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Chris Plumb

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Blog Entries posted by Chris Plumb

  1. Chris Plumb

    17 October

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    1715 - 2215
     
    Overcast and breezy. 14ºC. River low with a fair amount of leaf litter.
     
    1 Barbel, 4lb 0oz.
     
    Barbel in the first hour - thereafter it was a case of 'Welcome to Crayfish City' the blighters were on the pellet within seconds at times. Also saw the otter 3 times and whilst I had planned to stay until midnight at least - I knew it wasn't going to be my night when it rolled in my swim a little after 10 o'clock - maybe it was after the crayfish!
  2. Chris Plumb

    7 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Newbury
     
    0645 - 1015
     
    Overcast & cool. River VERY low and carrying a lot of leaf litter. WT 51ºF.
     
    20 Dace; a couple of real gooduns - one weighed at 11oz another of similar length but slipped back unweighed. 1 Perch 1¼lb. 3 Roach, 2 Grayling, 2 Gudgeon, 2 Brownies, biggest circa 1lb.
     
    A morning's trotting for whatever turned up (but secretly hoping a chub or barbel would put in an appearance!) Dace appeared to fall into 1 of 2 categories - about ½ were fingerling fish the other ½ all 6oz plus with a couple nearly twice as big - nice.
  3. 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.....
     

  4. 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!
     
     
     

  5. Chris Plumb

    23 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1800 - 2330
     
    Clear and breezey after heavy rain in previous 12hrs. Cooler than of late, down to 12ºC but felt even chillier in the breeze!
     
    5 Tench; 6lb 13oz, 4lb 15oz, 4lb 11oz, 4lb 0oz, 3lb 4oz. 1 Crucian; 2lb 3oz.
     
    Well, I'm certainly getting my money's worth from this venue this season! Another lovely evening's float fishing - this time by the light of a full moon. No bites until it started to get properly dark (2030) when it suddenly switched on and I had 3 tench (including the biggest 2) in a little over 20 minutes. Next 3 fish came about 45 minutes apart. All fish on meat at around 2½ rod lengths out - no interest at all in the margins.
  6. Chris Plumb

    13 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Thatcham
     
    1830 - 2315
     
    Mild (min of 16ºC), overcast and very, very breezy! Levels on the low side and quite clear.
     
    Blanked! (Well nothing with fins - was totally crayfished out!)
     
    Tried another new swim but was into the Signals almost as soon as the bait hit the water. Activity stopped for an hour at around 10pm so was hopeful that fish had moved in - but nothing doing!
     
  7. Chris Plumb

    3/4 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Pumphouse Lake - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1815 - 0415
     
    Lovely warm still night. Temp down to 9ºC in the car when I left but it must have been several degrees warmer in my little micro-climate under the trees - didn't need a coat or brolly all session.
     
    1 Bream; 5lb 3oz, 1 Tench; 4lb 2oz, 1 roach, 1 perch.
     
    5 hours of little activity, followed by 5 hours of no activity (followed by 5 hours sleep!). All fish caught by 2300 (could have had a lot more kip!) with no bites thereafter. Tench and bream on float-fished meat - tiddlers on maggot. All fish in the margins. Not a bleep on the lead all night (was fishing 14mm pellet).
  8. Chris Plumb

    8 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1800 - 2330
     
    Still and mainly overcast - another lovely evening under the trees! 21ºC -> 13ºC
     
    3 Tench: 6lb 10oz, 4lb 8oz, 3lb 9oz.
     
    Water seemed very lifeless with no bubbling or fish topping and for over 2½hrs it looked like being my 1st blank of the season as I waited for a bite. However, it switched on briefly and had all 3 fish - starting with yet another 6½lb+er - in little over ¾hr from 2045. All fish on 6mm S-Pellet in the margins - not a bite all night further out and no interest at all in meat - the complete opposite from the last few sessions here!
  9. Chris Plumb

    2 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1815 - 2330
     
    Warm, still and overcast. 16ºC when I packed up.
     
    6 Tench: 7lb 2oz, 5lb 13oz, 4lb 7ozX2, 4lb 6oz, 3lb 6oz.
     
    Another cracking evening's float fishing for tincas. ALL fish on meat around 2 rod lengths out - not a touch in the margins. Biggest ever tench from this venue (beating the 7lb 0oz fish from 4 weeks ago!).
     
     

  10. Chris Plumb

    16 January 2011

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet Estate.
     
    0800 - 1615
     
    Overcast and breezy - drizzle for last hour, 10ºC. River still quite low - up maybe a couple of inches on our last visit here in November. Carrying quite a bit of colour - more than I expected to see!
     
