I Had a Good Week on the Kennet

It all started when I was asked to be the guest speaker for the AGM of Kennet Valley Fishery Association on Thursday 27th January, I agreed in exchange for a donation to the ABF - The Soldiers Charity, A few days before leaving home I checked the weather forecast for the week, I thought I thought it might be tough for barbel, but the Kennet chub and perch should feed.

On the long drive south I had for company Dave Foster a keen coarse and game angler, David also hoped to join me in summer fly fishing for bass on the West Wales coastline. On this trip we decided to fish the Kennet and Loddon for a week then drive across to the River Wye at Ross for a few more days.

Three years ago I purchased a microwave oven; I can clip onto the car battery or push into cigarette lighter it enables me and my friends to have a hot meal at the waterside, a great bit of kit. During the previous week, Kate had prepared several hot pots and Shepherds pies which were then frozen; they would be our dinners during the first week. David collected 10 large loaves of bread from his local baker, while I collected ten pounds of sausage meat from my local butcher I also ordered 6 tubs of Pallatrax cheese paste and from Tadley Angling we would get 200 lobworms.

5-0am Sunday morning I’m in the BBC Radio Lancashire studio working on a programme, at seven o’clock I stopped for breakfast. Eight o’clock the press officer and junior secretary of Lymm Anglers arrived where I interviewed them on the clubs history their tie up with Pallatrax baits and the work of the junior section. When they left an hour later I had the feeling that Lymm Anglers were doing a good job for our sport. I left the studio around eleven o’clock for home where David was waiting. We then called in at Perrys of Clitheroe, where I road tested a small Peugeot 107. With the high price of petrol I needed a car with good mileage. After paying a deposit for them to hold the vehicle until I returned home, David and I headed south. It was just after five in the afternoon when we pulled into the Wasing Fishery car park at Dalston.

Water Temperature of 44 degrees F

The first job was to check the water temperature, where we got a very pleasant surprise finding the W/T was a nice 44 degrees F, certainly an excellent chance of barbel; we chose to fish a swim just below some overhead cables at the bottom end of the beat, just upstream of a large bush which looked ideal for both chub and barbel. I’ve found from past experience that barbel and chub will under cover of darkness move close in to the bank over some fine gravel and swaying water crowfoot, that’s where I planned to ambush them. David chose to fish bait downstream, fishing 12 lb Gamma line on powerful Avon action rod, I chose 6lb Gamma on a very soft action Avon rod. Under the current water conditions I am quite capable of handling any barbel I hook. We both chose to fish 4 LG shot lightly pinched on the line six inches from a size 4 barbless Pallatrax hook, bait was a large chunk of crust.

Having introduced a few pieces of hook size chunks of bread flake, I put the kettle on for a brew, as we sat drinking tea and eating beef and pickle sandwiches we both agreed the chances of hooking a barbel looked good. After leaving the swims quiet for about half an hour, we both dropped a chunk of crust in our chosen spots. David fished his bait close to a bush that was partially in the water, while I fished bait tight to the bank in about three feet of smooth flowing water. Fifteen minutes later I had my first fish a barbel about 6lbs, this was quickly followed by a fish about 8lbs.

A Good Fish

An hour later with no more bites, I put the kettle on for a brew, we both commented on how the air temperature had dropped quite dramatically. I pulled up the collar of my coat then stuffed my hands into the pockets I sat looking at a motionless rod tip. A cold wind ruffled the water surface causing me to shiver, suddenly the rod tip moved half an inch. Picking up the rod I pushed it forward to give a few inches of line, suddenly the bow in the line tightened.

Striking I set the hook into a good fish; calling to David I said “I’ve got a good fish on” The clutch worked perfectly as the fish powered down stream a few yards before I got control. I soon had the fish under the rod top, shaking its head, occasionally taking a few inches of line, which I soon got back on the reel. David arrived with the net; I slowly pulled the fish upstream. As David sunk the net I guided the fish over it, he quickly lifted, and the fish was mine. On the bank we both though a double. The scales said 9-8-0, certainly a good start to the week

We fished on for another hour, despite catching two more fish, I reckon we should have packed after the first fish, as by now David was shivering, but he wouldn’t give up. In the end I had to say lets go its getting very cold. Back at the car, he was shivering, shaking, and in a bad way. Back at our accommodation I made him a hot drink, after ensuring he had taken his prescribed tablets, he was soon was tucked up in bed.

