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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
Venues & topics
Species
Archive

Local drain - Chatteris (1)

Fillenham's Drain
Venue: Local drain

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

Arrival time: 13.30
Weather: Overcast with some light drizzle. Still mild for time of year.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, porcupine quill, 6lb line direct to 16 wire hook.
Baits: Maggots.
Fish: Rudd, roach & perch

While waiting to get the auxiliary battery changed on my car I didn't want to use it any more than necessary. So I decided to check out a small drain that runs along the edge of town. I had spoken to a couple of young lads a while back whom I saw in town carrying fishing rods, asking them where they fished. They said 'The Stink', a local name for the drain. I've never witnessed a 'stink', but that's what they call it. During a previous walk I had seen a spot where there were signs that people had fished, so that's where I headed.

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Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch

Fields End (123)

Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 09.30
Weather: Mild with hardly a breath of wind. Sunny all day.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler , 6lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, Spam and bread flake.
Fish: Rudd, roach & perch. One lost carp.

With the latest river report from Offord not being very promising I decided to take a short trip to my local commercial at Fields End. I had also had some minor procedures at the hospital the previous day and had been advised to take it easy, another reason for avoiding carting tackle along a river or stream. Arriving at the lake I found it quiet but with an extremely low water level. I don't like fishing from platforms at the best of times but it now involved sitting uncomfortably high above the water.

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Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch

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

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

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