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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 (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

The Chubb Stream (18)

Venue: Chubb Stream

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

Arrival time: 9.00 am
Weather: Warm start and becoming hot with only a light breeze and little cloud cover.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake & spam.
Fish: One chub

I had blanked on my last two trips to the Chubb Stream but decided to give it try having renewed my club membership this season. On arrival there was a good healthy flow but the water was crystal clear and the weed growth even more prolific than last year. With the bright sunny weather the conditions weren't therefore that great. I decided to head first to a swim that in the past was very reliable, although more recently it has disappointed. On getting there it was more difficult to fish than I had previously experienced.

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Species: Chub

The Clay Pit (23)

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: 09.30
Weather: Mild with increasing light cloud cover and little wind. Perfect conditions.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler with lift-method single shot, 6lb main line to 14/12 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake with crumbed bread ground bait and sweetcorn.
Fish: 7 tench (one juvenile) and 2 crucians.

Following a break of just over two weeks, caused by sitting out a hot spell followed by few days away, and then avoiding a period of heavy rains, I decided on an easy day at the side pond on the Clay Pit. This little pond has nearly always been kind to me and with parking next to the swim, and few people around, it was just about perfect for a restful session. The only disappointment was that the water level was down around a couple of feet, not great given that the pond is only normally about four to five feet deep.

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Species: Tench

River Great Ouse - Houghton (17)

Six Gate Weir
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton

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

Arrival time: 9.15
Weather: Last chance before another very hot spell. Temperature increasing after early cloud cover. Hardly any wind.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 'Finesse Feeder' rod with 1oz quiver, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line direct to 14/12 hook .
Baits: Maggots & bread flake
Fish: A fair number of dace and a few small roach

I had fished the Six Gate Weir pool the previous week after giving up on the Trout Stream. On that occasion I had caught one very respectable roach but missed most of the bites since my Trout Stream chub tackle wasn't really suitable. So I decided to return with a lighter and more sensitive rod, which at 9ft was also better for fishing under the trees. The river level was up after some welcome rain and there was a good flow over the weir. I did indeed manage to hook more of the bites but the better roach eluded me. There were however a lot of very hungry dace!

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Species: Roach, Dace, Perch

River Great Ouse - Houghton (16)

Trout Stream & main river
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: 8.30
Weather: Still warm after a few days of 30+ temperatures. Some cloud cover clearing late morning and a freshening breeze.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, 2SSG link, 6lb line to 8/10 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake
Fish: One roach.

I had taken a look at the Trout Stream a week before the season opened when there were a few difficult but fishable spots. After the very hot spell I thought a flowing stream might be a good bet, but talking to the bailiff on the walk down to the river he said that there was very little flow. This was indeed the case and the weed growth had increased significantly since my walk-about a few weeks earlier. I did however find out from the bailiff how to access the stretch upstream of the bridge.

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Species: Roach

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