    6 Chub; 5 over 1lb, best 3:- 5lb 6oz, 4lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz. 6 Perch; biggest 2lb 2oz, rest all small. 1½doz dace, 2doz+ roach - all small though a few of the dace were circa 6oz and one roach warranted the scales though it 'only' registered 12oz, ½doz gudgeon, 1 skimmer, 5 brownies to 3lb, 4 rainbows to 3¾lb.
     
    A morning spent playing find the chub finally came to fruition at around 1400 at the 8th swim of asking! Caught all 3 biggies in last couple of hours from a swim which looks like it was designed by Mr Crabtree for chub but which has never produced for me in the past - until now! Most fish on trotted maggot. Spent and hour or so perching with lobs which produced the 2lber - and not a lot else - though Paul lost a quite substantial stripey. Paul had many many more dace and roach - with some really decent dace gracing his net. Didn't find any substantial chub and did the honours removing a pike from my chub swim which was causing a nuisance - attacking my float on the retrieve!
     
    Big Mouth!

     
    Here be Dace - big Dace!

     
    Only an ounce bigger!

  11. Chris Plumb

    28 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr Newbury
     
    0815 - 1600
     
    Misty and drizzly all day - temp up to a balmy 7ºC. River low with just a hint of colour after over-night rain and snow melt. WT a chilly 41ºF
     
    1 Chub; 3lb 2oz, 14 Dace; 3 gooduns - best of which went 12oz. 6 Brownies - biggest 3lb 11oz.
     
    Satisfying days angling all things considered. Due to low water we were restricted to a short section of river and with a low WT, salt and snow melt in the river we expected sport to be slow. Spent most of the morning playing hunt the fish (and 'Avoid the Trout'). I said to Paul when we do find them they'll be shoaled up and so it proved - I found the dace and Paul the chub (he had 6 to 4lb 7oz).
     
    Paul's 4lber....

     
    The Dace swim...

     
    Paul's Chub swim...

  12. Chris Plumb

    31 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Kennet & Avon Canal - Thatcham
     
    0745 - 1200
     
    Dull, overcast and calm. AT & WT at 44ºF.
     
    1 Perch 1lb 13oz
     
    A real struggle in seemingly ideal conditions - though maybe the WT still a little on the cool side. First 2 hours spent in 2 new swims (an hour in each) without a bite. A switch to one on my 'banker' swims produced the only bite (and fish) of the day.... oh hum can't win them all!
  13. Chris Plumb

    11 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0745 - 1000
     
    Cool and overcast AT 5ºC. WT a cold 40ºF. River very low and very clear!
     
    6 Chub; 4lb 7oz, 3lb 12oz, 2lb 15oz, 2lb12oz, 2lb 3oz & a chublet. 2 Dace.
     
    Quick trotting session. First 45 minutes fished with red corn accounting for the 4lber and the 2 bigger 2's. Others all on trotted red maggot.
  14. Chris Plumb

    31 August/1 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Newbury AA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    2000 - 0700
     
    Warm and overcast night, didn't get below 14ºC. Drizzle until midnight but by dawn our brollies/shelters were dry. Lovely night to be out.
     
    2 Crucians; 3lb 7oz & 2lb 3oz. 1 Carp 10lb 5oz.
     
    Not quite mission accomplished first cast - but certainly 1st bite!! Biggest crucian of the season, my 3rd biggest ever and the first 3lber I've ever had from this water. Plan was to try and avoid attracting the carp - so didn't feed the swim - a ploy which appears to have worked (nearly!). Paul and no such qualms and even crossed over to the dark side with the purchase of a pellet waggler for this trip! He had arrived well before me and being a true gent didn't drop into the swim I wanted - though I think he may have rued that decision when I landed my 3lber as I think it would have been a PB for him... Still he caught a lot of carp - and was landing his 16th of the session as I left - he even managed a 1-10 crucian.
     
    My 3lb+ Crucian...

     
    Not Paul's biggest carp of the night (think this was 8lb something), but certainly the best looking one!

  15. Chris Plumb

    28 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Nr. Thatcham
     
    1800 - 0000
     
    Overcast, 20º -> 15ºC but felt a lot cooler fishing an exposed swim in a stiffish breeze - had the thermals on by 8 o'clock! River a little on the low side.
     
    3 Barbel: 9lb 12oz, 8lb 5oz, 7lb 6oz.
     
    A trio of terrific hard fighting barbel. First fish (the smallest) just after 2100 followed by the biggest just on 2300 with the 8lber on the stroke of midnight as I was about to pack up. All fish on 14mm halibuts - no activity from signals which is always a good sign!
     

