I had decided to go for a Saturday walk along the Houghton Trout Stream just to check out how weed congested it was, when I thought, "why not take my fly rod". I fished the stream in June last year and it was almost unfishable in a conventional manner, but I had seen fish rising. I assumed these were probably dace that could perhaps be taken on fly, assuming I could get enough clear access to cast.

Walking down the path to the stream I met Ian, another angler, who recognised me from my videos. We had a chat, of course, and he said he had only managed a small perch on a lure, while confirming that the stream was massively overgrown. He said that the swim where I had managed a single chub last year was completely inaccessible. On arrival at the stream I saw his point, although on the plus side there was more water flowing than I had expected.

I made my way to a spot about half way along the stretch where there is a largish open bay and plenty of room for a backcast with a fly rod. Two dogs exited the water as I arrived! I set up with a small brown fly assuming that dace were the most likely target. After a bit of refamiliarisation with the rod - it was years since I had used it and even then that was on still water - I began casting. It wasn't very elegant to start with but after a while I was reaching the furthest and fastest part of the stream, where I had seen some fish rise.

I couldn't see the small fly I was using so was relying on watching the fly line for bite indication. I had forgotten to bring Musilin to treat the leader and oil to treat the fly. After a fairly short while a dog appeared and some time later the owner. The dog was waiting to play 'fetch the ball' and the chap stood there clearly expecting me to move aside to allow this to happen. I wasn't going to state the obvious (!) and decided to move on to the next spot.

I found a few spots that were fishable - just - and proceeded to try to tempt something. I had changed the fly to a slightly larger pattern with white wings (see final photo), which made it much more visible. I also felt that my technique was gradually improving although fishing in moving water was proving tricky because the flow was often uneven across the stream, causing the line to bow and the fly to drag. I did have a few rises but came nowhere near hooking a fish. But it was good fun trying what, for me, was a completely new way of fishing streams.

I reached the last fishable spot on the stream, which was really only just fishable. High nettles and other growth required me to keep the rod high and I often found that the line got caught on the growth. But, against the odds, after a couple of casts a small chub took the fly. I'm sure I was a picture disorganisation landing the fish, with far too much free line out. But I got it in, swinging it up from the water - all few ounces of it. But it made my day, the first fish on fly from moving water.

I thought that there might be some more small chub in the swim but after snagging a few times on lily pads I decided to move again, this time to a swim on the nearby back channel of the main river. This proved to be very difficult to fish because of a downstream wind that bowed the line no sooner had it been cast.

I then made my way back along the stretch dipping in those spots I had already fished, although not the large bay as a couple with their child and a dog were there sitting on the bench. I also tried a couple of other spots but despite a few tentative rises, I didn't add to that small chub.

But it was an enjoyable couple of hours and has whetted my appetite to try a bit more fly fishing, perhaps after rudd on the Fenland drains.