The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Just some pictures of my stomping ground. The Great Ouse at Radwell and Sharnbrook.

Cracking looking river

Kind Regards
G-T

The Ouse upper reaches are really picturesque looking from around where you have taken these photos - superb - going upstream to Newport Pagnell and through the Admas Mill stretch, and then again further upstream from Passenham to near Buckigham.
But is the quality of fishing around your location as good as its appearance suggests it might be, and if not what do you think are the reasons?

That looks like heaven Haydn.

Wonderful, Haydn - I'm envious!

Julian, not sure if the pictures suggest anything about the quality of fishing per se. I suppose it depends if by fishing you mean mean actually catching then the quality is definitely not what it once was. Yet if you want the chance of a very large barbel, chub or perch then it is still definitely worth serious consideration. Sadly, and despite several years fishing here, I've yet to catch one if the proper big barbel. My best is a relatively modest 12lb 10oz and my best chub of the stretch at 6lb 1oz. Blanks, for me at least, are more often than not.

The Gt Ouse is perhaps not in everyone's list of prettiest places to fish but I think it's still rather lovely, as the pictures show.

Great photos

Looks a stunning place to fish.

Haydn Clarke wrote: ............................. Sadly, and despite several years fishing here, I've yet to catch one if the proper big barbel. My best is a relatively modest 12lb 10oz and my best chub of the stretch at 6lb 1oz..................

'Relatively modest' - 12lb barbel and 6lb chub - you must be joking , for many anglers they would be lifetime achievement targets for those species.

Julian wrote:

Haydn Clarke wrote: ............................. Sadly, and despite several years fishing here, I've yet to catch one if the proper big barbel. My best is a relatively modest 12lb 10oz and my best chub of the stretch at 6lb 1oz..................

'Relatively modest' - 12lb barbel and 6lb chub - you must be joking , for many anglers they would be lifetime achievement targets for those species.

Indeed. And I was rather made up myself on both occasions. But my use of the word "relatively" tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the Ouse "above Bedford" as it seems to be known in fishing circles. A twelve pound barbel is still relatively modest, considering 18lbers are a distinct possibility. And I've, personally, seen much bigger chub than that sixer I caught. As I said though, it's very, very hard. One particularly barren period I remember a few years ago resulted in about ten sessions without so much as a tap. And I recall being told about one fella who fished for well over 20 sessions, completely fish-less and then eventually taking his first fish off the stretch at 16lb.