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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    11 October (Part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    0945 - 1415
    Warm, overcast and breezy. AT 16º-18ºC. River down around 6-8 inches on my last trip here 3 weeks ago.
    14 Perch: All 12oz or more - best two went 1lb 10oz & 1lb 12oz but all of the others were a few ounces either side of a lb. 6 Chub: 2lb & 1lb 10oz and 4 chublets. 9 Roach - all small apart from one 'netter' of round 10oz. 1 Dace - small. 12 (!) Gudgeon. 2 Brownies - a lump of around 3½lb and a parr.
    Super morning's sport and I was glad I'd saved some lobs as I started out on worm in a spot where I usually catch perch - but never in such numbers. And it can't be a coincidence that the sudden increase in gudgeon numbers - is linked to the number of perch around. 12 gonks is more than I've caught in an entire season - in some recent years (2021-22 for example when I only caught 11 all season!)
  2. Chris Plumb

    11 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet, Nr Newbury
     
     
    0630 - 1030
     
    Breezy, mild (17ºC) and drizzly with heavier showers. River lowish - but not as low as last September.
     
    1 Chub; 4lb 7oz, 13 Perch; 2lb 14oz, 2lb 5oz, 1lb 10oz, 1lb 7oz - the rest all around ½-¾lb with a couple just under 1lb. 18 dace, 9 roach & ½ doz gudgeon.
     
    Rather surprised to find a shoal of perch in one of my favourite chub swims! Chub first cast which augured well but everything else to put a serious bend in the rod had spines! Trotted red maggots as per usual!
     
     
     

  3. Chris Plumb

    11 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Northcroft Stream
     
    0645 - 0930
     
    Cool bright morning - distinct autumnal nip in the air (was down to 6ºC when I started). River low and clear
     
    1 Chub, circa 2lb, 2 doz Dace, 7 Roach, 2 Perch (both small), 1 Brownie 2lb 8oz.
     
    Dawn trotting session hoping to find a few decent chub - but they weren't in residence - probably not enough water at the moment. Brownie and chub from weir pool.
  4. Chris Plumb

    11 September

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Hambridge (CSAS)
    0645 - 1100
    Overcast to start with sun breaking through for last hour or so. AT 19ºC. River low and a little coloured up.
    2 Chub: both around 1¼lb. 16 Dace: most quite chunky - I'd already weighed a couple at 7&8oz but last one of the morning was even bigger at a shade over 10oz. 1 Roach. 1 Grayling (circa 8-10oz). 2 Bleak. 3 Trout (8oz - pretty sure it was the same damn fish each time!)
    Plan was to try and get a barbel for the 3rd weekend running so it was off to a swim where I had 5 from last Sep. Alas the Kennet decided I was being too greedy and offered up some nice dace instead.
    Forgot my camera (so good thing I didn't get a biggy!) so cover pic is an unused one from last year at the same venue.
  5. Chris Plumb

    11/12 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit, CEMEX Yateley Complex
     
    1930 - 0545
     
    Warm, overcast night temps didn't dip lower than 15ºC - lovely night to be out!
     
    3 Tench; 5lb 12oz, 4lb 13oz, 3lb. 1 Pike 4lb*. 8 perch, 1 roach, 1 rudd.
     
    Slow, slow session. First tench around 2330 then a mini flurry of activity between 0200 - 0400 when I had the other 2 and also lost 2 more which threw the hook in the weed. All 3 on my margin rod - not a touch on the rod fishing further out.
     
    * The pike managed to get itself 'banked' 3 times - the 1st when it simply grabbed a perch and wouldn't let go - until it was in the net - perch released without a mark on it! The 2nd time it simply swam into the net as I netted the 5lb tench! And then it grabbed a tiny piece of meat I was reeling to pack up - the only time I actually hooked it!
     
    Everso everso skinny - poor thing!

  6. Chris Plumb

    11/12 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    NAA Stillwater - Widmead.
     
    2030 - 0630
     
    Warm still night. Thatcham weather site says min temp of 10ºC - but it felt no where near that cool at any time!
     
    8 roach, 3 perch and a skimmer.
     
    Another bad day at the office - fishing wise at least - though in truth it was a gorgeous night to be out just a pity a few more fish didn't show up. Although bites were a premium both Paul and I suffered from infuriating hooks pulls when we did connect. I had a fish on for ages and was just beginning to think I had it beat when my float shot out of the water - poo! Paul had 2 or 3 lost fish but did eventually land A carp of 8lb exactly - the only fish of note to see the bank all night!
    At least breakfast was awesome!
  7. Chris Plumb

    11/12 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Pumphouse Lake - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1930 - 0530
     
    Clear and chilly night - temp down to 7ºC at dawn - the thermal one-piece made a rare appearance!!
     
