Arrival time: 10.00.
Weather: Bright start with freshening wind and increasing cloud cover.
Tackle: 10ft TFG Compact Float rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line direct to 16 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: Roach, rudd and perch

When I was leaving Offord the previous week I chatted to a chap fishing a spot on the Top Stream where I had in the past caught perch, including my PB of 1lb 14oz. On other occasions when I've fished there the perch haven't obliged. But as he was having some success I decided to return to Offord and give the spot a try. Unusually for me I went on a Saturday so I wasn't sure if the spot would be free, but I needn't have worried as there was hardly an angler to be seen anywhere.

The outflow from the Top Stream into the Car Park Pool was running more strongly than on my previous visit and this had ensured that the part of the Top Stream I was heading for was clear of surface weed, with a gentle flow that was concentrated more towards the far bank and midstream.

I had bought maggots and worms on the way and had some crumbed bread and hempseed as attractors for smaller fish, which I hoped would draw in the perch. I made a mistake bringing a 10' rod, based on my intention to fish the near margin, but with the water around ten feet deep it was difficult to cast with the shorter rod. My preferred underhand casting was soon ditched in favour of an overhead flick, which worked a lot better.

The first fish was actually a roach, on maggots. It was then a bit of a wait for the next fish, a perch taken on worm. It wasn't a big fish but was probably the biggest of the session. The big boys didn't turn up.

The bites were hardly thick and fast but alternating between maggots and worms I caught a number of small perch, a few more roach, and a couple of rudd, the last one being quite a decent fish.

When what action there was died in the near margin I tried casting out to midstream or nearer the far bank. It was a challenging cast with the short rod and a freshening wind. The trick was to make what effectively was a backcast, like in fly fishing, which laid out the line ready for the forward cast. This worked quite well and I was getting more regular bites, although they were tricky to hit at range with the short rod and line bowing in the wind.

The arrival of a heron on the far bank provided a short distraction and prompted a photograph.

I caught a few roach and a few more perch fishing midstream in this way. Again nothing very big but there always remained the chance of a bigger perch grabbing the bait. I was still alternating between maggots and worms.

I had planned to pack up around 3pm and by that time the wind was freshening more and the casting had become extremely difficult. But I had caught my target species with the bonus of a few roach and rudd. It was another 'back to basics' type of session that offered a change from pursuing chub and, as on the previous visit, I found it very enjoyable.