Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'river kennet'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Welcome
    • New Members
  • Fishing Chat
    • Anglers' Net Latest News & Articles
    • Coarse Fishing
    • Sea Fishing
    • Kayak Fishing
    • Session Carp Fishing
    • Fly Fishing
    • Conservation & Politics
    • The Great Glossary
  • Trading Post
    • Your eBay Sales, Buys & Finds
    • For Sale/Auction & Wanted
  • Other
    • Non-Fishing Chat
    • Photography
    • Technical Help Forum
    • Fish Keepers
    • UK Coarse, Carp & Flyfishing Website Promotion
    • UK Sea Fishing Website Promotion
    • Non UK Website Promotion
    • Non-Commercial/Angling Club Website Promotion
  • Archives - Read Only

Blogs

  • Elton's Blog
  • phish's Blog
  • chavender's Blog
  • David.W's Blog
  • Big G's Blog
  • Leon Roskilly's Blog
  • NickInTheNorth's Blog
  • paul mc's Blog
  • Ollie Jay's Blog
  • bob@reefcatfishing's Blog
  • Norrie's Blog
  • Steve Walker's Blog
  • deanbmw's Blog
  • doshkadog's Blog
  • RUDD's Blog
  • Anthony78's Blog
  • rodbuilderwales's Blog
  • Gaz51's Blog
  • Julian's Blog
  • ayjay's Blog
  • Dan Ryan's Blog
  • Beginner's Blog
  • WickerDave's Blog
  • Newt/Jan UK Trip
  • randal's Blog
  • noah's Blog
  • chevin's Blog
  • MrMatthew's Blog
  • crazynewt's Blog
  • What a load of Bloglox
  • Nige's Blog
  • Screaming Reel's Blog
  • Keith Finn's Blog
  • Indian Angler's Blog
  • Yakity - Yak - u.k.'s Blog
  • Vagablog
  • Scotts Yearly Fishing Blog
  • Bakers Blog
  • Josh's Blog
  • slackline's Blog
  • Jaffa's Blog
  • big_cod's Blog
  • Mouse's Blog
  • FishThailand's Blog
  • Finepix's Blog
  • carpman220866's Blog
  • codling's Blog
  • Russell Fitzpatrick's Blog
  • CLIFF63's Blog
  • adambroadley's Blog
  • Prowler's Blog
  • Gomphus' Blog
  • SeaDooDavid's Blog
  • medwaygreen's Blog
  • colint's Blog
  • widie's Blog
  • Chris Howard's Blog
  • Norfolkdan's Blog
  • David R's Blog
  • TheHat's Blog
  • Mike Fisher's Blog
  • smalltincup's Blog
  • dunc85's Blog
  • Mr T Blog
  • LONDON RED's Blog
  • Frank at Simplex's Blog
  • wesley's Blog
  • newfisher's Blog
  • www.siek.fishing.pl
  • gazthelad's Blog
  • Moggy's Blog
  • The Yak Fisher's Blog
  • Ditchrat's
  • anglingtimesforumuser's Blog
  • all-the-gear-no-idea's Blog
  • paulw's Blog
  • Josh W's Blog
  • gordo's Blog
  • mr motorola's Blog
  • Fishing Mid-Essex Rivers/Canals
  • bloomin'reedsbarnard's Blog
  • Chris Plumb's Blog
  • carpykris' Blog
  • stubbo's Blog
  • Gaz94's Blog
  • John E Ashford
  • mossa07's Blog
  • Mat Vs Stu 2008
  • Janet's blog
  • f.h.m's Blog
  • Darren T's Blog
  • ameboidz's Blog
  • Gaz1963's Blog
  • dodgy dave's Blog
  • c.wolf's Blog
  • Esox hunter's Blog
  • Dan's Fishing Blog
  • Gone Fishin's Blog
  • rourke7719's Blog
  • North West Carp
  • Anderoo's Blog
  • beer'n'bivvies' Blog
  • dant's 2008 notebook.
