Arrival time: 11.00 (approx)
Weather: Very breezy but earlier rain had cleared.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Specimen Avon, Shimano Exage 4000RC, link leger, 8lb line, 8 hook
Baits: Cheese paste.
Fish: One chub

Having blanked at the Alconbury Brook earlier in the morning I drove over to Offord to try my luck in the mill stream.

Arriving later than normal I was pleased to see only one other car in the car park. I made my to the mill stream and was doubly pleased to see that the water level had returned to normal and that there were no other anglers there. I had high hopes.

But as usual with fishing, one shouldn't get too excited as things rarely turn out how you expect. I concentrated on the two swims part way along the stream that are, I believe, generally thought to be the hot spots for chub. But not today. Perhaps the water level was too low for the autumn conditions.

After blanking at the Alconbury Brook earlier I was more or less resigned to another blank day. But before leaving I decided to have one last try in the bridge pool. After a couple of casts with no obvious bites I tightened only to feel a fish. A bit lucky really, but I wasn't complaining. After a bit of a tussle a beautifully conditioned chub was in the net, the hook precariously lodged just on the edge of its lip. I didn't weight it but would put it at between a pound and a pound and a half.

I had a few more casts but that was it. At least it wasn't another total blank.

Before leaving I explored the fishery more fully than I had done previously. It offers a good selection of fishing with a couple of weir pools, slower channels associated with the lock cutting and stretches of the main river. There's also an island where some of the swims looked like they might be classic perch holes. This discovery made me consider a couple of hours lure fishing, which you will read about later.