  16. Chris Plumb

    7/8 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    Newbury AA Stillwater - Thatcham
     
    1930 - 0730
     
    Clear, still night, quite chilly (5.5ºC) by dawn.
     
    5 Carp; 12lb 10oz, 11lb 15oz, 11lb 6oz, 11lb 3oz, 10lb 10oz.
     
    A repeat of last weekend for Paul and myself - hoping for a repeat performance on the crucian front. Alas, they were conspicuous by their absence with little evidence of fish rolling. Paul and I did both suffer some curious bites on the float which neither of us could connect with - and for me at least I had to content my self with feeding bits of bread in the margins and waiting for them to start disappearing before offering one with a hook in it! Last carp and smallest did come on float fished prawn - meant for the crucians. As last week Paul had many more carp (he did fish the method OR the pellet waggler!) - but when I left still hadn't managed a double!
     
    Sunrise over Willows Lake...

     
    X marks the spot?

  17. Chris Plumb

    23/24 July

    By Chris Plumb,

    Summer Pit - CEMEX Yateley
     
    1900 - 0445
     
    Balmy, overcast night - min 13ºC but felt warmer in still conditions - and sat under the trees - didn't need a coat or a brolly all session.
     
    9 Tench: best 3, 5lb 11oz, 4lb 13oz, 4lb 12oz. All others between 3¼-4¼lb. 1 Roach.
     
    A busy evening - I had 5 fish including the biggest 2 by 2230 - followed by a quiet night. Kept at it, hoping for a crucian or two to put in an appearance but it was not to be. 5 fish on meat, 4 on 6mm pellet all float fished - lift method - great fun in the dark seeing the starlight lift and go flat. Dawn broke to a millpond surface with not a bubble to be seen - so whilst I had planned to fish longer, this sight plus the lack of bites in the previous 2 hours persuaded me that some kip followed by a late breakfast was the better option!!!
  18. Chris Plumb

    15 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury.
     
    0800 - 1200
     
    Bright and mild. River high and carrying a little colour, too high even for chesties in my fav swim....
    2 Doz Dace - a few quite chunky ones but nothing as impressive as last weekend. 4 Grayling, 2 Chublets & 2 Roach.
     
    Bit of a shall we shan't we session - knowing that the river would be well up and far from ideal for good sport. Having the Lambourn round the corner as back up should it be hopeless helped the decision to go. However I couldn't get into position for my favourite spot so Paul and I shared a large pool upstream (much larger than normal with all the extra water). We were soon into fish - both getting nice dace and in Paul's case not much else apart from a couple of nuisance brownies to around 2lb and a grayling. Paul ended up with around half my total - though did a lot more exploring and spent half the time photographing mince pies!
     
    Slack - temporary home for most fish within ¼mile! (especially dace).

    Too deep for chesties.

    Elevenses.

    Looking upstream - Rusty's having a rather nice rod, built of finest Tonkin, in a workshop not a million miles from the weir in this photo!

  19. Chris Plumb

    19 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    Bucklebury Ponds
     
    0630 - 0900
     
    Clear skies, 16ºC -> 20ºC
     
    3 Bream; 2 circa 1½lb and a tiddler, a doz+ perch.
     
    Bit of a half-hearted session as I wasn't expecting much action but after a hot, sticky and rather sleepless night it was lovely to be out in the cool(ish) morning air - a few fish were a bonus!
  20. Chris Plumb

    27 August

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Newbury
     
    0930 - 1230
     
    Showery, 17ºC. River down to 'normal' summer levels - still several inches higher than this time last year!
     
    30+Dace, around a dozen Roach, some gudgeon and chublet and a brownie.
     
    Pleasant morning's trotting - though I rather hoped I'd connect with something that needed the net (though a couple of the dace and the brownie fell into that category - some of the dace were very chunky...)
  21. Chris Plumb

    22 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Speen Moors
     
    0630 - 1100
     
    Bright and sunny after a cool start - not quite a frost but down to 3ºC. River running low and clear.
     
    7 Perch; 3 over 1lb (though 2 by not much) best 2lb 2oz. 2 Chublets, 1½doz roach - including some 'gooduns' 3 in the 8-10oz bracket and a 12oz fish, 5 dace, a doz gudgeon.
     
    A pleasant mornings trotting and exploring familiar haunts. First hour or so on lobs switching to maggot once the sun was up. Fished 10 swims in total and had fish from 8 of them......
     

  22. Chris Plumb
    River Kennet backstream, Padworth
     
    1900 - 2330
     
    Warm, yet clear evening. Lovely night to be out - got to see some early Perseids.
     