Thatcham Health Centre

Next morning David’s face was badly swollen, his left eye had virtually closed, after a cup of tea I said “We are going off to the Thatcham Health Centre to see a doctor and there is no arguing. Arriving about ten o’clock we were told a doctor would see him at eleven. After being given an injection and some antibiotics we went back to our accommodation where he was soon tucked up in bed.

More Barbel

3 o’clock in the afternoon with David sleeping, I went off fishing, this entailed a three mile walk. I chose to fish up and downstream of the ‘Salmon Hut’ The W/T was 45 degrees F which surprised me. After baiting half a dozen swims with bait size pieces of Pallatrax cheese paste, I put the kettle on for a brew which I badly needed after the long cross country walk.

A robin and several goldfinches quickly appeared, reaching in my bag I chucked a handful of sunflower hearts, then some small bits of cheese paste on the ground, the finches were soon devouring the seeds, while the robin picked up a piece of cheese, liking the taste it flew off with it to an ivy clad bush. Soon it back for another piece. Eventually all the cheese was gone. As I waited for the kettle to boil I put a box of hooks and some shot in my pocket, chucked a pot of Pallatrax cheese paste, some sausage meat and a loaf of bread in my small shoulder bag.

I didn’t bring a chair or rod rest, just a small bit of sponge to sit or kneel on. Finishing my tea, I picked up rod, landing net shoulder bag then made my way to the top swim. In five hours fishing my baited spots, I caught five chub and seven barbel, best chub at 5-6-0 my best barbel weighed in at 10-4-0 all on cheese paste. I was certainly well rewarded for the effort in making the long walk. After packing up I had a long walk back to my lodgings.

Chub and Barbel

Next day after another long walk to the river, I found the W/T again 45 degrees F. I chose to fish the Warren beat on the Wasing water, hiding my gear in the woods, I went off and baited several swims on the right hand bank as far down stream as the ‘Salmon Hut’ then walked back upstream on the opposite bank baiting several more swims. Back in the car park swim I put the kettle on for a brew, and then put together my rods. In my shoulder bag I had cheese paste, sausage paste and bread, I reckon with the steady water temperature I should catch on one of those baits. I fished my way downstream catching several chub and barbel, the chub averaged about 3lbs the barbel 6lbs, today the fish didn’t want cheese or sausage they were all caught on bread.

Having arrived at the bottom of the beat I had a brew and sandwich before making my way back upstream fishing the baited swims on the opposite bank. In the ‘Pipe Swim’ I had a nice fish about 7lbs two about 5lbs and a chub about 4lbs, it was turning into a good day. My next choice swim was ‘Bearings’ where I had three good bites catching two barbel averaging about 8lbs. Fishing for an hour into the darkness with no more bites I moved into the ‘Slack Alice swim’. I chucked in some hook size pieces of bread, and then got a call from Ian Crook saying he would be with me in about 40 minutes. Casting out a chunk of crust I quickly had a barbel about 5lbs. I then enjoyed a mug of tea with a sandwich. A while later I walked upstream to let Ian into the car park.

Soon Ian and I were back in the Slack Alice swim enjoying a mug of tea and chatting about all things piscatorial. Occasionally a cock pheasant crowed from the wood behind us, no doubt disturbed by a fox on the prowl. Ian soon had a good pull which was missed; thirty minutes later I had a good pull on crust baited rod, connecting with what felt like a good fish. After a couple of minutes the fish got rid of the hook. About an hour later my cheese baited rod tip pulled round the answering strike connected with a barbel. Soon Ian netted the fish about 6lbs, we fished on until midnight with no more fish, but it had been a good day. What made it better was the company of Ian and not having the long walk back to my lodgings.

David is back on the River

Today David was feeling a lot better, after a trip to Tadley Angling we went off to the river, I suggested he fish “Bodsworths” it was a sheltered swim, after helping get his tackle and brew making gear into the swim and making sure he was ok, I went off to the Brimpton beat fishing the weir pool, I quickly had a barbel about 5lbs on crust plus two chub about 3lbs. Moving downstream from the Weir Pool I fished a piece of bread flake under a far bank tree where I had a nice chub about 4lbs. Just upstream of the disabled platform I got a barbel of about 6lbs on sausage paste.

I then walked downstream to see David making sure he had made a mug of Lemsip, and taken his tablets. He was in good spirits. I moved down stream a few yards where I quickly had a barbel of about 5lbs on crust. Showing the fish to David I said “Keep at it the barbel are still feeding” I then made my way to the Warren car park swim catching a nice chub of about 4lbs in the mouth of the side stream. In the Brimpton car park swim I caught two barbel from under the far bank bush, a noted barbel spot. Bait was sausage meat. Moving upstream a few yards, I fished bait under the rod tip for about half an hour without a bite. With the temperature falling I went down to David who was getting cold so we packed up. Sadly David didn’t get a bite fishing birdseed boily on a hair.

