 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
     
    0700 - 1300
     
    Calm and overcast.
     
    15 perch'; 3 over 1lb, best 1lb 9oz. 1 Pike 3lb 11oz.
     
    A morning exploring likely spots along the length of the lower section - fished around half a dozen swims and had fish from most of them. All fish on lobs.
  14. Chris Plumb

    5 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne *
    Northcroft Stream^
     
    0700 - 0945*
    1000 - 1230^
     
    Cold and bright start - clouding over by the time I left. 0ºC - 8ºC
     
    7 Perch; 4 over 1lb, best 2 1lb 9oz & 2lb 0oz (hooray!)*
    6 Dace, 4 Roach, 1 Gudgeon and a brownie.^
     
    A lovely crisp morning - not the most ideal conditions for stripeys thankfully no one told the fish that. Had to contend with some really inconsiderate dog owners - one even threw a stick in for there dog right where I was fishing - stopping bites for nearly an hour. Another dog peed on my bag - I ended up having to hang it in a tree as pretty much every dog after that wanted to scent it as well!!! NOT impressed! Once my swim was bathed in full sun I wandered down to Northcroft in a fruitless hunt for some chub - glad to get away from the sodding dogs!
  15. Chris Plumb

    7 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Alders Lake - Thatcham
     
    1800 - 2300
     
    Warm, overcast and quite breezy at times. Temp still 19ºC when I packed up.
     
    5 Bream; best 2, 4lb 15oz & 4lb 6oz.
     
    A busy little session with loads of activity, bream porpoising, liners etc. All fish on float fished maggot - lift method - yet again meat garnered zero interest. Still no sign of any tench.
  16. Chris Plumb

    17/18 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Willows Lake - Thatcham
     
    1900 - 0500
     
    Warm overcast night - lovely night to be out!
     
    4 Carp; 6lb 5oz, 6lb 14oz, 7lb 12oz, 13lb 9oz. 5 Tench - best 2lb 7oz and all the others C2lb±2oz. 1 Crucian; 3lb 3oz. ½doz+ perch - all small.
     
    Nice to see some tench in Willows - bin many years since I've had this many in a session. All fish fell to lift method tactics less than a rod length out - with simple maggots as bait - did also bring a feeder rod but it stayed in the quiver all night. Snaffling one of the lake's big elusive crucians is always the target here - so extremely pleased to get one! Most fish caught before midnight except for 3 of the carp including the bigger one which took an absolute age to get in on a 4lb bottom!
     
     
  17. Chris Plumb

    29 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    K & A canal, flowing canal & River Kennet - Thatcham
     
    0700 - 1700
     
    Mild, overcast and VERY blowy for most of the day. AT 54ºF, WT 48ºF. River quite 'full' though with surprisingly little colour.
     
    8 Perch: 3lb 12oz (SB ), 3lb 4oz, 3lb 0oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 10oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 1oz, 1lb 14oz. (Nearly 22lb of perch ) 2 Chub; 3lb 5oz, 2lb 2oz. 4 Dace & 2 Roach.
     
    After last week's chub fest I wanted to take advantage of the return to mild weather and target some stripey's. So the plan was for a dawn and dusk session on the canal with a peripatetic visit to some river swims sandwiched in between.
     
    By mid-morning I was beginning to wonder why I'd bothered - certainly didn't pay to be at the water at first light. Didn't get a bite until lunchtime when I eventually managed to winkle out a chub (the bigger one) from my 2nd river venue.
     
    By 1330 I was back on the canal - a different stretch to my early morning swims but way earlier than I anticipated - so I started off just float fishing maggot - and quickly got the other chub followed by one of the 2lb perch. I got no more bites until 1615! By now I was float fishing lobs and in a manic ¾hr then brought 7 perch to the net. They just suddenly switched on - a couple of fish snaffling the bait before the float even cocked. Been a few years since I had a session like this on the canal. (2011 to be precise!)
     
    Biggest two. Over half the fish caught had some kind of damage to their flanks - all appeared to have escaped the jaws of over-ambitious pike!


  18. Chris Plumb

    13 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    Lower Itchen Fishery
     
    0830 - 1630.
     
