TackleIndex
RiverDay ticketClub water · MembersOvernight ticket

The Rec

The Rec is one of Olney & Clifton Fishing Association’s best-known waters on the Great Ouse at Olney. It’s a proper mixed stretch, with deep carp water, gravel beds, Chub Alley and some lovely-looking river features.

Run by Olney & Clifton Fishing Association · checked 10 Oct 2026 · boundaries only partly described by the club

River level

Measured — Environment Agency

Turvey gauge

Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.

Loading latest reading…

We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready

The lowdown

  • The stretch covers Doffs Field, Rec Field, Osbornes and Crouch’s Field, so there’s plenty to get your teeth into.
  • Doffs Field is wide and deep, and it’s the main carp area. Big carp are present here, along with tench. Handy to know: day tickets don’t include Doffs Field.
  • Rec Field has a gravel bed around the bathing steps. That’s the sort of ground worth looking at for silver fish, especially when the river’s carrying a bit of colour.
  • Osbornes has a local section called Chub Alley. There’s also a bay where bream have historically turned up, though finding the shoals can be tricky.
  • Crouch’s Field is deep water with the hills behind it. A cracking backdrop, and a useful change of character from the gravelly water around the Rec Field.
  • Perch are a big draw, with fish over 2 lb reported as regular in this section. Pike are present too, so expect a proper mixed bag of possibilities.
  • For tactics, trotting and light float work should suit the gravel beds, while a feeder is a sensible shout in the deeper areas and around the crease. Carp anglers will want to focus on Doffs Field.
  • Night fishing is permitted, giving members access to a different side of the water after dark. The club doesn’t publish a peg count or measured length for The Rec.
  • Access is straightforward from the Rugby Club car park off East Street. The route to the river is flat, well maintained and barrow-friendly, although the car park can get busy with sports clubs and local users.
  • There’s access from Doffs Field into Coulson’s and Brocks Fields. Doffs Field itself has a locked gate, with the code kept in the membership book.

Methods: Float fishing and trotting look a bob-on fit for the gravel beds and mixed river water, with a feeder worth considering in the deeper sections. Carp anglers should concentrate on Doffs Field, while perch and pike offer proper bonus-fish potential.

Access & tickets

OCFA day ticket

18-hour day ticket; does not include Doffs Field.

£5 (as listed 10 Oct 2026 — check before you go)

OCFA membership

Membership access applies to club waters; the Doffs Field gate code is in the membership book.

Day tickets are available online from Olney & Clifton Fishing Association. The official price is £5 for 18 hours; check the marked night-fishing conditions before fishing after dark.

Fish the club names

carp, tench, bream, perch, pike

Key rules

  • A valid Environment Agency rod licence is required, and anglers must follow EA rules and applicable local by-laws.
  • No day tickets may be bought on the bank.
  • Unhooking mats are required for specimen fishing, and anglers must carry a landing net.
  • Open fires, barbecues and camping tents are prohibited. Fishing shelters and bivvies are allowed.
  • Swimming and boating are prohibited in club waters.
  • Coarse, trout and eel fishing are prohibited during the coarse-fishing close season from 15 March to 15 June.
  • Coarse fish must not be killed or removed, except specified alien species including zander and red signal crayfish. All eels must be returned alive and handled carefully.
  • No dogs are allowed without prior committee agreement.

Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.

GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fish

Where it is

Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.

Community reported

Recent angler updates

No angler updates yet — that's normal. Be the first to help the next angler.

How busy was it?

Nobody's said yet. It's part of the 20-second update below.

No live tracking — this is what anglers told us after their session, and it's never part of the venue score.

Water updates from anglers

No active water updates.

Help other anglers