Fish can be Strange Creatures

Thursday with no one on the river, David and I decided to fish downstream of the car park swim where a large tree had crashed into the river several years ago. A noted chub and barbel swim. David fished just below the tree, while I moved downstream several yards to fish a far bank swim. Checking the W/T I got a reading of 43 degrees F which didn’t surprise me with the cold wind blowing downstream. After spending about an hour throwing small chicken egg size pieces of mashed bread tight to the far bank swim. I left it alone for about an hour, while I helped David, suggesting he drop the cheese paste baited hook into a depression on the river bed. The other rod baited with sausage meat fished tight to the bank.

Within minutes David had a good pull on cheese paste which he missed. Twenty minutes later he got a good pull on the sausage meat hooking a chub which quickly swirled on the surface then threw the hook. It wasn’t David’s day. I then moved into my swim where for an hour I bumped crust down the swim without a sign of a bite. It’s rare I can’t catch a chub from this swim. It was time for lunch, I quickly got David a bowl of hot chicken soup with a cheese sandwich, then warmed up some vegetable soup for me.

After lunch I went downstream catching 2 barbel about 4lbs each on crust. Back at David’s swim he told me he had missed several bites on sausage meat paste. I then fished the bread mash baited swim, with a piece of sausage meat paste. Within minutes I had a chub about 2lbs. quickly followed by another of 4lbs. Baiting with a large piece of sausage meat paste I rolled it downstream, feeling a light pluck then a steady pull I set the hook into a good fish. A chub was soon netted, on the scales we agreed it weighed 5-6-0. Fish are strange creatures any other time I would get fish on crust, today they ignored it but were happy to take sausage meat paste, from a swim where I always used bread and fed bread mash. At dusk with the temperature dropping fast we left the river.

A Brace of Five Pound Chub

Friday morning 28th January was bitterly cold, after a late breakfast it was off to Tadley Angling for a chat where David ordered some new legs and feet for his chair, we then went off to the Newbury business park for food processor. After lunch we had a short session on the Kennet. This time choosing to fish the river near Aldermaston Newbury AA water with plenty of tree cover on the banks, known for its quality barbel. The W/T was 41 degrees, we targeted one fish the chub, bread crust on a short link would be our first choice.

We fished together getting some shelter from the north easterly behind David’s umbrella. We both used Pallatrax size 4 barbless hooks to 6lb Gamma 4 LG shot 4 inches from the hook. Baiting with crust David fished the far bank dropping the bait close to an over hanging Alder tree, I fished my bait downstream to a Willow tree with many of its branches trailing in the water. Ten minutes later as I was making a brew. David shouted “you have a bite” looking up the rod was well bent. I didn’t need to strike the fish hooked itself. After a good fight from the fish David netted a big chub, we both said “That looks a six pounder” it weighed 5-14-0 a great fish on a very cold day. David went off upstream to release the fish, suddenly I realised I hadn’t got a pic I called out to David “Don’t put the fish back yet I don’t have a picture” It was too late David had released the fish. We fished on in the bitterly cold wind for another hour, then I had a slight movement on the rod tip; pushing the rod forward I felt the line tighten over my finger striking at the same time. Within minutes David netted a nice chub. This one weighed in at 5-6-0. After an hour in the darkness with no more bites, we decided to call it a day. It was two very cold shivering anglers who walked back upstream to the car park.

Saturday morning we left for the River Wye where we planned a few days fishing, getting out of the car in Ross we remarked how cold it was as we headed off to Morrison’s for breakfast. As we walked to Morrison’s I said to David “I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be sitting on a cold river bank and thought he would be better off at home”. As we stood ordering our breakfast, a large pot on the stove in the kitchen burst into flame, I immediately rushed into the kitchen, saying “where the fire blanket” A lady pointed to it, grabbing hold I unfurled it then edging close to the fire I enveloped the flames in the blanket, at the same time trying to find which tap turned off the gas. Having dealt with the problem I went back and completed my breakfast order then collected a cup of coffee. My good deed for the day was done. Over breakfast David agreed we should go home. On the way back to the car we called in at Wye Angling to pick up a few items of tackle including some great plummets. Just after 2 o’clock in the afternoon I was back home. The end of some good fishing.