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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 - 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.

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Species: Chub

Fields End (111)

Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 10.30
Weather: Sunny and unseasonably mild but with a strong SSW wind
Tackle: 14ft Shimano Speedmaster match rod, Rapidex 2400 centre pin with 5lb line, 4lb bottom & 14 hook. Insert waggler.
Baits: Bread flake & artificial casters.
Fish: Blank

With the rivers carrying a lot of the recent rain I thought I would try Fields End as a last day of the year outing.

Recently I haven't done that well at Fields End in the winter but it seemed a better option than the rivers. The Ouse in Huntingdon the previous day was up to the top of the bank and very coloured.

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Species: Blank

River Great Ouse - Offord (14)

Sismey Island
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord

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

Arrival time: 11.15 on bank
Weather: Overcast with no wind and quite mild..
Tackle: 11'6" Masterline Avon quiver with standard Avon top fitted.
Speedia centrepin reel.
(1) Drennan 5BB stick float, 6lb line, 4lb hook length to 14 wire hook.
(2) Cage feeder and 3SSG link, 6lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake / Cheese paste
Fish: Blank

My plan was to fish a swim on the far side of the island at Offord. I had fished it before on the feeder but thought it might fish well on the stick float. But I was wrong!

It was incredibly deep, a fact that didn't register when I fished there previously on the feeder. The water was also turbulent with a fast central flow and a large back-eddy in front of me.

Read full report

Species: Blank

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

The Chubb Steam (8)

Venue: Chubb Stream

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

Arrival time: 11.15 (bankside)
Weather: Bright sunshine, cold and windy.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 Finesse Feeder (1.5oz quiver), link leger, 5lb line, 8/6 hook.
Shimano Exage 1000RC reel.
Baits: Bread flake & Cheese paste.
Fish: One chub

With a 'new' right hip since August I'm still very much in recovery. The 2-bar metal fence between the first and second meadow was, therefore, a no-go. This meant that I needed to walk across the middle of the field to where there was an unrestricted opening, adding a good 10 minutes to the distance.

I headed to what I call the 'tree swim' and found the water clear and the level low. Combined with the bright sun these weren't ideal conditions.

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Species: Chub

River Great Ouse - Offord (13)

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: 11.00 in car park
Weather: Bright with a blustery wind.
Tackle: 12' Korum Multi-feeder, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 6 hook.
Baits: Cheese paste / bread flake.
Fish: 2 chub, 1 roach

I did well on my last trip to the Mill Stream, my first fishing outing after my hip operation. So today I was reasonably confident of getting a fish or two. But although conditions were good I struggled. There were plenty of indications on the rod top but most were no more than taps, and when there was a more positive pull it was short and extremely difficult to hit.

Read full report

Species: Chub, Roach

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