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 (46)

Mill Stream & Lock Cutting

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

Arrival time: 09.15.
Weather: Bright start with increasing cloud cover. Remained mild with little wind.
Tackle: 14ft Shimano match rod, Rapidex II 2400 centrepin, Drennan 4-swan loafer float, 6lb line to 12 eyed hook (stream).
Pre-loaded waggler with a 3lb pre-tied Drennan hook length and 16 wire hook (lock cutting)
Baits: Maggots and worms.
Fish: Mainly perch with just one small roach

Another trip to Offord this time to try trotting the Mill Stream. I had my eye on the glide that runs down to the road bridge and was pleased to see it was free when I arrived. I was using a 4-swan Drennan loafer float that I thought would handle the flow but recent rain had livened things up a bit. A combination of some turbulence and a faster flow made controlling the float extremely difficult. After a fairly short while I decided to make a move, setting up in the much calmer water of the lock cutting.

River Great Ouse - Offord (45)

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 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.

River Great Ouse - Offord (44)

Car Park Pool

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

Arrival time: 09.20.
Weather: Overcast and not too hot with occasional light breeze
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, pre-loaded waggler , 6lb line direct to 14 eyed hook.
Changed to a size 16 fine wire / 3lb hook length.
Baits: Bread flake and sweetcorn.
Fish: Roach

After much deliberation as to whether I should go to a lake or a river I decided to try the Car Park Pool at Offord. I had planned to fish a swim on the opposite bank to the car park, taking a float road to fish what is basically static water. I had hoped for some roach with the remote chance of a tench. However, on arrival, the pool was heavily weeded with a large area covered by surface weed and possibly algae. Plumbing the depth in my chosen swim I almost lost the plummet when it snagged in weed, so I moved to a spot near the access to that section of bank. It was just downstream from a small weir and I hoped it would be less weedy and the water better oxygenated.

River Great Ouse - Offord (43)

Mill Stream & Main River

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

Arrival time: 09.30.
Weather: Warm & windy with strong gusts.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner' simple 2SSG link/cage feeder, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste & prawn.
Fish: A dace & a chub.

A return to Offord a week after the opening day and on this occasion I got the swim at the head of the Mill Stream. It had been occupied the previous week. It's probably the best looking swim on the stream and always looks promising, and I had seen numerous chub there a few days before the season opened. But I guess some early season fishing had taught them to be a bit wary as I was unable to tempt one.

River Great Ouse - Offord (42)

Mill Stream & Car Park Pool

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

Arrival time: 08.30.
Weather: The beginning of a very hot spell of weather with little cloud cover.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner simple 2SSG link, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook.
Baits: Bread flake, cheese paste & prawn.
Fish: Two chub.

I had walked a number of streams the previous week before deciding on a venue for the opening day. In the end I chose Offord because it offered different types of water, although I had planned to fish the Mill Stream. My destination was the swim at the top of the stream and I was pleased to see nobody in it as I approached. My bubble was burst however when I found tackle stacked in the swim - no anglers, just tackle. Slightly annoyed I went back to a spot just upstream of the road bridge where I had seen chub the previous week. As it turned out this forced change of plan might have been fortuitous.

River Great Ouse - Offord (41)

Mill Stream & Car Park Pool

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

Arrival time: 10.30.
Weather: Much milder than of late with warmth in the sun and a gentle breeze.
Tackle: Drennan 1¾lb TC 12ft 'Specialist Barbel', Shimano 5000 RE baitrunner, 2SSG link, 8lb line to #8 eyed hook. (Tackled up for small stream chub!).
Baits: bread flake & cheese paste.
Fish: One bream.

Having been away from the water for almost three weeks I was keen to get out, even though recent heavy rain was affecting the rivers - again! I missed a perfect day the previous week when the rivers had fined down but I wasn't feeling up to going. It turned out to be a last minute decision on choice of venue as I compared the water level data on the government web site. In the end I opted for Offord as it was the only one of three possible choices that was not showing rising levels. It also offered some choices if the mill stream proved not to be fishable.

Page 1 / 8 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.