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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
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Species
Archive
Venues & topics
Species
Archive

River Great Ouse - Offord (49)

Top Stream & other swims
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.15
Weather: Mainly overcast after a bright start. Gusty wind throughout session.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, 6lb line, 4lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 16 wire hook.
Baits: Maggots & worms.
Fish: 4 perch

I decided on another crack at the perch having only discovered a working method at the end of my session a couple of weeks earlier. I opted to float fish using my match rod in view of the depth of water, which was around 10ft. I thought that a float would be the best option, indication wise, but in the event I didn't get a touch and moved swims after a while. Another move followed, neither move proving fruitful, so I went back to where started and, just like on my previous visit, finally hit on a method that tempted a few perch.

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Species: Perch

River Great Ouse - Offord (48)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Mix of cloud & sunny spells. Chilly breeze freshening during the day.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste & worms.
Fish: Two small chub

After a reasonable amount of rain over the preceding weekend I decided to try the Mill Stream for chub. The club had reported the level up about an inch over the summer level. Not a great improvement but at least some water was moving through. The car park was empty when I arrived and there wasn't anybody on the stream. So I had the pick of swims. I made my way about half way along where trees that had made fishing virtually impossible earlier in the season had been cut back, making the swim much more accessible.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (47)

Top Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Top Stream

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

Arrival time: 09.30
Weather: Light cloud cover for most of the day. Not too cold and hardly any wind.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 'Finesse Feeder' rod with 1oz quiver, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: All perch with just one gudgeon

With autumn beginning to make itself felt through cooler weather and drizzly days, it seemed a good time to target perch. My best perch session was a few years ago on the top stream and that's where I decided to go, hoping for a repeat performance. But I have had such hopes before and they weren't realised. So would it be different this time? Well, for a long time it certainly didn't seem like it.

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Species: Perch, Gudgeon

River Great Ouse - Offord (46)

Mill Stream & Lock Cutting
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

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

Arrival time: 09.15.
Weather: Bright start with increasing cloud cover. Remained mild with little wind.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, Drennan 4-swan loafer float, 6lb line to 12 eyed hook (stream).
Pre-loaded waggler with a 3lb pre-tied Drennan hook length and 16 wire hook (lock cutting)
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: Mainly perch with just one small roach

Another trip to Offord this time to try trotting the Mill Stream. I had my eye on the glide that runs down to the road bridge and was pleased to see it was free when I arrived. I was using a 4-swan Drennan loafer float that I thought would handle the flow but recent rain had livened things up a bit. A combination of some turbulence and a faster flow made controlling the float extremely difficult. After a fairly short while I decided to make a move, setting up in the much calmer water of the lock cutting.

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Species: Perch, Roach

River Great Ouse - Offord (45)

Top Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Top Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00.
Weather: Bright start with freshening wind and increasing cloud cover.
Tackle: 10ft TFG Compact Float rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line direct to 16 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: Roach, rudd and perch

When I was leaving Offord the previous week I chatted to a chap fishing a spot on the Top Stream where I had in the past caught perch, including my PB of 1lb 14oz. On other occasions when I've fished there the perch haven't obliged. But as he was having some success I decided to return to Offord and give the spot a try. Unusually for me I went on a Saturday so I wasn't sure if the spot would be free, but I needn't have worried as there was hardly an angler to be seen anywhere.

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Species: Roach, Rudd, Perch

River Great Ouse - Offord (44)

Car Park Pool
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord

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

Arrival time: 09.20.
Weather: Overcast and not too hot with occasional light breeze
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, pre-loaded waggler , 6lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Changed to a size 16 fine wire / 3lb hook length.
Baits: Bread flake and sweetcorn.
Fish: Roach

After much deliberation as to whether I should go to a lake or a river I decided to try the Car Park Pool at Offord. I had planned to fish a swim on the opposite bank to the car park, taking a float road to fish what is basically static water. I had hoped for some roach with the remote chance of a tench. However, on arrival, the pool was heavily weeded with a large area covered by surface weed and possibly algae. Plumbing the depth in my chosen swim I almost lost the plummet when it snagged in weed, so I moved to a spot near the access to that section of bank. It was just downstream from a small weir and I hoped it would be less weedy and the water better oxygenated.

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Species: Roach

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