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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

Earith (16)

Venue: Earith

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Arrival time: 09.00
Weather: Bright start clouding over with rain early afternoon. Strong gusty wind.
Tackle: Drennan 1¾ TC 12ft 'Specialist Barbel', Shimano 5000 RE baitrunner, 2SSG on simple line-loop link, 8lb line to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, bread flake & luncheon meat.
Fish: Two tench, a bream and two carp. One lost fish.

After a few challenging sessions at Offord on the river I decided to have a change and went to a favourite little lake at Earith. I hadn't fished there in the autumn before, it usually being a spring venue before the river season opens. There were only two other anglers who were fishing nearer the car park so when I walked around to the back of the lake I was on my own and nobody else arrived. My target species was tench and I had come prepared to leger in view of the forecast for strong winds. In fact it was relatively calm in my little corner when I arrived but the wind freshened during the day.

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Species: Tench, Bream, Carp, Carp 10lb+

River Great Ouse - Offord (46)

Mill Stream & Lock Cutting
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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