    Cool and overcast after a soggy start, rain returning just as we packed up, temps didn't get above 4ºC all day. River quite pacey with a slight tinge of colour.
     
    37 Grayling; 14 over 1lb with half of these over 1½lb. Best two; 2lb 5oz & 1lb 13oz. 1 Brownie and 2 Salmon Parr.
     
    IAC fish-in in memory of Paul Goulbourn.
     
    A poignant day on the Itchen. Paul and I were introduced to this fishery back in the late 90's - via an IAC fish-in and we made a point of fishing it every season since - always scheduling a trip in mid to late Feb - so today was full of recollections of trips past and a fitting venue for some of his old IAC mates to gather in his memory.
     
    The talk on the list this week has all been about otters and blow me if the first thing we saw when we arrived at Gaters Mill at first light was an otter. And not just a fleeting glimpse - we watched as it scampered up the bank, crossed over the track and plunge into the river to head upstream under the M27.
     
    After this early excitement the first challenge was to get the cars up the track - we'd been warned that it was in a poor state but everyone made it up safely even if a few cars had to be pushed out for the return journey.
     
    The angling was everything I'd hoped it would be (save for the lack of chub). The river was quite 'full' but thankfully the lack of rain in the previous days had meant it had had a chance to fine down. The weather was exactly as per forecast - early rain giving way to a dry, cool, overcast day. I started in a spot where I expected there to be chub but the extra water meant that the slack that is usually there - wasn't. However it wasn't long before my trotted corn was snaffled by my first fish of the day a 1lb 9oz grayling - a super start.
     
    It quite quickly transpired that the fish appeared to be shoaled up in a few specific spots - and I ended up catching all my grayling from just 3 swims - rest and return being my mantra for the day.
     
    Sometimes at fish-ins you can go all day without actually meeting up with anyone - especially on a large venue such as LIF. Dave had a arranged for everyone to down rods and meet up for lunch - with the offer of freshly cooked sausages, toasted sandwiches and cupcakes! It made for a nice sociable interlude - even if Ed did miss the photocall in his urgency to return to the river!
     
    Thank you's to:
    - everyone who came especially those that travelled some distance to make it
    - Dave Smith for organising the day and acting as treasurer -£120 (+ Gift Aid) was raised by the event which will be given to Duchess of Kent Hospice where Paul spent his final days.
    - Chris (Rusty) for offering to give me a lift and being great company.
     
    Some the IAC Reprobates! (That's Brian on his knees - praying for a 2lber?)

     
    My biggest of the day.

     
  19. Chris Plumb

    14 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    1400 - 1600
     
    Mild, overcast with drizzly rain clearing to a rather lovely sunset (see crap picture below!) AT & WT both 50ºF.
     
    5 Perch; 3lb 10oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 12oz & 2 small-uns. 1 Roach - small but still somehow managed a whole lob!
     
    Boss has very kindly given me a few days off work following Paul's passing and having spent the morning making a couple of calls, reading condolences and eulogies - and Clare's heart wrenching blog I needed to clear my head (and dry my eyes!). What better way to honour his memory than a couple of hours on the bank - especially with conditions spot on for winter perching. To add to the poignancy I headed to the last spot we ever fished together (see blog for 26 Sep). Both of us failed to catch perch that day - bright conditions and frequent boat traffic not helping the cause.
    This afternoon felt different, with fish topping and priming all over the canal and scattering from the attention of predators (which I hoped weren't pike) on the far bank, I felt supremely confident of success.
     
    Confidence which was starting to wane - as after 1¼hours fishing all I had to show was a solitary roach - which in length was shorter than the lob it took. I needn't have worried with 45 mins of daylight left the perch suddenly came on the feed. The 3lber was first up - though at first I thought I'd hooked a pike - really glad to see those stripes as I brought it to my side of the canal. The others quickly followed in the next half an hour and by a quarter to four it was all over, bites ceasing as quickly as they'd started.
     
    Fat Perch

     
    Winter Sunset

     
     
     
  20. Chris Plumb

    22 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle (just ) Kennet Estate.
     
    0900 - 1645
     
    Bright afternoon after a soggy morning. AT up to 11ºC. River quite full but with little colour.
     