  • Sheppard's Blog
  • norris5353's Blog
  • CYNSWIM's Blog
  • Sabot's Blog
  • rus-ty's Blog
  • tommy chub's Blog
  • hadleigh's Blog
  • john's Blog
  • catamn's Blog
  • Fullick's Blog
  • OwdTrout's Pursuit of Brown Spotty Fishisessess
  • crazycarper118's Blog
  • arbocop's Blog
  • Vietnam tours's Blog
  • bob gy's Blog
  • sea skimmer's Blog
  • jakeemery1994's Blog
  • STOURPORT RING
  • lee lee's Blog
  • islwyn's Blog
  • damion's Blog
  • micky's Blog
  • Bren's Blog
  • fisherman.anderson's Blog
  • fly1's Blog
  • madchris' Blog
  • Environment
  • jim Mc Lanaghan's Blog
  • flippy69's Blog
  • alfie's Blog
  • Cretelakes' Blog
  • the cunneries
  • Rusty's Blog
  • akagoody's Blog
  • Angling in Scotland.co.uk Blog
  • The Flying Tench's Blog
  • mikeey99's Blog
  • Kew's Blog
  • viney's Blog
  • PV Sportfishing Reviews
  • Nicholas S' Blog
  • casper m's Blog
  • mrcarp's Blog
  • missedagain33's Blog
  • liamace9's Blog
  • oscarbosca's Blog
  • neilb's Blog
  • Claverhambury Carp Lakes
  • leekien's Blog
  • fingers' Blog
  • samuelssss' Blog
  • Jacks Blog
  • gazzaf Blog
  • samuels' Blog
  • harrisdaniel's Blog
  • nigel 1961's Blog
  • goodnike2011's Blog
  • geordie-chris19's Blog
  • Avalon Cuban Fishing Centers Blog
  • Moco's Blog
  • Can anyone help me out?
  • fishtec1312's Blog
  • tenchy1967's Blog
  • Salmon
  • filfish's Blog
  • Colin's Fishing Blog
  • Rob Ward's Blog
  • AddictedToScopex's Blog
  • daves Blog
  • Net Lawman's Blog
  • Chub Hunter's Blog
  • Fortview House B&B's Blog
  • Tony1985's Blog
  • Dave G's Blog
  • My Quest For Barbel
  • perfumelily's Blog
  • Trapa's Blog
  • Paullin's Blog
  • tomhaggett's Blog
  • tomas' Blog
  • tpteam6's Blog
  • chrysanthy's Blog
  • awebuser's Blog
  • Andrew's Blog
  • hujh's Blog
  • claire goodwill's Blog
  • personalloansuk's Blog
  • mad-fisher's Blog
  • keylouis' Blog
  • redtail's Blog
  • PaulG's Blog
  • Si...'s Blog
  • Newt/ Bobbi Florida Keys Trip Blog
  • jimmyh's Blog
  • kenj's Blog
  • kenj's Blog
  • Kirisute's Blog
  • The Art Of Coarse Fishing
  • Ian's fishing Blog
  • The Newbury & Port Talbot Blanker

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

  1. River Kennet - Padworth 1715 - 2145 Warm, overcast and very breezy. AT 22º -> 16ºC. River low and threadbare! 13 Roach and 7 Dace. Nothing particularly noteworthy - though all the roach were a handsized or slightly bigger. A lively hour catching 'silvers' followed by 3 hours sat behind a couple of stationary quiver tips for the inevitable blank targetting a barbel (and to think this place used to be called 'Barbel Alley'). Had intended to stay a bit longer - but an early pack up was precipitated by the arrival of the otter - who actually dived over one of my baits (probably spooked by seeing me)!
  2. River Kennet - Hambridge 0530 - 0730 Cool and clear. AT 7º (!) -> 13ºC (Was thankful for my fleece!). River VERY low - can't remember when I last saw it this threadbare. 2 Chub; 1lb 10oz & 1lb 7oz. 11 Dace - all small. 5 Roach - ditto apart from one of around ½lb. 2 Gudgeon, 2 Bleak A couple of hours trotting and home for breakfast! Doesn't look like anyone's been here since I came in June, place was a jungle! Banker chub swim was full of bleak & and small dace - so pleased that my 'back-up' produced a brace of 'schoolies'.