    2 Tench, 3¼lb & 4¼lb
     
    Slow night, no bites until well after midnight - then a mini flurry when I had the 2 tincas - both on ledgered pellet.
  8. Chris Plumb

    12 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1930 - 2345
     
    Cool (down to 10ºC) and clear - perfect evening to be out watching perseids - and with no moon nature put on a stunning display! River down a couple of inches at least on my last visit here (29 July).
     
    3 Barbel; 4lb 10oz, 3lb 15oz, 3lb 9oz. 1 Chub 4lb 5oz. 4 Dace (all chunky ones requiring a net!), 1 Roach and 4 spotties.
     
    Wayhay! So there are still some fish in the Kennet!! Trotted until it was too dark to see my float and all the fish bar the biggest barbel came to these tactics. Switched to ledgered pellet for last 2½hrs and had the 4lb+ barbel at around 2200. Missed another good bite due to spending more time staring at the sky than looking at my isotopes!
     
    A couple of obligatory fish plus pin pics...


     
  9. Chris Plumb

    12 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Alders Lake - Thatcham
     
    1800 - 2230
     
    Cool clear evening - with a breeze falling off. AT down to 10ºC when I packed up - felt quite chilly!
     
    1 Tench - 2lb 3oz. 14 Roach - all small.
     
    Another blackberry picking and tench evening! Roach were a bit of a pain but once it got dark the bites from them subsided and just like last time my solitary tench came at around 2130. Shortly after was then connected to one of the lakes rogue carp which I played for several minutes and was just entertaining the possibility of getting it in (on an 18 to 3lb bottom) before the hook pulled...
  10. Chris Plumb

    12 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    K&A (flowing) Canal, Thatcham.
     
    1115 - 1600
     
    Mild, overcast a VERY blowy. Rive at normal levels and quite clear.
     
    20 dace. 1 roach.
     
    Failed attempt at a big stripey and/or chub. Wind was a total PITA making trotting close to hopeless.
  11. Chris Plumb

    12 December

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Lambourn - Newbury
    1045 - 1445
    Cold and cloudy. AT around -1ºC all day. River low
    14 Grayling; 8 over a lb and as they got progressively bigger throughout the session I ended up weighing 5 of them - at 1-06, 1-07, 1-09, 1-10 & 1lb 12oz. 1 Brownie - small.
    I love days like this - wrapped up warm against an iron hard frost - which froze my landing net between each fish landed! As ever the Lambourn Ladies were very obliging despite the cold - fished the length of the venue twice (with a lunch break in between) - so most of my regular hotspots produced again after a good rest. Nice to see some good sized fish in this part of the river again.....
    Biggest two of the day...
     


  12. Chris Plumb

    12 December (Part 1)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    0745 - 1345
    Overcast start (drizzling when I left home) becoming bright and breezy. AT 7º-9ºC. River at normal levels.
    8 Chub: 4lb 7oz, 3lb10oz, 2lb 15oz, 2lb 11oz & 4 small ones. 7 Roach - most hand sized, 4 Dace, 1 Gudgeon, 1 Bleak & a 2lb Brownie.
    Pleasant morning playing hunt the chub, started off with the 3lber from a spot that only usually gives you one chance - and so it proved as resting it for an hour produced nothing more. Fished around half a dozen more swims in all with the rest of the decent chub coming from the penultimate one.
     
    Biggest of the morning.

  13. Chris Plumb

    12 December (Part 1)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Marsh Benham
    0830 - 1315
    Mild, mainly overcast - with a few bright spells. 10-12ºC. River very low for mid December - but then we have had less than an inch of rain since the 1st Nov.
    3 Chub: 5lb 3oz (SB 👏) and a couple of chublets of around ¾lb - 1lb. 2 Doz Roach - of various sizes - the one I deemed worthy of ths scales pulled the needle round to 13oz - looked bigger!). ½ doz Dace - all bar one 6oz+. 1 Bream; 1lb 14oz, 1 Bleak. 1 Rainbow trout; 2¾lb.
    A morning's trotting on my syndicate stretch - the carrier may be weed free - but is in desperate need of some more water so I headed down to the main river. As per usual, I made 'base camp' at the weirpool and fished 4 or 5 swims in rotation - searching for the chub - the big one coming from the last swim I visited. Planned to return to it but Steve turned up with his pike gear - so I left him to to it - though he was Esox-less when I left!

