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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    10 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Johnsons Lake - Milford
    1500 - 2315
    Sunny spells and quite cool (16º-17ºC) for the 2nd week of July.
    1 Tench (small) and 1 Rudd.
    Dismal session - lake was rammed again and yet again had to drop into the only available swim - and it was little consolation that few others - apart from some of the carpers were catching. Brian - 2 swims down (in one of my favourite spots!) didn't even register a bite!
  2. Chris Plumb

    10 March

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Newbury
     
    0615 - 0900
     
    Cold and overcast 2ºC. River clear as ever!
     
    11 Grayling, 7 between 1lb 6oz - 1lb 12oz (most over 1½lb)
     
    Day off work to take Matt to a University open day - so an excuse to sneak a couple of hours on the river. Real catch a couple and move on tactics and really good average size of fish.
  3. Chris Plumb

    10 March

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet (& carrier) - Marsh Benham
    1030 - 1600
    Cold and mainly cloudy - snow flurries to start - brightening up. Breezy. AT 1º->4ºC. River at normal winter levels with a tinge of colour..
    9 Chub: (in order of capture...) 1 ½lb, 4lb 6oz, 3lb 5oz, 4lb 10oz, 5lb 10oz, 4lb 8oz, 4lb 15oz, 3lb 14oz, 4lb 14oz. 6 Brownies 2½-3½lb. 1 Rainbow 5 ½lb.
    It's been quite a poor season on the chub front from my syndicate stretch and I was going into the last week of the season not having caught a 4lb+ chevin from this beat for the first time since I joined the syndicate 6 years ago. My fellow members had similar experiences and there were dark mutterings of 'its the otters' - as fish scales on the bank are a common occurence here. I never really bought into the otter theory as chub on the Kennet seem to have survived their arrival over the last decade or so, much better than (for example) barbel. Even so today WAS something a bit exceptional.
    It all started somewhat predictably - with lots of unwelcome fish with an adipose fin and only the smallest chub banked as I made my way down the carrier - leap-frogging another syndicate member (BTG) in the process. After lunch I headed for the main river and after an unpromising start in the shape of the big rainbow - found a couple of swims with decent chub. Most fish from the weirpool - where I had 4 chub in 4 consecutive casts with the float burying at exactly the same spot each time - real Mr Castwell angling!
    Biggest of the day (and a venue best for me)
     

  4. Chris Plumb

    10 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal @ Enbourne/Speen Moors
     
    0700 - 1130
     
    Bright and breezy - clouding over. WT 48ºF. low and gin clear.
     
    1 chub (1½lb), 1 perch (scraper lber), a dozen dace, ½doz each of chublets, roach, gudgeon and small perch, 1 B. Trout.
     
    1st hour on the canal then switched to the river. Stiff downstream breeze made bait presentation a nightmare - managed 3 perch before moving. Fished mainly on PD - some lovely dace showing had 5 around the 8oz mark - a couple of roach of similar size. Paul bagged loads of silvers too plus a chub of 4lb 9oz.
  5. Chris Plumb

    10 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Shaw
     
    0900 - 1145
     
    Benign & dull, with a few spots of rain. 9ºC. River fullest I've seen it at this time of year for quite a while!
     
    12 Grayling.
     
    Had planned to go perching - but feeling a bit ropey at the moment and although I did get up for a dawn raid on the canal I decided I needed an extra 2 hours kip more than I needed a 3lb perch! (Yes I must be ill!) I still had to go out to get some bait in preparation for another raid on the Middle Kennet later in the week - so good excuse to wet a line (not that I usually need one)and have my 1st visit to Shaw this winter. Usual catch a couple and move on tactics - and nothing to trouble the scales. Met up with a couple of AN reprobates - Steve & Rusty who were shifting off downstream as I left!
  6. Chris Plumb

    10 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Frome - Wool
     
    0815 - 1445
     
    Bright and sunny with a cool breeze. River in good flow but quite coloured up. River gauge at East Stoke 0.90m
     
    10 Grayling; 7 over 1lb - best 3; 2lb 13oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 12oz. 4 Brownies - 3 over 1lb - biggest just under 4lb, 1 Salmon Parr.
     
    After last winter I was determined to get down to Dorset at the first opportunity - even if conditions were likely to be sub-optimal. Which certainly was the case. There was a lot more colour in the river than I would have liked and after a couple of hours I was beginning to think it was a wasted journey. I had caught by then - a small grayling in the first 10 mins was followed by not a lot else. And by now the place was heaving with other anglers also making the most of a lovely autumn day.
     