  3. River Kennet - Brimpton 0530 - 1000 Warm, muggy with hazy sunshine. AT 15º -> 22ºC. River very low. 2 Chub; 4lb 9oz, 4lb 4oz & 2 chublets. 9 Dace; 5 absolute chunks all 8-10oz, 7 Roach - variety of sizes but nothing over 6oz. 1 Perch: small, 1 Bleak. 1 Brownie: 1¼lb. For the second river trip in a row I get to see an otter and this one defintely wasn't shy! I'd eased into position mid-river to get a run through a favourite chub swim, only to get the flippin trout pretty much 1st cast and was thinking I'd better rest this swim and come back, when the family of swans 100m downstream of me started kicking off big time. I guessed it might be an otter chancing its arm with a cygnet - as I've witnessed a swan/otter fracas on this stretch before. My assumption was correct as a minute later the otter popped up in the middle of my swim and proceeded to nonchalantly work its way up the very trotting line I'd just been feeding! Thankfully I didn't see it surface with a fish and as it passed me by, heading upstream, I could have patted it on the head, it was that close! Hopes of anything from this spot were now zero - however an hour and a half's rest and 20 minutes of standing in mid river dribbling in very small quantities of maggot did the trick. The bigger chub was first trot and a further 30 mins rest and more dribbling of bait produced the second 4lber of the morning! Some super dace from the weirpool at the top of The Aldershot was a nice way to round off the session....
  4. Chris Plumb

    9 July

    River Kennet - Thatcham 0645 - 1115 Warm and mainly overcast - though clearing. AT 19ºC. Quite breezy. River low. 5 Chub: best 3lb 5oz with another close to a lb - the other 3 quite small. 1 Dozen Dace & ½ Dozen Roach - all small apart from one of the roach which was around 6-8oz. 1 Perch; a 'netter' and circa 1lb. 1 Gudgeon. 3 Brownies - all over 1lb but under 1½ (think I caught the same one, twice!) Very pleasant morning's trotting - fishing half a dozen swims in rotation with a couple getting their first visit by an angler this season - judging by the state of the banks! Biggest chub coming from a 2nd visit to a favoured swim after resting it due to it being trashed by one of the troot on my first visit! Nice to see some 'silvers' in this part of the river - and (again) some juvenile chub.
  5. River Kennet - Brimpton 0430 - 0900 Bright sunny morning - lovely to be out before the heat of the day set in - shared my morning with the local wildlife - deer, heron and kingfishers. River low and clear 7 Chub: best (by a very long way!) 5lb 11oz (!!!) with a couple of around a lb and all the rest 6-8oz - nice to see some juvenile fish. 7 Dace, 2 Roach (all fairly small). 4 Brownies - 3 over a lb one of which was nearer 2lb. Well I wasn't expecting that - especially after a rather unpromising start. I'd fished my 2 more reliable chub spots without so much as a sniff and in my 3rd one had a couple of splashy trout to wreck things before at least getting off the mark with a small chub and a couple of dace. So it was very much in hope rather than expectation when I revisited one of my earlier swims - not at all confident as the sun was now on the water. Thankfully there was still some shade under the far bank trees - and within a couple of minutes of running a float through connected with an absolute lump which I first mistook for a snag - took an age to coax up in the current and very thankful to get it in the net! I'll do very well to get a bigger one all season!
  6. River Kennet - Hambridge 0430 - 0830 Warm and sultry - already 23ºC when I packed up - had planned to move to another venue after starting here but the heat decided me otherwise. River low and clear. 2 Chub: 2lb 12oz & 2lb 3oz. 20 Dace; all small. 10 Roach: ditto. 1 Bream - a large-ish skimmer which had me more than a little excited for a minute as thought I was bringing in a rather nice roach! 2 Gudgeon (hooray!) 2 Brownies - a 'pounder' and a parr. I did a recce here a couple of weeks ago - turned up with my 'lasher' to scythe through the head high nettles to a couple of my favourite swims in preparation for an early season visit. So was more than a little disappointed to note that in the intervening period a tree had come down across one of them. A spot I often do quite well in low water (see entry for last Sep) now alas all but unfishable as the fallen tree has knocked the tree opposite into the river as well. So had to make do with my usual banker swim - both chub turning up on cue after trickling in maggot for 10 minutes while I waited for it to get light enough to see my float followed by the usual mixed bag. Pic of the Gonk for BTG!