    3 Barbel; 8lb 7oz, 5lb 3oz, 4lb 6oz.
     
    Bit of an exploratory session - fished a couple of new swims - and got stung to blazes by the nettles - clearly 2 spots that have not seen an angler this season!! Fished in rotation - plan was to give each spot an hour or until I caught - whichever was soonest then switch. As it happened both swims produced a fish first cast (the 2 smaller ones) with the 1st swim then producing the 8 after being 'rested'. A useful and informative session - well worth the extra effort (and the stings!)
     

  23. Chris Plumb

    3 September

    By Chris Plumb,

    River Kennet - Padworth
     
    1945 - 2345
     
    Clear and misty evening, with a near full moon - very ethereal! River at normal summer levels (ie higher than last year!)
     
    2 Barbel: 6lb 3oz & 6lb 0oz
     
    Quite a few bumps and rattles - but didn't get a proper bite until around 2230 - with the second fish arriving on the scene ½hr or so later - would have thought it was the same one if I hadn't weighed them!
  24. Chris Plumb

    16 November

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet Estate - Kintbury
     
    0700 - 1630
     
    Misty and murky all day, heavy showers for last 2 hours - 7-9ºC.
     
    7 Chub; 5 over 2lbs biggest 3lb6oz. 7 Grayling (!) 4 over1lb (&3 over 1½), biggest 1lb 11oz. 9 Dace; 3 of which were 6oz+. 1 Roach. 7 Brownies to 3lb.
     
    Eagerly anticipated trip - nice to see the river full after 4+ years of low water. Of course it meant having to almost completely re-learn the venue! We half expected the fish holding areas in low water conditions might not be the same when the river was full - and so it proved. Our nailed on banker dace swim which has produced really good dace in each of the previous 3 seasons produced not a bite to me today!
    Paul and I had differing objectives for the trip - Paul wanted to get among the dace - something he achieved with 4 fish over 10oz a couple of which went 12oz. I wanted to get among the chub - preferably big ones - which didn't really show up - though lots of schooly ones for future years is a good omen (Paul had 10 but nothing over 3). The grayling were a very pleasant surprise especially their size. The perch on the other hand appeared to have done a disappearing act. (Maybe they've all moved to Gunters!)
    As we departed the car park at dawn - in opposite directions - I wished Paul good luck with a cheery 'break a rod' something he'd achieved by the time we met up for morning coffee!!
     
     
     
    Some Pics...(proabably!)

     
    Well that worked with postimage.org - though its now stubbornly refusing to upload any more!
     
    At last! Thanks to imageshack!
     
    1lb 4oz dace was once caught here! (alas not by me!)

     
     
    Not a 1¼lb dace - one 8oz lighter!

     
     
    Snaggy dace swim - I had some gooduns from here...

     
     
    I actually don't know where this is - Paul???

     
    Chub & Speedia

     
    Where have all the perch gone? Last knockings and not a stripey in sight...

  25. Chris Plumb

    9 December

    By Chris Plumb,

    Middle Kennet Estate(s) Newbury (am), Kintbury (pm)
     
    0745 - 1615
     
    Breezy with sunny spells. 7º->9º->7ºC. River 'full' and clear - though within its banks after recent (and very evident) flooding.
     
    5 Chub; 4 over 2¼lb - best 2, 4lb & 3lb 10oz. 3 Grayling - 1lb 13oz, 1lb 2oz & 14oz. 5 Dace, 3 over 8oz - biggest 13oz. 2 roach, a gudgeon and 2 Brownies both circa 1½lb plus a 4lb bream which doesn't count as it was hooked in the dorsal - giving the most almighty battle in a fast current and doing a great impression of a huge chub.
     
    Bit of a grueller especially in the morning when we covered miles of bank trying to find fish - and when I did find a few - managed to hook one in the backside! More success after lunch and after a second move of the day - this time a couple of miles upstream!!!
     
    Paul struggled even more than me in the morning - but decided he would concentrate on trying to catch big dace in the afternoon - something he managed rather well with nearly a dozen over 8oz.
     
    Best comedy moment was seeing Paul trying to get into the 'Bob James Position' with thigh waders when really chesties were needed - he never did manage it - but it made amusing viewing!
     
    Some pics
    One of Paul's Dace - looks like a female already in breeding condition.

    2, 13oz dace - both Paul and I caught 13oz dace at the same time - mine is the top one and although Paul's looks smaller in the pic it was a lot thicker...

    A welcome chub - caught 1st cast after the lunchtime move.

    Followed shortly after by a nice grayling.

    Paul gets all arty (again) looking upstream toward dace town!

    The chub that wasn't...

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