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

River Great Ouse - Offord (34)

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: 09.00
Weather: Cloudy start with sun breaking through and becoming very warm
Tackle: Korum 10ft 'All Rounder' 1.1lb TC, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, single SSG link, 6lb line to 6/8/12 eyed hooks.
Baits: Bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: Dace and a couple of roach

The plan was to pop over to the Mill Stream and try to fish by the bridge, where I had seen another angler wade in and catch a number of chub on my last visit. When I got there the nettles had grown to such an extent that I chose not to try to get to that spot. As it turned out the water level was up slightly and I doubt my wellingtons would have been high enough to wade. Instead I chose to fish the spot I fished last time, casting down towards the bridge.

Read full report

Species: Dace, Roach

River Great Ouse - Offord (32)

Top Stream & Car Park Pool
Venue: River Great Ouse |Offord |Top Stream

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

Arrival time: 10.00
Weather: Bright sun and very warm with increasing cloud but little wind.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, 6lb line, 4lb pre-tied Drennan hook length to 14 fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggots with hempseed attractor.
Fish: 3 small roach and 2 small perch.

I was full of hope for the first trip of the new season, with a clear plan of action, but it didn't go that well. I had decided to fish a swim on the Top Stream that I had eyed-up on previous visits. It can be affected badly by wind but with very little wind forecast this seemed an ideal opportunity. It is also secluded and away from the nearby public footpath, so everything looked good. With very little flow I had decided to try laying on with maggots, my target species being roach and perch. But it wasn't to be. A small roach slipped the hook early on but after that, besides a few half-bites, there was nothing happening.

Read full report

Species: Roach, Perch

Fields End (119)

Morning session
Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 08.15
Weather: Overcast with a strengthening south-westerly breeze (from behind me).
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Allcocks 4" centrepin, preloaded waggler, 6lb line to a 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Breadflake & luncheon meat
Fish: Rudd & roach throughout the session with 3 crucians and a small perch.

Today's choice of venue was decided by the forecast for a strengthening SW wind. I would have preferred to return to Earith but the part of the lake that is accessible would have been exposed to the wind, which wouldn't have been great for waggler fishing. So I went to Fields End hoping to get the swim in the SW corner, which I did. In fact the lake was deserted, mine still being the only car in the visitors' parking when I left. And only a couple of anglers arrived from the on-site caravan park. So it was a very peaceful day.

Read full report

Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch, Crucian

Fields End (118)

On the waggler
Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 08.30
Weather: Beautiful spring day. Sunny with light westerly breeze (from behind me).
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Allcocks 4" centrepin, preloaded waggler, 6lb line to a 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Breadflake & luncheon meat
Fish: Rudd throughout session with 4 carp, a crucian, a couple of roach and a small perch.

After debating whether Fields End would be too busy the week of the bank holiday, I took a chance and was pleased to find that it was actually quite quiet. To cut down walking and ensure that the breeze was behind me, I went to what I call the tree corner, a quiet little niche in the SW corner of the lake. Conditions were perfect for float fishing and after ground baiting with a bread mix I started with bread flake. But things were very slow.

Read full report

Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch, Carp, Crucian

The Clay Pit (17)

Side pond
Venue: The Clay Pit

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

Arrival time: 09.45
Weather: Chilly with a weak sun and windy. Clouding over later.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Allcocks 4" centrepin, preloaded waggler, 6lb line direct to 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Dead maggots, sweetcorn, bread flake, cheese paste.
Fish: Three tench, one small roach and a tiny perch.

After around four weeks of coughing and nose blowing with a cold, or perhaps some other virus, this was my first trip out in just under a month. I decided to give the rivers a miss in view of the recent heavy rain and rising levels. Instead I went to the side pond at the Clay Pit where I have had fairly consistent sport, although I wasn't too confident this late in the year.

Read full report

Species: Tench, Roach, Perch

Fields End (117)

On the waggler
Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 09.20
Weather: Fresh start, warming up later with sun and light cloud. NW breeze.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Allcocks 4" centrepin, preloaded waggler, 6lb line. Started with 12 hook, later changing to 14 and then to 10.
Baits: Sweetcorn, bread flake and luncheon meat with hemp loose feed.
Fish: Mostly rudd with a couple of roach and one perch.

After the Clay Pit last week I fancied another session on a stillwater. I had struggled on the streams this season, finding them more heavily weeded than normal, and had also been avoiding venues requiring too much walking because of problems with my hip. So I set off to Fields End Waters which is very local. I was, however, a bit worried as to how busy it would be given the Indian summer we're enjoying, and sure enough it was literally full when I left at around 3.00pm.

Read full report

Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch

< Previous Page Page 3 / 19 Next Page >

© 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.