  7. My last couple of weeks of Feb were blown off-track by the storm winds of Eunice and her pals, and by a trip to Wales that usurped a booked trip to the famed river Itchen. (hope it went well for you, fellers). Pre-storm, I'd had a weekday afternoon where threatened rain had me at Willows, where a brolly is better suited than my planned trip back to Speen. The weather kept others away, apart from a very friendly fully-kitted out chap just along from me who with bait boat assistance, already had 4 carp to his name by the time I plonked down. With my puny rod and scattergun casting technique, I felt rather rag-and-bone man in approach as I sat staring at my bobbins made of bottle corks and hair grips swaying in the wind, quite untroubled by fish while his bionic bite alarms screamed time after time. As we both packed up at dusk, I'd missed a couple of bites but did have a mirror of around six and a half just before close of play which I was too embarrassed to formally weigh for you as my new friend hadn't bothered with any of his l3 fish. I had a couple of hours a few days later, the first windless day after the storms blew through, so I took some lures to the canal/river stretch either side of Bulls Lock. Don't ask why, but I'd not appreciated that the NAA's stretch of river to Widmead Lock is not only pretty long, but looks quite powerful, comparatively deep and full of fish-holding features. Whilst the only thing to trouble any of my lures were submerged branches and snags, I was enthused by the prospect of future visits quivertipping to trailing branches, or trotting the straight sections and wondered why I'd heard so little about the section. Was it because members were keeping it a secret? Or the nuisance of large numbers of pedestrians and dogs sharing the towpath, or simply the distance from any carpark? Then there was a crashing in the water as a huge, oily cormorant made it's take off run from midstream and I knew that perhaps I'd found my answer. Next day, more winds planned (and it was a cold one too) so again lashed my brolly down at Willows. A 4lb-er first cast with a brand-new bite alarm/bobbin combo promised a bag-up, but that was it, until last cast, where a particularly pretty 8lb10 Common brought the end to my fishing month with a needed surge of spirit.
  8. River Kennet - Hambridge 0900 - 1200 Cool, with milky sunshine. AT 2ºC ->9ºC. River still low though up an inch or so on my last visit at the begining of Jan. 5 Chub: Best 3lb 11oz, the others all ½-1½lb. 7 Dace - one netter of around 8oz. 1 Roach; small. 2 Grayling. 2 Brownies - both ¾-1lb (Possibly same one!) A quick sesh at my favourite chub swim - and to check out the recent efforts of the working party here (nice work chaps!). I'm still hoping to make a winter acquaintance of the 5lber I had from this swim back in the summer - but the only decent one was well shy of that stamp - and kept me waiting until well into the session to make an appearance. Usual bait and wait tactics turned up grayling and dace first and second trot!
  9. OK, OK, let's get Wednesday out of the way, then. After several warmer days, I was seduced by reports of fish coming out at Willows. I arrived to the sight of two topping fish which settled my swim choice, and heard of further catches that morning which elevated my anticipation so high that for a while, I wasn't bothered that I'd forgotten my seat and had 4-hours ahead of me sat on a plastic bag on a hard damp bank. By the time the buttock-ache really started kicking in, I'd had no bites on swim-fed bread flake or a zig-rig pinged around the lake. Developing upper leg cramp brought no fishy action, nor did it when spiking knee pain took over and ended in a pulled calf. Between the twinges, I managed 11 small blank-bustin' roach in an hour on the float, but that was that, and I limped back to the car as my circulation slowly returned. Today then, lesson learned; no lake for me as I drove the country track to Speen in harsh rain; the first in weeks. It continued through my first hour, but eased as I had a decent bite on the legered bread flake, pinged out towards some overhangs. In came my nemesis... a chub! And at 3lb 10 it was embarrassingly a p.b. We clearly felt the same. It's lack of a real fight despite the number of snags it could have dived for was just shame. No more bites despite numerous swim changes, I made off for my favourite weir swim. Here the wind dried me out, but took most vestiges of body warmth with it. And the fish. My one bite in an hour brought a beautiful gudgeon, but that was it. Not even a trout, though I did hook an ancient and somehow sunken tennis ball, which I first feared was a hand grenade when it surfaced. Oh, and a fat labrador stopped, stuck its snout into my bag and made off with my loaf of bread. Two minutes later, the apologetic owner returned and handed me a pooh-bag containing the few flobbered scraps she had been able to recover from her filching fido's jaws. The last hour was spent at Parliament Draft where the westerly wind whipped the surface throughout. I expected no bites at all and that's just what I got. Funny old day.
