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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

Houghton (23)

Back Channel
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton

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

Arrival time: 09:30
Weather: Full sun becoming very warm throughout the day
Tackle: Korum 10ft 'All Rounder' 1.1lb TC, Shimano Exage 1000 reel, small bomb leger, 6lb line with a 4lb Drennan short hooklength to a 16 red fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, corn & hemp as attractor.
Fish: Roach, perch, gudgeon, bream.

With an overcast day forecast following days of endless sun I decided to try the Six Gate weir pool at Houghton. I had fished it a couple of times last July and caught predominantly dace with a few roach along the way. So I set up a light feeder rod and made the around 20 minute walk from the car. I arrived to find a barrier of nettles and other plants obstructing access to the pool. Another 20 minutes was spent clearing an opening using just small scissors from my tackle bag. Not a great start!

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Species: Roach, Perch, Gudgeon, Bream

Houghton Meadows (22)

Checking out the Trout Stream
Venue: Exploring |Houghton |Trout Stream

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

After weeks without rain, and knowing that the Trout Stream can be very weed congested in summer, I decided to check it out before committing to fishing it. It was also the case that I didn't want to actually go fishing because of the heat, as we were entering another period of extreme heat, the third this year!

My worst fears were confirmed with the stream being almost completely congested. Rushes were filling the whole width of the stream in many places, while lily pad beds and floating weed covered much of the remaining visible surface. The level was very low, there was negligible flow and the water gin clear! Verdict - basically unfishable.

See photos comparing 2025 with 2026

Species: Roach, Perch, Gudgeon

Fields End (125)

Venue: Fields End

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

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

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

The Clay Pit (25)

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: 09.00
Weather: A bit milder than of late and overcast most of the day, with a light but chilly wind.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler, single shot, 6lb main line to 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Red maggots
Fish: 3 tench and one came off, with a few roach & rudd and a solitary small perch.

My previous trip to the Clay Pit was when the rivers were very low because of lack of rain. This latest trip was because the rivers were over their banks as a result of almost incessant rain. The weather certainly seems to have gone haywire, or should I say the climate? It was a gamble to try the small stock pond because my only other winter visit there had resulted in a blank. But I thought a few days of slightly milder weather might have encouraged the tench to feed. There were a couple of carp anglers on the main lake but it was otherwise pretty deserted.

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Species: Tench, Rudd, Roach, Perch

Earith (17)

Venue: Earith

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Cold with a troublesome easterly breeze. A short sunny spell midday was welcomed.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, 6lb line, 3.5lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 16 fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggot & worms.
Fish: A good bag of mainly small roach, a couple of rudd & a bream, possibly hybrid.

With more rain having again caused rivers to rise and in places break their banks, I decided on another trip to a lake. I went to the small lake in Earith that I would normally fish in spring. I hadn't fished it in winter before but a call to the owner confirmed that silvers at least should be feeding. It turned out that I was the only angler on the lake. Exclusive or what!

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Species: Roach, Rudd, Bream, Perch

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