  14. Chris Plumb

    12 December (Part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Enborne
    1400 - 1600.
    Bright & breezy. AT 7ºC
    4 Perch; 2lb 14oz, 2lb 0oz, 1lb 6oz, 1lb 2oz.
    So Plan B was to fish the witching hour on the canal hoping for a big stripey - though as so often happens in the winter it's a witching 20 minutes around 4.00pm just as the light is fading. Had all 3 bigger ones in this 20 minute spell culminating in the biggest - which was a very last cast fish as I'd already packed up my bags. A season's best as well.

  15. Chris Plumb

    12 December (Part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    Kennet & Avon Canal - Woolhampton
    1415 - 1615
    Mild, overcast with drizzly showers. AT a mild 12ºC
    4 Perch; 3 smalluns and one of around 14oz-1lb.
    Quick couple of hours to make the most of the sudden rise in temperature - though the 'witching hour' came and went with not so much as a hint of a bite - all 4 fish coming in the first ¼hr!
     
  16. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By 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!)
     

     

  17. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0815 - 1115
     
    Mild and overcast. Battery flat in thermometer so no temps. River up a bit to normal levels and carrying a bit of colour.
     
    1 Barbel; 3lb 14oz. 3 Chub; 3lb 9oz, 3lb 3oz, 2lb 13oz. 2 Perch 1lb 12oz and one just shy of a lb. 2 Dace & 3 Gudgeon.
     
    An 'insurance' session!! Meant to be having a day on the middle Kennet tomorrow - but if the weather forecast is accurate I'll probably get up, check the rain radar and go straight back to bed!! So this morning, on the excuse that I had to pop over to Tony's to get some maggots anyway, I thought I'd sneak in a couple of hours or so on the bank as I suspected the river would be in good nick - and so it proved. A barbel on the pin at any time is to be welcomed - all the more so in mid-February. All the chub and the barbel on trotted lobs (and one of the dace!). The rest including both perch on double red maggot.
     

  18. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet - Nr Newbury.
     
    0730 - 1700
     
    Cool and overcast. -2º ->5ºC Positively balmy compared to recent arctic conditions - WT was a chilly 39ºF though.
     
    8 Chub; 4 'pounders' to 2¼lb and 4 chublets. 19 Dace; most a 'nice' size - only one warranted the scales though; a lovely fish of 11oz. 6 Roach, 8 Brownies to 2½lb.
     
    Plan for today was to catch some chub in the morning and then move up to where we'd caught all those roach earlier in the winter. First part of the plan went err as planned with both Paul and I getting amongst the chub and whilst we would have liked a 5 lber or 2 it was actually quite nice to see some smaller fish to come through - I think between us we had 9 or 10 over 1lb yet the biggest was only a few ounces over 2. After lunch it was into the car and upto the top limit of the fishery - only for it to very quickly transpire that the roach had moved on - the 'roach' swim was devoid of anything without an adipose fin.
     
    By 1500 we were back where we started - and fishing the swim where I'd caught chub in the morning started to produce some nice dace - including my biggest of the day. Paul had only added 3 trout and a chub to his morning's total when we bumped into the river-keeper doing his rounds. A couple of hints (well one BIG tip really) had us both fishing the same pool for the last ¾hr. If you got the bait in the right place (this was the tip!) it was bite a chuck and Paul was quickly adding to his tally with ,ironically, some nice roach in the 6-8oz bracket - finishing the day with a bristling perch a couple of ounces shy of 2lb.
     
    Some pics from yesterday
     
    Small chub with a big tail.

    Paul's perch - looks bigger than 1-13 don't ya think!

    CY got catty'ed with maggots here...

    Paul goes all arty....



  19. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet, Nr Thatcham
     
    0830 - 1315
     
    Bright start, clouding over - quite chilly in the breeze. AT & WT 45ºF. River in great winter nick - quite pacey but well within its banks with a slight tinge of colour.
     
    4 Chub; 4lb 2oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb 0oz, 2lb 12oz. 1 Grayling, 2 Brownies both 1lb+.
     
    Very satisfying morning in a swim a rarely visit in the winter!! Can't think why - though it is quite a long walk and there's very few back up spots if this doesn't produce. But wading out to mid river to get a good trotting line to a nice slack I had slow but steady sport all morning with bites coming every half an hour or so.
     