  10. A joy to be the guest of such a legend as Mr Plumb. So much learned, nothing more than the location of the carpark which I may only have overshot by 100 yards, yet enough to render us completely out of sight of each other. My faux pas had me keeping the great man from his chub by half-an-hour while waiting for me. Damn you, S-bend. Finally on the river, CP generously gave me first choice of the delicious looking weir pool-swim. A 3-oz perch had me delighted to have survived January without a blank. Result (for me). I was feeling rather proud of myself as I supplemented this with two equi-sized roach when Lord Plumb came dancing through the undergrowth from his swim bearing the most beastly of chubs in his landing net. What a brute; 4lb 9oz of beautiful, muscled angst, as wide as the smile on its captors face. With nothing else than an enviable rainbow to report, CP suggested we lunch then move on to the Carrier. I nodded keenly and reached for a sandwich. Fortunately, the carrier his proved not to be Covid related, but referred to a length of water, not 20ft wide and full of snags and overhangs running parallel to the adjacent canal. I swapped loafer for stick float, shallowed up, and immediately started bringing in the roach. And what roach: I had nine netters, including a beautiful p.b. 1lb-er with several others around 12 oz. Maybe it was the temperature being a balmy (if windy) 9 degrees after weeks of frost, but boy, they were up for it. Many catches were chased in by pike, and plenty of others were missed or dropped off as bites came with pretty much every cast. What fun. Then it happened. Another bite, another strike but with more of a clunk than the others. I saw a flash of solid silver flank, it toyed with me for a few seconds before turning on the afterburners and was off. I hung on for several seconds, there was no stopping the centrepin no matter how much I pressured it, and the hook gave. Lets say it was a chub, cos if it wasn't, that was some roach. The fish weren't put off by this nor the several times I cast into the snags then tugged and lost, and kept on coming until King Plumb gave me the 5-minute warning. There was still time for a 6oz roach and a 1.5lb+ perch that ended a fab session. Enthused and consoled that perhaps I wasn't so far off the required technique after all, and that Emperor Plumb's chub pics maybe weren't all being Photoshopped, we parted and I drove off for a last 45-mins lure fishing at Bulls Lock. Back down to earth: not a touch, though saw three teens magnet fishing and dragged in a lost rig that could have landed a nuclear sub. You can read this from Professor Plumb's own blog on:
  11. A week of hard, cold weather meaning not much gardening on, but more chances to fish. Wednesday pm - a few hours at the canal. Much quieter than of late, with 17 roach (compared to the recent 50's) albeit the largest a pleasing 4 ounces. Oh, and 3 bleak and a minnow, if you're counting. Spent the last hour on lures hoping for repeats of last weeks perch, but with another frosty night imminent, I think it was just too cold for them. Friday - Minus four at kick-off, with the canal at Eborne was totally frozen over as I made to the northern stretch of the Moors. Fancying a go at chub-bashing, I link-legered breadflake, spending no longer than 3 casts or 20 minutes in each swim, before moving on to the next. Casting to the overhangs, fallen trees and anything else 'chubby', I didn't get a touch in 4 hours. Even the one crayfish that grabbed my bait fell off on retrieve. Spent the last hour on the weir where I welcomed a single blank-bustin' brownie of 2lb 4. Today - No frost for the first time in over a week, and with it overcast I fancied the perch might be hungry in the first hour. If they were, they didn't fancy any of the lures I tried. Swapped rods and set up in my 'roach' swim to have another look for any bigger roach. A euphoric 'no'. In 90 minutes, I didn't get a single bite at any depth on any line. So, to shake the mixer again, I crossed the road, swapped stick float for chubber and trotted the river. I loose fed and switched between maggot and red corn to continue my biteless day. It came to my finishing time at 1pm and I audible sighed 'last cast then', and off it trot like it had fifty times or more up until then. But this time the float dipped and in came a 6-ounce silver. Not just a 'boring' roach or dace, but a beautiful grayling. Cheers, fish gods.