    28 Chub; nearly all in the 2½-3½lb bracket. Only 2 under 2lb and only one over 4lb (and that by just 3oz). 2 Dace. 7 Trout (6 Rainbows & a Brown) up to 2¾lb.
     
    Treated myself to a late birthday trip. Keeper directed me to a carrier that he said was 'black' with chub back in the summer (but warned that the extra water might have pushed them out). He (and I) needn't have worried. First 6 trots all produced chub and I had a dozen in no time at all. Rested it in favour of another chub swim on the main river - and that was pretty much the pattern of the day - rest and return! Most fish (around 2/3rds) on trotted red corn - the rest on trotted maggot.
     
    The swim on the main river.

     
     
  21. Chris Plumb

    16/17 June

    By Chris Plumb,

    Harris Lake - Marsh Farm Fishery, nr Godalming
     
    1230 - 0445.
     
    Warm (especially overnight), overcast, with heavy showers - though the worst of it missed us. Lots of thunder rumbling away in the distance - thankfully that's where it stayed!.
     
    18 Crucians; 7 over 2lb, 2lb 9ozX2, 2lb 7oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 4oz X3, 3 Tench to 3lb 10oz (all over 3lb)
     
    Informal IAC 'match' competing for the inaugural Paul Goulborn Memorial Trophy - to be awarded to the captor of the biggest crucian caught on the day.
     
    The IAC is something of a sleepy backwater of the internet and Paul was a very early member (circa 95/96) and whilst it may not have a fancy website - it does manage to organise quite a bit of fishing and fish-ins amongst it's small membership. Twas fitting then to hold a fish-in in Paul's memory at one his favourite venues - targetting one of his favourite species. I'd booked a dozen+ pegs with GAS as if it was a match - thus ensuring we could all fish together - and that we could raise a bit more for Duchess of Kent Hospice as match fees are cheaper than Day Tickets! I'd even organised a trophy to be awarded on the day - an old print of a crucian which I had mounted and framed.
     
    Because of my desire to start the season on running water I was last to arrive and was very pleased to hear that most people had actually caught crucians already - with a smattering of 2lbers. 2 Separate fish of 2lb 8oz - one to Rusty and one to Rob were tie-ing for the trophy - a situation which didn't change as little more was caught in the afternoon! I'd set a notional cut out point of 6pm to signify the end of the competition and thankfully the afternoon rain had desisted by then for some back slapping and group photos.
     
    The winning anglers!

     
    I didn't have a bite all afternoon - though I wasn't unduly worried as I was planning to fish on into the dark - boldly announcing as everyone else departed that the crucians come into the margins at dark and I'd have some sport! Well that was certainly the case. My first fish came at around 2145 and by the time bites dried up suddenly at 0300 I'd accounted for 18 Crucians and 3 tench all caught within 4 foot from the bank float fishing! Biggest crucian of the night was 2lb 9oz (which I managed twice) - pity the match had finished some hours earlier!

    One of the tench - look at those pelvic muscles - no wonder it punched well above its weight - took and age to land!

     
    Nice album of pics from the day taken my Glenn (using FILM and an antique camera).
     
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/glennsmithphotography/albums/72157669925120545
     
  22. Chris Plumb

    11 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    Lower Itchen Fishery
     
    8am - 5pm.
     
    Cold and overcast with light snow flurries in the morning. AT never above 2ºC all day. River on the low side for late winter - with a slight tinge of colour and a surprising amount of weed growth.
     
    22 Grayling; 14 over 1lb, best 4 - 2lb 4oz, 2lb 2oz, 2lb 1oz, 1lb 15oz. 3 Chub - all 3 - 3lb 5oz. 1 Brownie 2½lb.
     
    2nd IAC grayling day in memory of Paul Goulbourn. Organised with great diplomacy by Dave Smith and attended by some 17 anglers - raising around £300 for Sue Ryder. A great day out even if sport was a little on the slow side for some folks (I think I was the only one to find any 2lbers ! ). I switched between trotted maggot and red corn all day - which is reflected by the fact my biggest lady was on corn my 2nd biggest on maggot. Also made the most of the opportunity to fish a few new swims as well.
    Big thanks to Dave for organising & Rusty for the lift to the venue.
     
    My biggest two grayling...


