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Diary of an average angler

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!

Venues
Species
Archive
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Venues
Species
Archive

River Great Ouse - Offord (28)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 10:30 (at swim)
Weather: Bright but cold. Little wind throughout the session.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano 5000 RE reel, 6lb line direct to an 8 hook. Flat bed 1oz leger.
Baits: Cheese paste, luncheon meat & maggots.
Fish: A couple of small chub, a roach and a gudgeon.

With no rain for a couple of days I decided to take a chance on the Mill Stream at Offord. The river had been up and fast the previous week but I was pleased to find the Mill Stream in good condition. There was a good flow and it was still coloured but general speaking it looked very promising. I made my way to a swim about half way along that had been reliable in the past.

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Species: Chub, Roach, Gudgeon

River Great Ouse - Offord (24)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 11:00 (at swim)
Weather: Bright and not too cold but with a freshening breeze.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, 6lb line, 4lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 14 'red' hook.
Started with Drennan 6.4g loafer float and changed to loaded waggler on main river.
Baits: Maggot & bread flake.
Fish: Mixed bag of small chub, dace, perch & roach.

When fishing the Mill Stream the previous week I thought it would be interesting to float fish the bridge swim, so today I returned hoping for a mixed catch on maggot, with the chance of a better chub by trotting towards the bridge.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (23)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 10:30
Weather: Sunny and mild for September with a freshening breeze.
Tackle: 11ft 6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver tip, Shimano 5000RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook with 2xSSG link leger.
Baits: Spam, bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: Four chub and two dace.

It's a while since I had been to the Mill Stream and I found that things had changed a bit. Reed growth had made a favoured swim by the bridge very difficult to fish. And the clearance of a tree bough that had been restricting the flow had changed the character of a couple of swims.

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Species: Chub, Dace

River Great Ouse - Offord (22)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 08:15
Weather: Alternating bright and cloudy with a stiff breeze.
Tackle: 11ft 6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver tip, Shimano 5000RE reel, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook with 2xSSG link leger.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: Two chub.

Back to the Mill Stream but this time to target the chub. I decided to start at the swim by the bridge that rewarded me with a chub of just under 5lb a couple of weeks previously. Chub are visible from the bridge so at least you know that there are chub in the swim.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (21)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: Overcast & breezy - brightening later
Tackle: 10ft EFGear compact float rod, Speedia centrepin, Drennan stick float, 6lb line with Drennan 4lb pre-tied hook length and 14 'red' hook.
Baits: Maggot, bread flake.
Fish: Small dace & perch and a couple of gudgeon.

I returned to the Mill Stream having the previous week thought that the swim at the head of the stream would be ideal for trotting. In fact the cross-flow of the stream and a cross wind made trotting quite difficult.

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Species: Dace, Perch, Gudgeon

River Great Ouse - Offord (20)

Mill Stream
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Mill Stream

Arrival time: 08.30
Weather: Overcast & breezy - brightening later
Tackle: 11ft 6" John Wilson Avon quiver, Shimano 5000RE baitrunner, 2/3xSSG link leger, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook (14 hook for a while)
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste, worm.
Fish: Two chub including a PB for the stream + small dace & perch.

After visiting a couple of heavily weeded streams this season, today I went to the Mill Stream at Offord. Weedy, certainly, but nowhere near as bad as those other streams. It was a slow start, a usually reliable swim not offering up anything.

Read full report

Species: Chub, Dace, Perch

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