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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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Venues & topics
Species
Archive

River Great Ouse - Offord (55)

Top Stream
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: 09:00.
Weather: Bright start clouding over later with rain. Troublesome upstream breeze.
Tackle: Greys 14ft Shimano match rod, Shimano Exage 1000RC reel, 5lb line, 3.8lb Supplex hook length to a 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, and sweetcorn.
Fish: Dace, roach, rudd, small chub, bleak and perch.

Following significant rain I decided to go back to the Top Stream at Offord hoping that the duckweed would have been washed through. Unfortunately while there was water running out of the Top Stream over the small weir, a bank of rushes had blocked the flow of duckweed. This had resulted in a blanket of the stuff backing up, which was covering the swim I fished last time. I settled in the next swim along, which I had fished in the past. Expecting some early bites from small fish, I was disappointed. In fact I had to work hard to catch a few little ones.

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Species: Dace, Roach, Rudd, Chub, Perch

Fields End (126)

Venue: Fields End

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

Arrival time: 15:45
Weather: Bright and warm with a light easterly breeze.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, waggler, 8lb line direct to a 10 eyed hook.
Baits: Sweetcorn, spam & bread/custard paste.
Fish: 4 carp, a number of roach and a couple of perch.

With another hot weather warning forecast for the remainder of the week, I decided to try a late afternoon and evening session at Fields End Water. I hadn't done that well there of late but was hoping that the carp would come into the margins in the evening. I got a favourite spot on the east bank where it's possible to sit on ground rather than a platform. So all was set to try out my theory.

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Species: Carp, Carps 10lb+, Roach, Perch

River Great Ouse - Offord (54)

Top Stream
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: 08:00.
Weather: Cloudy start - brightening late morning and becoming hot.
Tackle: Greys 12' Prodigy TX Float rod, Allcocks 4" centrepin, 4BB waggler, 6lb line with a 3.8lb Supplex hook length to a 16 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, sweetcorn & hemp as attractor.
Fish: Roach, perch, small chub & bleak.

I had cut short my previous session on the Houghton back channel because of the heat and had maggots left over. At the same time another very hot spell was forecast so I decided to go to the Offord Top Stream to try for some perch before it once again became too hot to get out. On arrival the amount of surface weed on the car park pool was unbelievable and the top stream was also affected. But fortunately a gentle flow had kept the middle clear and I managed to find a spot where it was possible to fish over the marginal weed.

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Species: Perch, Roach, Rudd, Chub, Bleak

Houghton (23)

Back Channel
Venue: River Great Ouse |Houghton

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

Arrival time: 09:30
Weather: Full sun becoming very warm throughout the day
Tackle: Korum 10ft 'All Rounder' 1.1lb TC, Shimano Exage 1000 reel, small bomb leger, 6lb line with a 4lb Drennan short hooklength to a 16 red fine wire hook.
Baits: Maggots, worms, corn & hemp as attractor.
Fish: Roach, perch, gudgeon, bream.

With an overcast day forecast following days of endless sun I decided to try the Six Gate weir pool at Houghton. I had fished it a couple of times last July and caught predominantly dace with a few roach along the way. So I set up a light feeder rod and made the around 20 minute walk from the car. I arrived to find a barrier of nettles and other plants obstructing access to the pool. Another 20 minutes was spent clearing an opening using just small scissors from my tackle bag. Not a great start!

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Species: Roach, Perch, Gudgeon, Bream

Houghton Meadows (22)

Checking out the Trout Stream
Venue: Exploring |Houghton |Trout Stream

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

After weeks without rain, and knowing that the Trout Stream can be very weed congested in summer, I decided to check it out before committing to fishing it. It was also the case that I didn't want to actually go fishing because of the heat, as we were entering another period of extreme heat, the third this year!

My worst fears were confirmed with the stream being almost completely congested. Rushes were filling the whole width of the stream in many places, while lily pad beds and floating weed covered much of the remaining visible surface. The level was very low, there was negligible flow and the water gin clear! Verdict - basically unfishable.

See photos comparing 2025 with 2026

Species: Roach, Perch, Gudgeon

Fields End (125)

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 and brightening later with a SW breeze.
Tackle: Hardy 11' 6" Marksman Specimen Avon, Speedia centrepin, preloaded waggler, 8lb line with 6lb fluorocarbon hook length to a 12 eyed hook.
Baits: Maggots, spam & sweetcorn.
Fish: a couple of nice rudd among small rudd, roach & perch.

I decided to take a chance on Fields End despite not doing that well there of late. Unfortunately my luck didn't really change. I arrived just after the site opened and chose the SW corner spot, because it was nearest the car park and sheltered from the SW breeze. That's not to say that it was a poor choice of swim, since I have caught there in the past.

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Species: Rudd, Roach, Perch

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