    Most like me were roaming so all the swims on the top beat quickly had a visit - so imagine my surprise at dropping into a recently vacated swim and getting a 2lb 13oz grayling within 5 mins!! The next hour in the same spot produced the 2nd and 3rd biggest of the day along with another pounder and a trout. Hooray! My 3rd= biggest ever lady and justification for getting up at 0500 on a sunday!
     
    After lunch was spent exploring the lower beat - one that I rarely visit - but I also reasoned there wouldn't be many others either (Rusty called this beat the wilderness due to it lack of features - and lack of fish!) I didn't quite have the beat to myself - but spoke to a couple of anglers who had been catching regularly. I dropped in downstream and soon snaffled a couple of grayling but thereafter kept hooking trout - including the biggie and a couple more which got off - one after doing quite a bit of aerobatics!
     
    As ever trying to take a picture of a grayling is akin to trying to give a cat a pill. This was the best of around half a dozen - but is still flicking its tail....

     
  7. Chris Plumb

    10 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Newbury
    0745 - 1130
    Bright and sunny - river quite full after recent rains - but gin clear as always!
    21 Grayling - nearly all over 8oz with quite a few over 12oz biggest 2 weighed in at 1lb 13oz & 1lb 9oz. A doz Brownies - most quite small with a couple of pounders.
    Usual catch a couple and move on tactics - chasing the maggots downstream! Session was bookended by the two biggest fish - biggest of the morning was on my second trot through and finished off with the 2nd biggest.
     
  8. Chris Plumb

    10 November

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge
    1230 - 1515
    Sunny spells after morning rain. AT 8ºC (felt a lot cooler!). River still very high - if anything up and inch or so on last Friday but with nearly all the colour dropped out and LOTS of leaf litter.
    3 Chub: 5lb 1oz and a brace of 2lbers. 1 Perch: 2lb 15oz. 1 Roach - handsized.
    Favourite flood swim produces the goods yet again! Took it nice and slow resting the swim for at least 10 mins after each fish and keeping the bait trickling in - seemed to do the trick as every fish came from exactly the same spot in the swim. Biggest perch of the season (so far!) and 2nd biggest chub of 23/24...


  9. Chris Plumb

    10 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Thatcham
     
    1300 - 1500
     
    Bright and Breezy. 17ºC. River at normal levels carrying some debris.
     
    2 Barbel (5lb 2oz, 3lb 4oz), 10 Chub - all between 10oz - 1¾lb, 1 Brown Trout 1lb 10oz.
     
    Cracking little trotting session. All fish on double red maggot.
  10. Chris Plumb

    10 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    0645 - 0900
     
    Cloudless sky - so bright sunshine by 0800. 11ºC
     
    6 Perch: 3lb 11oz (New PB) , 3lb 3oz, 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 13oz and a tiddler, 2 Chub 1lb 10oz and a chublet, 1 very small Pike.
     
    After a great start on the river last weekend - and even better start on the canal!!!. Both 3lbers in first 45 minutes of fishing - the 3-11 was first perch of the session. A really chunky fish - as fat as a football! All fish caught on float fished lobs.
     

  11. Chris Plumb

    10 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Speen Moors
     
    0700 - 1230
     
    Mild, mainly overcast and VERY breezy. 17ºC. River very low.
     
    1½+ doz Perch, 4 over 1lb (though 3 not by much!) biggest 2lb 12oz. 1 Chub, 1lb 14oz, 1 Bream 1½lb. 1doz roach, 3 dace and 10 gudgeon.
     
    First trip here this season so was a case of having a good wander around - fished 6 swims in total - and had perch from 5 of them. A lot of perch in the 10-12oz bracket - big enough to snaffle a whole lob - small enough to be annoying!!! Was hoping to find some bigger chub - bin a couple of years since I had a decent one from here. Wind made trotting a real nightmare - and as for trying to cast accurately to bushes/trees on the far bank.....
     

  12. Chris Plumb

    10 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    A Southern Chalk Stream !
     
    Dawn till Dusk!
     
    Sunny spells and heavy showers - which apart from a brief downpour in the 1st hour missed us completely! Saw some very black clouds to the east and west of us in the afternoon - but nothing over us - so we had the sunny spells while others had the heavy showers - hooray!!
     
