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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
Species
Archive

River Great Ouse - Offord (33)

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: 09.45
Weather: Cloudy start. Sunny & warm following brief rain shower. Light breeze.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 6 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: One chub & one chublet. Another chub lost.

My first trip to a stream this season. There were only two cars in the car park when I arrived so I was hopeful that the mill stream would be free, as it turned out to be. Despite another carp having been reported from the car park pool there was only one bivvy there on this occasion but it is now on the map as a carp venue and I'm sure it will continue to attract the bivvy club.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (32)

Top Stream & Car Park Pool
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 sun and very warm with increasing cloud but little wind.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, 6lb line, 4lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 14 fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggots with hempseed attractor.
Fish: 3 small roach and 2 small perch.

I was full of hope for the first trip of the new season, with a clear plan of action, but it didn't go that well. I had decided to fish a swim on the Top Stream that I had eyed-up on previous visits. It can be affected badly by wind but with very little wind forecast this seemed an ideal opportunity. It is also secluded and away from the nearby public footpath, so everything looked good. With very little flow I had decided to try laying on with maggots, my target species being roach and perch. But it wasn't to be. A small roach slipped the hook early on but after that, besides a few half-bites, there was nothing happening.

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Species: Roach, Perch

River Great Ouse - Offord (31)

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

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

Arrival time: 10.30
Weather: Bright with increasing cloud and freshening wind.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 feeder rod with 1oz quiver, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, maggot feeder, 5lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggot & worm.
Fish: One perch and one ruffe.

With my left hip limiting my walking range I decided to go to the Top Stream at Offord which is only about a five minute walk from the car park. This choice was also influenced by the fact that the water level had been high following heavy rain and the Top Stream offered perhaps the least affected stretch, although in fact the main river had returned to normal levels. I stopped off at the tackle shop for maggots and worms, thus delaying my arrival.

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Species: Perch, Ruffe

River Great Ouse - Offord (30)

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

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

Arrival time: 09.50
Weather: Bright but cloudy with sunshine between clouds. Windy and certainly not overly hot.
Tackle: Ryan Burns 'Arrow' 10' split cane rod, Mitchell 300 reel, 2xSSG link leger, 7lb main / 5lb flouro-carbon hook length to 6 eyed hook.
Baits: Cheese paste, spam, flake.
Fish: One chub, an unwanted eel and a foul-hooked dace.

With my left hip playing up I hadn't been out fishing for over three weeks, but it had calmed down and I decided to go to the Offord Mill Stream as it would involve less walking than the other river venues that I normally fish. With no cars in the car park when I arrived it wasn't surprising to find nobody on the Mill Stream. I set up at the head of the stream and proposed to then work my way downstream, dropping in the few swims that exist.

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Species: Chub, Eel, Dace

River Great Ouse - Offord (29)

Mill Stream, Top Stream & Triangle
Venue: River Great Ouse |Mill Stream |Offord |Top Stream

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

Arrival time: 08.30
Weather: Warm start becoming very hot. Little wind throughout the session.
Tackle: Korum 'All Rounder' 10ft quiver with 1oz tip, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, 2xSSG (Mill Stream) / small bomb leger (elsewhere), 6lb line to 8/10 hooks
Baits: Bread flake & worm.
Fish: One chub, a roach & a dace all from the Mill Stream.

The plan for the session was to start at the Mill Stream in the hope of taking a chub or two, then to move to the Top Stream after perch. The first part was challenging, only one chub coming to the net. The second part proved to be even more challenging, with not a bite at the Top Stream, nor in the pool below it. A move to the Triangle on the main river was equally disappointing.

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Species: Chub, Roach, Dace

River Great Ouse - Offord (28)

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

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

Arrival time: 10:30 (at swim)
Weather: Bright but cold. Little wind throughout the session.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to an 8 hook. Flat bed 1oz leger.
Baits: Cheese paste, luncheon meat & maggots.
Fish: A couple of small chub, a roach and a gudgeon.

With no rain for a couple of days I decided to take a chance on the Mill Stream at Offord. The river had been up and fast the previous week but I was pleased to find the Mill Stream in good condition. There was a good flow and it was still coloured but general speaking it looked very promising. I made my way to a swim about half way along that had been reliable in the past.

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Species: Chub, Roach, Gudgeon

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