  23. Chris Plumb

    24 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Warwicks Water - Thatcham
     
    0730 - 1000
     
    Mild, with milky sunshine becoming (too) breezy.
     
    4 Crucians (all small). 1 Perch - circa 10oz, 1 Roach - circa 8oz(!)
     
    Around 18 months ago NAA decided to turn this small fishery into a Crucian water - the place was drained - all the fish (mainly carp) taken out, lilies were planted, fish refuges were installed and lines of tape were strung from bank to bank to keep the cormorants off!
     
    The crucians were put in last winter - as part of the National Crucian Conservation project. However reports of captures over the summer have been sparse - a match on the first day of the season yielded a solitary roach! Still I couldn't go the whole summer without wetting a line there - so a couple of hours - more in hope than expectation, were called for!
     
    I needn't have worried, though the first fish was a surprisingly chunky perch followed by the roach. A run of crucian like bites soon followed and it wasn't long before I landed my first Warwicks Crucian. Unfortunately the breeze got up making bite detection somewhat problematic - but by then I was well satisfied with my 4 fish!
     
    Perfection in Miniature!

     
    This is going to be a cracking water in a few seasons - especially if the promised tincas get stocked!

     
    More on the Crucian conservation project - here:
     
     
     
     
  24. Chris Plumb

    27/28 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Harris Lake - Marsh Farm Fishery Nr Godalming.
     
    1730 - 0500
     
    Warm overcast night - lovely night to be out - in shirtsleeves til the early hours. Pity then that at 5am the heavens opened, accompanied by an impressive electrical storm - so a hasty retreat was beat to the car - for some much needed kip!
     
    10 crucians all over 1lb with half over 2 - biggest 2lb 15oz. 6 Tench - all over 3lb - best 4lb 3oz. A doz or so perch, roach and rudd.
     
     
    After the frustration on the barbel front it was nice to get my fix of crucians and tench. We had talked about moving to Johnston's at first light - but the weather put paid to that and I rather welcomed an excuse for a bit of kip in the car. Paul continued fishing in the rain - picking up crucians galore on the feeder. As my last visit - most of my fish fell to chopped prawn while Paul picked up a lot of fish on good old bread flake.
     
    The view from Paul's brolly... ( I was fast asleep in his car at the time - and anyways only cads use buzzers for crucians!)

    A pic of my 2-15 - Paul has done an excellent job photoshopping out the massive rip in the crotch of my fishing trousers!
    http://i964.photobucket.com/albums/ae125/Chris_Plumb/Crucian2lb15oz_zps2728b25b.jpg
  25. Chris Plumb

    4/5 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Marsh Farm, Nr Godalming
     
    1545-2245 Johnsons
    2315-0530 Harris
    0600 - 0930 Johnsons
     
    Warm day - chilly night(well certainly cool at day break).
     
    14 Tench - best 3; 5lb 14oz, 5lb 2oz, 4lb 14oz. 6 Crucians - all bar one over 2lb - biggest 2lb 11oz. 6 Carp 7lb 10oz and 5 tiddlers - and I do mean tiddlers, one was no bigger than my thumb! 7 Rudd - biggest 1lb 1oz (!)
     
    A session where the plan was to concentrate on Johnsons - hopefully for one of the big crucians and/or rudd at dusk. Move to Harris to bag up on the tincas and crucians (or in Paul's case head for the car for a kip) and return to Johnsons at day break. Parts 1 and 2 of the plan worked to near perfection - Paul had a couple of big crucians from Js (biggest a 3-02) while I had my first 1lb+ rudd in over 18 years (13/7/96 - Knotts)- all be it caught on ledgered cockle!
     
    The baby carp were actually a bit of a pain often imitating a much larger crucian in the way they fought and the 7lber was also a slight disappointment - as having eventually teased it in on 3lb bottom I was convinced I was attached to a really big tench until I eventually picked it out in my headlight and realised it was a carp.
     
    Harris fished as expected - 9 of my tincas and all my crucians were caught on here. Chopped prawn again the winning bait. Alas when we returned to Johnsons in the morning neither of us could so much as get a bite - and this despite Paul's swim resembling a Jacuzzi with bubbling fish!
     
    My biggest tench of the session - which is uglier - me or the tench!?

    Paul's 3lb crucian.

    Dawn over Harris

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