    73(!) Grayling. 36(!) over a 1lb. Most in the 1¼ lb - 1lb 10oz bracket. Biggest 5 went; 2lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 2lb 0oz, 1lb 15oz & 1lb 13oz. 3 Chub; 5lb 0oz, 4lb 7oz, 3lb 0oz. 20 Brownies to 3lb. 1 Salmon Parr.
     
    Brilliant day's fishing. Though the day didn't get off to the best of starts - no big breakfast! We pulled into Sutton Scotney services on the A34 on the stroke of 7am - with saliva glans already working overtime in anticipation of a Little Chef Olympic Breakfast only to discover the Little Chef has been replaced by a Costa Coffee! Popping next door for a MacDonalds breakfast bagel was scant replacement. We're going to have to suss out alternatives for future trips!
     
    When we arrived we were delighted to see the river was in fantastic nick especially given the heavy rain the previous day. Last winters floods have significantly remodelled parts of the river bed so we had some new swims to explore - though the biggies and the chub were still in their regular haunts. Biggest 2 chub and 2 of the 2 pound grayling caught on trotted red corn - though the 2-6 was on red maggot. Paul also had a good return with around 50 grayling to 2lb 2oz - and he even had PB sea trout of 4lb 10oz or is it a Salmon? Answers on a postcard see pic below.
     
    Fat 5lber.

    As usual trying to take a pic of a grayling is akin to trying to give a cat a pill. This was about my 6th attempt with my 1st 2 of the day - I gave up after this!

    Just about got this one (though the tail is in mid flick).

    Though my biggest of the day did stay still just long enough.

    A couple of Paul's 'trout' which I'm putting up for identification purposes!
    Pretty sure this is a sea trout.

    But is this a sea trout or a salmon?

  13. Chris Plumb

    10 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1745 - 2215
     
    Cool, clear evening under a bright half moon. New thermal trousers made their debut - so was quite toasty! River quite low and clear.
     
    1 Barbel 10lb 4oz, 6 Dace (all around 6oz), 1 Brownie of 2¼lb.
     
    Quick half an hours trotting - rather hoping to get a chub followed by the expected long hours of staring at stationary isotopes - so somewhat surprised to see the boilie rod wrap around after ¾hr of casting out. Had intended to stay longer but thought that would be pushing my luck!
     

     
     
  14. Chris Plumb

    10 October (Part 1)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
    0700 - 1000
    Chilly and bright - clouding over. 3º - 8ºC
    6 Perch - only 1 below 8oz but only 1 over lb (and not by much!) 1 Roach c10oz (on a whole lob)
    A sudden drop in temps and a bright crisp morning are not the ideal conditions to kick off my autumn perch campaign here - so glad to get any interest at all in my float fished lobs. Started in one of my 'banker' swims which produced all the fish before doing a bit of prospecting which produced just a couple of half hearted bites!
  15. Chris Plumb

    10 October (Part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    1015 - 1400
    Cool, overcast and quite breezy. River in good nick - not as high or coloured as I expected after all the rain last weekend.
    5 Chub; 3lb 6oz, 2lb 2oz, 1lb 6oz & 2 chublets. 1 Perch 1lb 7oz. 30(!) Roach with around a 3rd in the 8-12oz bracket. 12 Dace - all, bar 2, a really good size - biggest weighed in at 11oz but nearly everything else was within an ounce or 2 of this - cracking stuff. 2 Bleak & a Gudgeon.
    Super trotting session - can't remember when I last caught sooo many silvers from here - and a really nice stamp as well. Had the biggest chub pretty much first cast - which was a nice welcome and was hoping to make my acquantance with it's bigger brothers and sisters but they just got progressively smaller as the mornng wore on. Stunningly coloured perch - which doesn't really show up on the pic.
    The Colour of Autumn

  16. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1845 - 2315
     
    Clear and breezey. 18ºC----->9ºC. No moon - really dark night!
     
    3 Barbel; 5lb 0oz, 2 sub 4lbers.
     
    River down 3 inches on last visit, still carrying some debris - mainly ranunculus - which frustratingly kept catching the line. 2 smaller fish around 2100, 5lber last cast.
  17. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    0630 - 1100
     
    Overcast, muggy and breezy. 17º -> 20ºC
     
    4 Carp; 7lb & 3 ± 5½lb. 6 roach.
     
    A morning spent mainly watching a stationary float - despite fishing single red maggot on a size 18. Was hoping for a crucian or two to put in an appearance but in the end was happy when a few muscular commons turned up. Thankfully this pond is pretty snag free so was able to wear them out on light tackle....!
  18. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet backstream Padworth
     
    2000 - 2300
     
    Overcast, breezy with showery rain at times. 16ºC River down a touch on when I last fished here in August (see 8th August entry)
     
    1 barbel 4lb 11oz
     
    Yet again a fish first cast, followed by not a lot. Well nothing with fins - the signals were insatiable. Probably should have fished a couple of swims in rotation like last time, though I rather suffered from 'swim inertia' being tucked snug under my brolly on a rainy evening...
  19. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1800 - 2300
     
    Clear evening becoming quite cool; 9ºC when we packed up.
     