  12. Well, it finally happened. Thank you CP. A size 14 hook, a kernel of red sweetcorn and after 20 minutes at the weir, a beautiful 2lb 4oz chub finally, finally came in to my net, rubber lips, bronzed scales and everything. I almost declared there and then and went home. Fishing way over depth, the bulk shot may have dragged, but the fishing didn't, although the fish to follow were both trout in the 1.5lb bracket. Planning to spend some of the day piking, I went to the canal but found it rimed-over, so returned to Parliament Draft. I tossed a mackerel fillet into a juicy looking area of snaggy calm, but when I reeled it in to find 5 adult crayfish pincered to the flesh, I knew it was time to go trotting. With my feet till surrounded by frost from last night's chill, when the low afternoon sun hit the water it stimulated nine roach (to 4 ounces) 3 dace (to 3) and a bleak to come pay me a visit. I had a dusky final 45 mins in the frost-free section by Guyer's Bridge to toss a lure around, but it proved too cold for the perch, even at a 1st gear retrieval rate.
  13. My Speen Moors misery continues. No bites in the first couple of hours alternating floated maggot with legered bread flake. The low sun was bright, and perhaps that's what put the fish off, combined, perhaps with yesterdays below-zero temperatures. So, on to Parliament Draft, and fished very swim, having pepped each with 15 mins of loose feed first. Zip. I'd burned most of them on my swim-crawl back towards the entry gate, when a fellow committee member, whose angling skills I revere, turned up on a scouting mission and assured me that in his opinion I wasn't doing much wrong. There being a bit more pace to the water, he was surprised the fish weren't showing. Frankly, I wasn't. For the last swim on the Draft, I threw caution to the wind and scaled down from the size 14 hook correctly advised to me, and went for an 18 on a gossamer-thin hook length. I hit the motherload. As the cold, January rain started to fall I nailed six (count them), six small dace, and two equally diminutive roach. Even they stopped when the rain turned to sleet, with just three minnows (and one crayfish so large I was tempted to weigh it) to show for my persistence before even I took the hint and gave up. Pah!
  14. River Kennet - Hambridge 0900 - 1115 Mild and overcast. 9ºC. River still quite low @ normal summer levels - though up an inch on my last visit here with just a hint of colour. 2 Chub: 2lb0oz & 1lb 12oz. 9 Dace - 3 in the 6-8oz class. 4 Roach (handsized). 2 Gudgeon. 1 Brownie c 2lb. Quick couple of hours to get 2022 underway! Plan was to start the New Year with a chub - successfully executed first cast! Would have to wait until pretty much last cast for another - which then sicked up all my freebies over my bait smock! First fish of 2022.
  15. River Kennet - Speen Moors 0915 - 1345 Dull and drizzly.AT 7º - 9ºC. River very low and clear. 3 Chub; 1¼lb & 2 chublets. 3 Dace, 1 Roach (nothing of any size), 1 Brownie1½lb Pre christmas trip to use up my maggot as my bait fridge in the garage gets its annual clean and is sequestered for the turkey and other Christmas victuals. A rather dismal session - and that wasn't just the weather - very few of my banker swims produced so much as a bite - and I even struggled for bites on the weirpool - almost thankful for a brownie to put a bend in the rod!
