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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 (21)

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.

River Great Ouse - Offord (20)

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.

River Great Ouse - Offord (19)

Top Stream

Arrival time: circa 11.30 at swim
Weather: Bright sun with a chilly SE wind.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Rapidex 2400 centre pin with 5lb line, waggler float, 16 to 2½lb hook length.
9ft Shimano Aero X1 Finesse Feeder (1.0oz quiver), maggot feeder/link leger, 5lb line, 16 to 2½lb hook length.
Baits: Maggot with hempseed attractor.
Fish: Blank

The idea was for a fun few hours catching perch or whatever else turned up, based on my catch a few weeks earlier. But things turned out very different today.

River Great Ouse - Offord (18)

The Triangle

Arrival time: circa 11.15 at swim
Weather: Overcast with a cold NE wind.
Tackle: John Wilson Avon Quiver with 1.5oz quiver, cage feeder and later a small cube leger weight, 6lb line direct to 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake
Fish: One chub

I returned to the point of the Triangle at Offord Cluny having blanked twice previously at this spot. But I had lost a fish on the first occasion and this was another attempt to tempt a chub.

River Great Ouse - Offord (17)

Top Stream

Arrival time: circa 11.30 at swim
Weather: Mainly sunny with a strong westerly wind. But not too cold.
Tackle: Shimano 9ft Aero X1 with 1.0oz quiver, simple SSG link and later a small cube leger weight, 5lb line, 2½lb hook link, 16 hook.
Baits: Maggot with hemp as attractor
Fish: A number of small perch, 1 roach and 1 bream

After struggling for chub recently I decided today to try for roach in the Top Stream at Offord. I hadn't fished this stream before but had been advised that it held some good roach. I think they're best fished for with the pole but as I don't have one it was to be match rod and centrepin. However, on arrival not only did my planned swim look uninviting because of the strong wind but the idea of float fishing in such conditions wasn't appealing.

River Great Ouse - Offord (16)

R Ouse & Mill Stream

Arrival time: circa 11.00 at swim
Weather: Overcast, no wind and very cold (3⁰C)
Tackle: 11' 6' John Wilson Avon Quiver with 1.5oz quiver, feeder / simple SSG link, 6lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste
Fish: Blank

I returned to the point of the Triangle at Offord where I lost a fish a couple of weeks ago. The intention was to make good on that loss, but the conditions were entirely different.

The main flow was almost non existent meaning that the crease between the main flow and the lock cutting had effectively disappeared.

© 2022 Robert Bassett

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