    7 dace, 3 roach (all small)
     
    A pleasant social with Paul - sharing (practically) the same swim. Last hour of daylight spent trotting for the silvers followed by 4 hours looking at a near stationary isotope - save for the odd crayfish rattle.
     
    Paul, however faired rather better getting this very fat 10lb 10oz barbel in the first hour of ledgering - our only bite of the evening.
     

  20. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A Canal Colthrop
    River Kennet Brimpton
     
    0615 - 0815 - Canal
    0830 - 1100 - River.
     
    Sunny start quickly clouding over.
     
    Canal - blanked
    River; Chub 2lbish, 1 Grayling, 5 Brownies.
     
    First time on this stretch of canal - part of a plan to find some new perch hotspots - alas this doesn't appear to be one of them - not a bite of lobs so switched to the river for a rather sratchy session in VERY low water.
     
  21. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Bulls Lock
     
    1800 - 2300
     
    Warmish and overcast.
     
    3 Dace and a chublet.
     
    Another fruitless barbel session on a rarely fished stretch of river. As per usual started off trotting for not a lot - and once ledgering the only rattles came from the crayfish of which there were A LOT!
  22. Chris Plumb

    10 September

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Brimpton
    0700 - 1100
    Cool (compared to lately) and mainly overcast. AT 11->16ºC. River still low but up a good couple of inches on my last visit here in July.
    4 Chub: 5lb0oz, 3lb 6oz, 1lb11oz and one <1lb. 5 Roach & 1 Dace - all a 'nice' size circa 6oz. 4 Brownies; a lber and the others around half that.
    With 1½inches of rain already this month (nearly as much as the whole of June, July & August!) I was hopeful that the river might have perked up - and so it proved. Fished 4 swims and had 'A' chub from each of them! The 5lber - my second of the season from here, came from a spot that rarely produces - which was just as well as my usual hotspot was trashed by a first cast trout!

  23. 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!!!
     

  24. Chris Plumb

    10/11 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Harris Lake, Marsh Farm - Godalming AS
     
    1400 - 0930
     
    Hot and sunny. Night was clear and felt quite cool by dawn with a mega heavy dew! Gorgeous night to be out fishing under the Perseids!
     
    14 Tench; Biggest 3, 5lb 13oz, 4lb 10oz, 4lb 8oz. All the rest in the '3lb class' save 2 which were smaller. 7 Crucians - all over 1lb (though a couple by not much!) biggest 2lb 5oz. 2 roach, 1 rudd & a perch.
     
    A really lovely session which came to life at 2130 as it got dark - had hardly a touch in the previous 7 hours in the heat (hardly surprising!) Nearly all fish taken on Paul's lunch!!! Prawns - a handful of which he threw in a tupperware at the last minute before leaving home - but which eventually went to the fish! Paul had 13 tench - though nothing bigger than the 3lb brigade and 12 crucians with 3, 2lbers to 2lb 12oz - ALL being caught with said lunch (we cut them up into 4mm chunks). Certainly a bait we'll bring here again!
     
    Saw a lot of meteors - especially in the first part of the night before the moon rose.
     
    Sunrise.

    My Biggest Tench (of the session)

    Paul's best Crucian of the trip.

     
  25. Chris Plumb

    10/11 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Harris Lake, Marsh Farm, Milford
     
    1900 - 0900
     
    Clear cool night, down to 9ºC. Not a great night for spotting Perseids due to the near full moon - still spied a few really bright ones however!
     
    12 Tench; All over 3lb with 3 over 4 - best 4lb 12oz. 10 Cruicans; 4 over 2lb, best 2 - 2lb 8oz & 2lb 7oz. A doz rudd, half a dozen roach and 2 perch.
     
    Busy night as nearly all wish during hours of darkness - and all bar 2 on the float. Chopped prawn again accounting for nearly all fish - despite starting with meat.
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