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Diary of an average angler

Who favours traditional methods & baits

fisherman

This diary dates back to a holiday in 2003 when I think the urge to get back into fishing took off. From around 2007 the trips became more frequent with 2010/11 probably being the peak of activity.
Things again pick up in 2020 - a sort of rebirth!

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Venues & topics
Species
Archive

The Chubb Stream (19)

Venue: Chubb Stream

You can view the video on this page or open YouTube by clicking the YouTube icon above.

Arrival time: 09.00.
Weather: Cloudy start and brightening later. Very warm and humid.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 hook.
Baits: bread flake.
Fish: 2 chub - best 3½lbs.

I had been deliberating as to whether to go out on the Opening Day but as I had other things planned during the week it was then or not at all. I worried about the fact that so many anglers would be out so, having decided to go, I headed for the St Ives Chubb Stream as I knew it was lightly fished. In fact the bankside vegetation had not been disturbed in the swims I fished, so I was the first to try to tempt the chub. And I succeeded but it was very challenging.

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Species: Chub

Barnwell (1)

North Lake
Venue: Barnwell

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Arrival time: 09.20 (not fishing until 10:45)
Weather: Cloudy bright with a gusty wind
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler, 6lb line with 3.8lb Supplex fluorocarbon hook length to a 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots & sweetcorn.
Fish: A PB tench & a few small rudd.

The previous week my wife and I had gone to Barnwell Country Park as I wanted to check out a couple of Nene back channels on the Wellingborough club ticket. Unfortunately I couldn't gain access to the back channels but found the lakes in the park quite interesting, particularly as there were reports of good tench fishing. So I returned to buy a season ticket and have a go fishing the lakes. It ended up involving a few changes of swim but in the last spot I took a PB tench.

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Species: Rudd, Tench

Fields End (125)

Venue: Fields End

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Arrival time: 08.15
Weather: Overcast and brightening later with a SW breeze.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, preloaded waggler, 8lb line with 6lb fluorocarbon hook length to a 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, spam & sweetcorn.
Fish: a couple of nice rudd among small rudd, roach & perch.

I decided to take a chance on Fields End despite not doing that well there of late. Unfortunately my luck didn't really change. I arrived just after the site opened and chose the SW corner spot, because it was nearest the car park and sheltered from the SW breeze. That's not to say that it was a poor choice of swim, since I have caught there in the past.

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Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch

Earith (20)

Venue: Earith

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Arrival time: 08.45
Weather: Bright start clouding over later. Swim largely sheltered from gusty wind.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, waggler, 8lb line direct to 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, Spam & cheese paste.
Fish: 2 tench and a bream.

After mulling over whether to go to Fields End I finally decided to revisit Earith. My catches at Fields End over the past couple of years have been mainly rudd with the occasionally large carp, whereas Earith offers more mixed fishing with tench, bream, crucians and carp. The lake was quite busy but my preferred spot around the back was free, being too far to walk for most people.

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Species: Tench, Bream

Earith (19)

Venue: Earith

You can view the video on this page or open YouTube by clicking the YouTube icon above.

Arrival time: 08.45
Weather: Bright start clouding over later with no noticeable wind.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, waggler, 6lb line direct to 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, Spam & cheese paste.
Fish: A few bream, a roach, a crucian hybrid, a lost tench & two lost carp.

Back to Earith as I thought it might be the least busy after the bank holiday weekend, and for most of the time I was indeed the only person on the lake. With no discernible wind the conditions were far easier than on my previous visit and I was hopeful for a tench or two. There was a lot of bubbling when I arrived along with carp thrashing about in the lilies and reeds. They had apparently started spawning the day before. I groundbaited and set to catching my quarry.

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Species: Bream, Roach, Crucian

The Clay Pit (26)

Side pond
Venue: The Clay Pit

You can view the video on this page or open YouTube by clicking the YouTube icon above.

Arrival time: 08.30
Weather: A bright day with a cold easterly wind that freshened and became a nuisance.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler, single shot, 6lb main line to 12 eyed hook.
Changed to link leger for last few hours.
Baits: Maggots, sweetcorn & Spam
Fish: A large bream, a tench and a few small roach, rudd and perch. Two lost fish.

With sciatica still troubling me and gusty wind forecast I went to the Clay Pit side pond where I could park next to where I was fishing, while hoping that the more sheltered location would afford some protection against the wind. But in reality the wind became so gusty that it proved to be quite a problem. I had also done quite well on this little pond in the past so I was hoping for a bit of easy fishing. But as it turned out the fishing was as challenging as the wind!

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Species: Tench, Bream, Roach, Perch, rudd

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