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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

River Great Ouse - Offord (56)

Mill 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: 09:30.
Weather: Overcast and no wind but becoming hot later as the sun broke through.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, link leger and 6lb line direct to 8 hook. .
Baits: Bread flake and cheese paste.
Fish: One decent chub

With the rivers still low and sluggish after the summer drought I decided to try the mill stream as it usually has some flow and the club had recently cleared rushes to improve the flow and clear a build up of surface weed. And in fact there was a good flow that seemed to increase a bit during the session, which didn't help bait presentation. It was also gin clear.

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Species: Chub

The Chubb Stream (20)

Venue: Chubb Stream

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Arrival time: 09.30.
Weather: cloudy and drizzly start but becoming sunny and very warm. Extremely humid.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, 6lb line direct to 8 hook.
Baits: bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: 3 small chub.

After a couple of sessions on still water I decided to try a few hours on the Chubb Stream, after chub of course. We had had recent rain and there was a bit of extra water in the stream, but although it had a good flow it remained very clear. I walked to a favourite spot in the second meadow and was proposing to then fish another couple of swims at the end of the meadow before making my way back upstream. The banks were more accessible than on my previous visit in June but there remained only a few spots that were truly accessible.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (55)

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: 09:00.
Weather: Bright start clouding over later with rain. Troublesome upstream breeze.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line, 3.8lb Supplex hook length to a 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, and sweetcorn.
Fish: Dace, roach, rudd, small chub, bleak and perch.

Following significant rain I decided to go back to the Top Stream at Offord hoping that the duckweed would have been washed through. Unfortunately while there was water running out of the Top Stream over the small weir, a bank of rushes had blocked the flow of duckweed. This had resulted in a blanket of the stuff backing up, which was covering the swim I fished last time. I settled in the next swim along, which I had fished in the past. Expecting some early bites from small fish, I was disappointed. In fact I had to work hard to catch a few little ones.

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Species: Dace, Roach, Rudd, Chub, Perch

River Great Ouse - St Ives (2)

Dolphin Meadow
Venue: River Great Ouse |St Ives

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

Arrival time: 10:00.
Weather: Sunny with gathering white clouds and a gusty easterly breeze.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line, 2.5lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 16 fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, sweetcorn & hemp as attractor.
Fish: Dace, rudd, roach, a small chub & bleak.

I had fished the Dolphin Meadow stretch of the Great Ouse soon after I joined the St Ives club back in 2020 but had blanked. My approach back then was to leger, hoping for chub, but I've since learned that winter is the best time to seek that quarry. I had also learned that the match men fished the float out in the stream. So this time it was the match rod with maggots and worms, the quarry being anything that turned up. And a few species did, although the expected perch were absent.

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Species: Dace, Rudd, Roach, Chub, Bleak

River Great Ouse - Offord (54)

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: 08:00.
Weather: Cloudy start - brightening late morning and becoming hot.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler, 6lb line with a 3.8lb Supplex hook length to a 16 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, sweetcorn & hemp as attractor.
Fish: Roach, perch, small chub & bleak.

I had cut short my previous session on the Houghton back channel because of the heat and had maggots left over. At the same time another very hot spell was forecast so I decided to go to the Offord Top Stream to try for some perch before it once again became too hot to get out. On arrival the amount of surface weed on the car park pool was unbelievable and the top stream was also affected. But fortunately a gentle flow had kept the middle clear and I managed to find a spot where it was possible to fish over the marginal weed.

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Species: Perch, Roach, Rudd, Chub, Bleak

River Great Ouse - Offord (52)

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: 08:30.
Weather: Cloudy bright and warm with more sun appearing after lunch. Light downstream breeze. Tackle: Ryan Burns 'Arrow' 10' split cane rod, Trudex centrepin, 2xSSG link leger, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread Flake & cheese paste.
Fish: One chub - lost three!

My second chub session of the season and this time I went to the Mill Stream at Offord. I got the swim I was aiming for but during the session I was surprised by how many anglers walked past me, some dipping in the stream while the majority seemingly walking on to the main river. It's certainly a much busier venue than when I first joined the club a few years ago. I usually rove the few fishable swims on the stream but on this occasion decided to stay put, especially as there was evidence of chub under the tree overhanging from the far bank.

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Species: Chub

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