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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 (25)

Back Channel & 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: 09.45
Weather: Light cloud cover and feshening wind. Still very warm for time of year.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, link leger and 6lb line direct to 8 hook. Changed to 12 hook during session.
Baits: Bread flake & worms.
Fish: One small roach and a smaller perch.

My third visit to a swim on the back channel having walked the stretch the previous week and seen how it had improved, weed clearance having been carried out. Previous visits had produced only small fish so this time I decided to try for something better, taking bread flake and worms rather than maggots, as was the case previously. Unfortunately the better fish didn't show up. In fact catching anything was a challenge. I later moved on to the Trout Stream.

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Species: Roach, Perch

Houghton (24)

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: 10.00
Weather: Bright start with increasing cloud cover. Still quite warm.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 4.4lb line, 3.8lb Supplex hook length to a 12 eyed hook. .
Baits: Maggots, sweetcorn & bread.
Fish: Roach, perch, bream, dace & bleak.

I had fished this spot back in July having moved there from the weir pool further upstream. On that occasion I was using a light quivertip rod and caught a few fish, including some perch. I had thought at the time that the swim would fish well by trotting a float so that's what I tried. There was more flow after some decent rain and there was more water in the channel. The flow actually increased while I was there as did the depth, but unfortunately this seemed to have a negative effect.

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Species: Roach, Perch, Dace, Bream, Bleak

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

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.

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Species: Chub

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.

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Species: Chub

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