  16. River Kennet - Thatcham 0900 - 1130. Cool & murky. 7ºC. River low and clear - very low for December. 1 Chub: 3lb 15oz. 7 Roach - all handsized with a couple of netters of around 10oz. 1 Dace - 11oz (first cast!). 2 Brownies - small. With river levels so low both of today's venues were a bit of a gamble. And one which very nearly didn't pay off! I'd fished all my usual hotspots with nothing remotely chubby in residence - though the big dace was a nice bonus. I was trotting my final swim before packing up for an early lunch and a move downstream. The swim is a long shallow glide - I don't expect to get chub from it - but that's what turned up in it today - right at the bottom of the trot too - took an age to coax it up in the current. And whilst not as big as I'd hoped (or thought it might be from its dogged fight) it saved the day - especially as I all but blanked in my afternoon session (see Part 2).
  17. River Kennet - Brimpton 1215 - 1445 Cool & overcast. 8ºC. River low and positively threadbare - we need some rain! 1 Dace - 8oz or so. 3 Brownies - a couple over 1lb and one of around ½lb. A real struggle in very low water - I'd hoped the dull weather would compensate - but not to be! I did actually find some chub - shoaled up under some tree roots in around 18 inches of water - but despite trickling maggots past their liar for 20 minutes - couldn't tempt them out into open water.
  18. River Kennet - Hambridge 1030 - 1200 Cool & bright. AT 6ºC. River low (very low for December) and clear. 1 Chub: 2lb. 10 Roach (nothing of any size). 5 Dace; (a couple in the 6-8oz class). 1 Grayling. 1 Brownie c1lb. Hadn't planned on a '2 venue morning' but having abandoned the Lambourn early couldn't resist a sneaky hour or so in a favourite swim. As the river was bathed in bright winter sunshine I really didn't expect any chub so forewent my usual bait and wait approach and started fishing as soon as I was on the bank. Ironically the grayling was my first bite followed by 20 mins or so of the silvers at pretty much 'a fish a chuck'. Bites were just starting to tail off when the chub showed up - a bit of a bonus and before the swim trashing brownie put in an appearance!
  19. Northcroft Stream - Newbury 1030 - 1200 Cool, bright and breezy with a heavy shower to finish off. River low and clear. 2 Chub; 1lb 13oz with the other less than half that. 2 Doz Dace - most quite chunky - around 6oz with 2 or 3 bigger. With a dodgy forecast for the weekend and a day off work - the first of a couple of impromptu trips. I wanted to be quite near the car in case I needed to make a dash for it when the showers came - but the worst of it passed to the east of me. In fact I could have done with a bit of cloud cover, bright conditions and low water being less than ideal conditions for winkling out a big chub - so happy to get a couple of any description.
  20. River Kennet - Speen Moors 0900 - 1245 Mild and overcast - with the earlier drizzle thankfully stopped. AT 11ºC. River low for late Nov - but then we've hardly had a drop of rain for the last 3 weeks! 2 Chub: 2lb 15oz, 1lb 8oz. 1 Perch 1lb 7oz. 5 Roach. 1 Dace. 1 Brownie 1½lb- sigh! I hate trout! Having tip-toe'd into the top of a favoured chub swim and trickled maggot in for 10 minutes I managed to pull off the perfect cast - and had the float running down just the line I wanted - and sure enough at just the spot I expected - it buried into the depths. Alas, my strike didn't meet the stubborn resistance of a big chub but an explosion on the surface as a flippin trout went bonkers. I rarely get more than one chance in this swim and so it proved. I tried a couple of other less reliable spots without so much as a sucked maggot and after an hour and a half was abandoning Parliament Draft, chubless for the first time this season. So to spare my blushes it was back to the weirpool - reliable as ever and if somewhat on the slow and steady side, it did at least manage to offer up a half decent chub - literally last cast!
  21. River Kennet - Thatcham 1100 - 1330 Mild and overcast - 12ºC. River up a couple of inches - with surprisingly little leaf litter here compared to what I had to contend with further upstream (see pt1). 1 Chub; 2lb 14oz. 2 Dace & 1 Roach. Scratchy couple of hours - not helped by the usually reliable weirpool seemingly stuffed with minnows and little else. Thankfully one of the 'semi-reliable' chub swims gave up one of its occupants!
