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Diary of an average angler

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
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River Great Ouse - Offord (39)

Triangle & Mill Stream

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Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Chilly with low cloud cover and complete absence of wind.
Tackle: Korum 10ft 'All Rounder' 1.1lb TC, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, small bomb leger, 6lb line to size 8 eyed hook..
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: One decent chub.

My plan was to go to the tip of the Triangle section and fish the crease between the main flow and the outflow of the lock cutting and mill stream. I had been successful with this approach in the past. On this occasion the main river flow wasn't all that strong, meaning that there wasn't actually a well defined crease. Whether this influenced the fishing it's hard to say but there was certainly no immediate action.

The Chubb Stream (16)

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Arrival time: 9.30 am
Weather: Overcast but quite mild for late October. No wind.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 6 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake & worm.
Fish: Blank

I had walked the first two meadows of the Chubb Stream a few days earlier and with some extra water flowing it looked really inviting. I was, therefore, feeling quite positive when I arrived but the water level had dropped somewhat and the stream was running very clear, neither being good omens for chubbing. My confidence was then dampened further when another angler turned up shortly after I arrived and walked off before me. Following somebody into a swim in such conditions would almost certainly kill any chance of a chub.

Fields End (120)

Autumn session

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Arrival time: 09.30
Weather: Bright autumn day and unseasonably mild. Light breeze from behind.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, antenna waggler, 6lb line to a 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, worms & luncheon meat
Fish: 2 good carp, a rudd and small roach & perch.

Still suffering from the effects of the shingles virus, I had decided against a fishing trip two days earlier. Feeling a bit better I went to my nearest water, the Fields End Pit, hoping for some sport with roach and rudd, with the possibility of a carp coming along. As it was the roach and rudd proved to be illusive but a couple of good carp made up for their absence.

River Great Ouse - Offord (38)

Top Stream & Car Park Pool

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Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Cold & damp with a chilly north-westerly wind. Mainly overcast with occasional sunny intervals.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 feeder rod with 1oz quiver, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line direct to 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: One decent bream, a very small roach and a minuscule dace.

The EA website and the OBAS club Facebook page suggested that the river level at Offord had returned to normal so I decided to take a gamble and give it a try. I headed for the Top Stream as I thought it would probably be the least affected by the extra water, but I was to be proved wrong. It had a strongish flow and was very coloured. What's more the bank was slippery and quite dangerous. I had hoped for perch, thus the choice of maggots and worms as bait but I soon doubted my chances.

The Clay Pit (19)

Side pond

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Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Beautiful sunny autumn day with a fresh breeze.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler with lift-method single shot, 6lb line direct to 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, bread flake and spam. Hemp-based groundbait with added hemp & sweetcorn.
Fish: Two tench and a carp. Two fish lost.

A mild episode of shingles delayed my return to the water, this being my first outing for three weeks. After a couple of challenging trips to the 20ft drain, and general malaise because of the shingles, I decided on an 'easy' session on the side ponds at the Clay Pit. I usually mange a few fish on this venue and being able to park almost next to the swim was a bonus, given my post-viral state! I was fortunate to get the spot I usually fish although there were a few people on the main lake.

Middle Level drains (2)

20ft drain March

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Arrival time: 10.30
Weather: Chilly start but bright sun and very little wind all day.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy VX Rova Specimen, Shimano 5000 RE baitrunner, cage feeder, 8lb main line with 5lb flourocarbon hook length to 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, bread & corn with hemp-based groundbait & hemp feed.
Fish: A small rudd and a reasonable perch.

A return to the 20ft drain to try a different approach, having been advised to try a feeder and groundbait. I hadn't bought proprietary groundbait for years and chose a hemp-based mixture with worm meal. I also mixed in some sweetcorn and hempseed. In high anticipation I cast in and sat back to watch my low-tech cork bobbin. And not much happened!

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