River Ouse

Blunham, Beds

We control two stretches of the middle Ouse (about a mile) that offer a variety of good fishing. The larger stretch at Hambarn has around 70 permanent pegs, and is renowned for its massive Bream shoals. If you're lucky enough to find one of these shoals feeding, 100lb bags are a real possibility. Tench are now a favorite target for Blunham regulars. The stretch also provides great Roach sport in late summer early autumn, and the venues resident Chub will feed all year round.

Tips and Techniques

To locate the Bream shoals is never easy; try pegs 32-42, or when there's extra water in the river, the bay in the top field. Groundbait feeder with worm and red maggot cocktail fished ¾ of the way across has accounted for large catches in the past. The Roach respond to hemp and tare fished in the flow. For Tench try the Flats pegs 32-46, fish chopped worm on the pole at around 8 meters. Chub respond to big baits like cheese or luncheon meat fished to far bank cover, pegs 20-25 are the most consistent. For Roach and Skimmers at the Spinney try 'balling it' at 10 meters, fishing maggot or caster over the groundbait.

During the Summer and early Autumn, farmers need to irrigate their crops - if you see pipes lying across the drove roads on the approach to either The Spinney or Hambarn, DO NOT DRIVE OVER THEM, being aluminium, they are expensive to replace

The second smaller stretch at The Spinney provides consistent sport all year round. Roach, Skimmers, and Perch are the target species. Like most of the Middle Ouse, both sections have a large population of Pike which provide exciting sport when other species are reluctant to feed.

Fish light for best results!

Spinney Car Park

Use the Hambarn approach, via Grange Road and proceed as if you are going to Hambarn. Instead of branching RIGHT to the Hambarn car park, continue on until the track turns LEFT. Follow the track left; up past the 'solitary tree' ( I believe it is the crossroads on the LAA's route to their fishery section) to a sharp right bend followed by a sharp left. Glance to your right and look for The Pump House a corrugated tin roof construction at the end of a row of telegraph poles. A 'pathway' leads from the track you are on to the parking area by the pump house. The Landowner has recently levelled these tracks and the one leading to Hambarn car park with firmed down 'hoggin' and therefore made your journey less bumpy and bone jarring.