Bob Goes Fishing | Welcome

Please rotate your device

This page is best viewed in Landscape orientation
(or tap anywhere to view in Portrait orientation)

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!

QR code

YouTube channel

Venues
& topics
Species
Archive
Venues & topics
Species
Archive

River Great Ouse - Offord (51)

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: 10.30.
Weather: A beautiful spring day but with a fresh downstream wind.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, block leger on link, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook..
Baits: Bread Flake & cheese paste.
Fish: Blank

For what was probably going to be my last trip of the season I decided on the Mill Stream, reports suggesting that the river was around four inches over normal level. On arrival I found the stream to be moving through quite quickly and hoped that exploring a few slacks near the far bank might find me a chub. The stream being a fairly straight channel it doesn't offer too many places of refuge for the fish in high water conditions.

Read full report

Species: Blank

River Great Ouse - Houghton (21)

Trout Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton |Trout Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Bright and windy. Not too cold but with increasing wind chill.
Tackle: 10' home-built fibreglass rod with Mitchell 300 reel, block leger on link, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake and cheese paste.
Fish: One chub not weighed.

The Trout Stream had been going up and down with the recurring periods of heavy rain but the river level information suggested that it was at last below the normal winter high level mark and steady. So, I thought I'd take a chance. On arrival, however, the stream was well up and at a level well above that when I had fished it in the past. It was likely that my usual favourite chub spots might not deliver on this occasion.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (50)

Car Park Pool
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Car Park Pool

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

Arrival time: 10.00.
Weather: Cold & bright with a light breeze.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, maggot feeder/2x2SSG link, 6lb line to 14 eyed hook..
Baits: Maggots & worms.
Fish: Blank

With the river having returned to a normal winter level, albeit with very strong flows in the main channels, I decided to try the Car Park Pool which usually presents much calmer water. My theory was that fish could have moved into the pool to get out of the heavy main flows. I had caught a bream in the pool on two previous visits and hoped that this species would be present again.

Read full report

Species: Blank

River Great Ouse - Houghton (20)

Trout Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton |Trout Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Overcast & cold (6˚C) but with no discernible wind.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, two SSG link, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Cheese paste & king prawns
Fish: One chub 3¾lbs

After a seven week gap I finally was out on the bank again. Following a second episode of heavy rain the river reports showed that the Ouse at Houghton was marginally above the seasonal norm and on the strength of this I made my way to the Trout Stream. Sure enough the stream was looking good. It was carrying a bit more water and had a nice colour, so prospects were promising.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Houghton (19)

Trout Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton |Trout Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Bright day with a light breeze. Temperature rising to 17˚C by early afternoon.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Cheese paste & Spam
Fish: One small chub

My previous trip to the Trout Stream was a disaster. Weed growth and overgrown banks, along with very low water and negligible flow, presaged a challenging session. And so it turned out. I caught nothing.

The decision to try again was prompted by some long awaited rain in our region, my hope being that even if the weeds and bank side vegetation hadn't declined that much, at least there would be some flow and a bit more depth. And this is what I found, causing me to have at least a hope of a chub, or maybe a couple.

Read full report

Species: Chub

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.

Read full report

Species: Perch

Page 1 / 13 Next Page >

© 2025 Robert Bassett

Report bugs to webmaster

Built in RapidWeaver
with Shaking The Habitual's
Source micro framework

Your privacy
Cookies are only used for the correct functioning of this site and to prevent you seeing this message every time you visit.

Read more about third party cookies ☞

Note that links to third party sites can result in cookies being loaded. For example, there are links to YouTube to display the embedded videos from my channel.