Bob Goes Fishing | Welcome

Please rotate your device

This page is best viewed in Landscape orientation
(or tap anywhere to view in Portrait orientation)

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!

QR code

YouTube channel

Venues
& topics
Species
Archive
Venues & topics
Species
Archive

Exploring Houghton

A walk along The Trout Stream & Ouse back stream
Venue: Exploring |Houghton |Trout Stream |River Great Ouse

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

A close season stroll along a back stream of the Ouse and the Trout Stream, checking out parts that I hadn't visited before and others that I had. Swims I had fished in the winter were already looking quite different as the vegetation starts to take hold and it's likely that in places access will be quite difficult in the summer. An hour or so well spent.

River Great Ouse - Houghton (5)

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: circa 10.50 at swim.
Weather: Bright start then clouded over. Mild but very windy.
Tackle: 9' Shimano Aero X1 with 1oz quiver, simple SSG link, 5lb line, 8 hook.
Changed to 3lb flourocarbon hook length and 12 hook at one point.
Baits: Bread flake.
Fish: 2 chub

I had a plan today but like on many previous occasions nature and the fish conspired to render the plan useless. But, as things turned out, good fortune rescued the day.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Houghton (4)

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: circa 11.15 at swim.
Weather: Cloudy/bright intervals, breezy and cold - 5⁰C.
Tackle: 11' 6' John Wilson Avon Quiver with 1.5oz quiver, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: 2 chub

With the rivers reportedly fining down after the recent rain I decided to give the Trout Stream a try.

The Environment Agency site showed the river at normal level but on arriving it was clearly carrying extra volume and coloured. I had been hoping for better conditions.

I started at the swim where I caught the 'last minute' chub last time, quite close to the entrance to the stretch. But conditions were very different today and despite trying various parts of the swim I didn't get a touch.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Houghton (3)

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: 11.05 (bankside)
Weather: Bright sunshine, cold and windy.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 Finesse Feeder (1.5oz quiver), link leger, 5lb line, 6 hook.
Shimano Exage 1000RC reel.
Baits: Bread flake & Cheese paste.
Fish: One chub

I had forgotten how far it was to the end section of the Trout Stream. Good exercise but with the new hip and following a bad cold I did find it a bit exhausting. I set up where I caught my first chub on the last visit to this section of the stream, but this time not a touch.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Houghton (2)

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: circa 11.20 at swim.
Weather: Bright sunshine with light breeze.
Tackle: 10ft Fishtec Compact Float, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 6 hook.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: 3 chub

Back to the Houghton Trout Stream, this time to the weir pool at the head of the stream. A lovely spot but only three smallish chub caught. A swan rather ruined things at the end.

Read full report

Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Houghton (1)

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: circa 11.00 at first swim.
Weather: Cloudy bright with a fresh wind.
Tackle: 12' Korum Multi-feeder, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: 2 chub

I was keen to try this little stream but realised that with my recovering hip it might be difficult. And so it turned out. There were very few swims and some of them were quite challenging, involving wading through undergrowth and nettles, and watching out for uneven ground that could easily trip me up.

The first couple of swims didn't reward me, but in the third I had a bite within minutes of casting, fairly typical of chub if they're in residence.

Read full report

Species: Chub

< Previous Page Page 3 / 3

© 2025 Robert Bassett

Report bugs to webmaster

Built in RapidWeaver
with Shaking The Habitual's
Source micro framework

Your privacy
Cookies are only used for the correct functioning of this site and to prevent you seeing this message every time you visit.

Read more about third party cookies ☞

Note that links to third party sites can result in cookies being loaded. For example, there are links to YouTube to display the embedded videos from my channel.