  22. River Kennet - Hambridge 0800 - 1030 Mild, overcast and breezy. AT 12ºC. River at normal levels - up a tad on a month ago - and full of leaf litter - which is to be expected at this time of year! 1 Chub; 2lb 3oz. 30 Dace and Roach (slightly more roach) nothing to trouble the scales. 1 Grayling. 3 Bleak. 1 Brownie 2lb+. Chub first cast (as per normal!) quickly followed by the brownie - which went ballistic, going airborne repeatedly, to ensure I didn't get another!
  23. I walked straight to the moors, having opted against my planned early morning start on the canal as the frosty minus two degree temperature would certainly keep the perch firmly under their duvets. Had a fun first hour at the weir pool, bringing in a 10oz stripey (I guess river fish can't afford to be as lethargic as their canal based cousins), two roach, two gudgeon (hurrah!), a 14 ounce chub and a 2.5lb brownie. When the bites dried, I moved to parliamentary draft, baiting up each of the 4 swims I fished for the mandatory 15 minutes before daring to drop in a hook. Over the next three hours or so, I didn't get a single bite. Sure, the flow was still very slow, but the curse the moors' fish gods cast over me persists. Eventually, I moved back to the weir for a further half hour with no more bites. By now a slightly warmer front had moved in, and the breeze turned westerly. With a good three hours+ of sun having hit the canal before the murky clouds moved in, I figured the perch might be hungry having missed their morning meal and walked to the canal. It was a bleak afternoon. Just the two of them, and nothing else. Hardly even a bite. I stayed til dusk, the perch's preferred tea time, but nothing. Not sure why I keep persisting with Speen Moors, but doubtless I will be back. Watch this space - if you can be bothered! On a brighter note; bird sightings. Final score: Kingfishers 4 Cormorants 2.
  24. River Kennet - Speen Moors 1000 - 1530 Bright and mainly sunny after early morning rain. AT around 13ºC all day. River still quite low and clear despite a wet October (109mm and counting!) 6 Chub; 4lb 10oz, 2lb 0oz and 4 in the ½-1lb bracket (of course!). 1 Perch 1lb 11oz. 17 Roach - only one troubled the scales (as I thought it would make a pound!) @ 14oz. 3 Dace. 1 Bleak. 2 Brownies; a 2+lber and a smallun. First hour and a half on Parliament Draft which accounted for both the bigger Chub. Then enboldened by the news that a working party had cleared a path on the back carrier I set off to find a favourite chub swim of the past. Alas, less than 50% of the length had been cleared and after a sweaty 30 mins trying to fight my way through the undergrowth and fallen trees I gave up and headed back to the big weirpool - where I pretty much spent the rest of the session. Chub and Speedia
  25. The plan was to go for the perch on the canal at first light, then walk to the nearby river for the rest of the session. It turned out a day of three halves: 1st: Having bruised my knuckle opening the stubborn metal gate, the first chilly morning of the year (3 degrees) helped stem the blood flow. The perch were still reasonably active, with six coming in the first hour of daylight ,with two about a pound. 2nd. I made my debut fishing the weirpool, squeezed between two alder stumps for a few tiny roach and one clonking great dace. After an hour I moved on to a straight stretch of the river known as parliament drive. Here I managed to get a shoal of roach feeding, and had nine, two of which were a good half pound+. I lost a few, then added hemp to the loose feeding to hold them. But then the west wind fired up, creating quite a chop and making me think my presentation via a 4AAA loafer was not as controlled as it had been, and the bites stopped. 3rd. I moved swims, and while baiting it up, managed to stick my hand into excrement, which I told myself at the time was not human, but I strongly suspect was. There were no bites here either trotting the maggs or after switching to a legered lob. Back to my 'roach' swim, there was nothing going despite prebaiting again with maggs with the odd ball of mashed bread for 15 minutes before recasting.. With the prevailing wind still prevalent, I moved again, to a more sheltered section with a footbridge. I prebaited judiciously, but not a single bite on the trot, or the legered worm. I'm starting to think that the chub are laughing at me, I just can't seem to catch one.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.