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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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River Nene - Backwaters (2)

Wellington

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

Arrival time: 11.00 at swim
Weather: Very warm becoming hot with a strong wind.
Tackle: 11' 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 and spam.
Fish: One small roach and one small chub.

I returned to this backwater to explore the upstream section, having only made my way along part the stretch the previous week. But conditions were entirely different, it being much warmer with a strong wind that made fishing difficult at times. The combination of heat and wind was also very tiring, especially since I walked quite a long way during the four hours that I was there.

River Nene - Backwaters (1)

Wellington

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

Arrival time: 10:15
Weather: Overcast but mild. No wind to speak of.
Tackle: 11' 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 and spam.
Fish: 4 chub.

My first trip to this Nene backwater having joined a new club this season. I was feeling under the weather after covid so didn't push things, limiting myself to a few swims and not too much walking.

River Great Ouse - Offord (22)

Mill Stream

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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.

River Great Ouse - Offord (20)

Mill Stream

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

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 - Houghton (7)

Trout Stream

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

Arrival time: circa 10.30 at first swim.
Weather: Bright & warm.
Tackle: 12' Korum Multi-feeder, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 8 hook.
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste & worm.
Fish: one chub

I seem that I forgot to make a diary entry for this trip at the time, so this is based on memory and the video that I posted on YouTube.

Having had a reasonable successful session at the Chubb Stream the previous week I had hoped to repeat this at the Trout Stream. I had assumed that it wouldn't have been as overgrown as the Chubb Stream but I was wrong. It was in fact more challenging because of the beds of 'cabbages' covering the bottom in many places.

The Chubb Stream (10)

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

Arrival time: 07.30
Weather: Bright sun, becoming very hot.
Tackle: 10ft TFG compact float rod, Speedia centrepin, 2xSSG link leger, 6lb line direct to 8 eyed hook
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste.
Fish: Three chub including a PB for the stream.

First day of the river season and I decided to go to the Chubb Stream. I had walked it the previous week and knew it would be challenging but the extremely hot weather didn't help.

© 2025 Robert Bassett

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