     
  20. Chris Plumb

    12 February

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Marsh Benham
    0900 - 1430
    Overcast morning, brightening up after lunch (to the detriment of the fishing!)  and quite breezy. AT 5º -> 9ºC. River low and clear (at normal summer levels!).
    3 Chub; 4lb 0oz, 3lb 4oz, 2lb 2oz. 1 Bream; 3lb 10oz. 17 Roach; most around 6-8oz with a couple of biggers ones. 1 Bleak.
    Whole session on the main river of my syndicate stretch. Had a first cast trout - which got eventually off but only after totally trashing my first swim! Nearly all the fish from a 'new' swim - or at least one that has been opened up by the removal of some branches by last week's little working party - (thanks chaps!). Meant I can now get a cast across the river to run a float under the far bank trees....😉
  21. Chris Plumb

    12 February (Part 1)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Marsh Benham
    0815 - 1115
    Mild, calm and overcast. 6º-8ºC. Lovely benign Winter's day. River quite full - though has clearly dropped several inches in the last fortnight - very clear.
    2 Chub; 3lb 3oz, 1½lb. 1 Brownie C.3lb and 3 Rainbow's; a lump of around 4-5lb and 2 half that.
    If there's anything worse than catching brownies - it's hooking rainbows! A brownie will usually reveal itself straight away - boil on the surface - allowing one to play it hard and hope it comes off! Rainbow's on the other hand stay deep, don't charge around like their spotty bethren and do a damn good job of imitating chub!  Levels had dropped enough to get back on the main river - and conditions were neigh on perfect for some winter's chubbing. And the morning got off to a promising start with the 3lb chevin from my first swim. Alas, swim 2 produced a thashing brownie - which eventually got off and swims 3 & 4 just the rainbows - with the biggest one having me convinced I was connected to a very nice chub indeed - alas not. I'd always intended to just fish the main river and move downstream in the afternoon - but en route back to the car spent 20mins on the carrier at chub corner for the brownie - which didn't get off and the smaller chub!
  22. Chris Plumb

    12 February (Part 2)

    By Chris Plumb,


    Coarse Fishing
    River Kennet - Speen Moors
    1200 - 1515
    Mild and overcast. 8ºC. River full and clear.
    3 Chub: 3lb 11oz, 2lb 14oz, 1¼lb. 1 Dace; small, 3 Gudgeon.
    After getting trouted out on my syndicate stretch in the morning it was nice to run a float through a couple of swims without the expectation that every bite would be from something with an adipose fin. Had planned to explore a bit but ended up just fishing the weirpools.
  23. Chris Plumb

    12 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Lambourn - Shaw
     
    0830 - 1100
     
    Cold and clear 1ºC -> 4ºC. River up and carrying a tinge of colour after heavy rain yesterday.
     
    7 Grayling - 2 'pounders', best 1lb 4oz, 4 Brownies, 2 Roach, 1 Salmon Parr.
     
    As ever a reliable winter fallback for when the Kennet is up and coloured. Bites hard to get but not impossible - bigger fish on the Church stretch.
  24. Chris Plumb

    12 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet Carrier (& main river!) Marsh Benham
     
    0900 - 1500
     
    Cool, calm and mainly overcast. AT around 6ºC all day. River a couple of inches lower on my last visit over Christmas - with most of the colour dropped out.
     
    8 Chub; 5 over 1lb - best 3lb 2oz, 2 doz+ Roach, 4 Dace - to 8oz & 4 Perch (all small). (NO trout - bit of a first for here!)
     
    Birthday treat with Rusty as my guest. Low water meant chub were a little on the spooky side - only found one swim where I caught more than one in succession. Roach were in abundance as always - just as well as Rusty had a frustrating time losing chub!
  25. Chris Plumb

    12 January

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet (and carrier) Marsh Benham
     
    0930 - 1530
     
    Overcast, mild and quite breezy. River down on a fortnight ago (well we have had zero rainfall in that time).
     
    3 Chub; 4lb 1oz, 3lb 3oz & 2lb 11oz. 1 Pike 2lb 10oz, 4 doz Roach & Dace (roughly 2 -1 ratio). Biggest roach 12oz with a lot more circa 8oz. 2 Brownies 4lb 14oz & a pounder, 2 Rainbows - both 3lbers (possibly same one!)
     
    Chilled out birthday trip! Carrier was very low so fish were very spooky - though did land the pike from here which had clamped down on a dace and didn't let go - steered it into the net before it realised what was happening! Most of the time spent trotting the weirpool. Big brownie was actually a bit of a disappointment - didn't fight at all like a troot - kept deep, hugging the bottom radiating gigantism, thought it had to be a huge chub - though I even entertained the notion it might be a barbel - didn't see it till I brought it to the net. Stunning fish but not what I was after!!
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