I returned to the backwater that I first fished a few weeks ago, this time with a better idea of what swims I would fish. I had hoped to concentrate on perhaps two or three spots, but the continual taps on the quiver tip from small fish caused me to rove the stretch in the hope of a better chub.

My first choice swim, where I caught a decent chub on a previous visit, proved to be difficult because of bank-side growth that kept bumping against the line, or snagging my terminal tackle as I retrieved. I therefore moved on quite quickly.

The next spot offered up plenty of taps on the quiver but these proved to be dace, two of which I managed to hook. It still amazes me I can hook these small fish with either large pieces of bread flake or spam on an 8 hook. I spent a while in this swim, sticking to my original intention not to roam too far. But in the end my chubbing instincts got the better of me and I walked upstream to try dipping in some likely chub spots.

On a previous visit I had missed a chub that took bread flake 'under my nose' as soon as it entered the water. I walked upstream to this spot hoping to try again, but this time hook the fish. Well, sure enough a chub emerged from the streamer as soon as the bread hit the water but immediately shied away. It was quite a small fish but it clearly suspected the bait, so not much hope for any bigger fish in the swim.

From there I worked my way downstream trying likely spots, largely unsuccessfully. But just as I was saying to myself that it was going to be another blank as far as chub were concerned, the rod top went round and I was into a reasonable fish. It wasn't particularly big but it gave a good account of itself, giving me a bit of a scare as it tried to gain refuge in the reed stems beneath my feet. But I managed to slide the net under it and was rewarded with a beautifully coloured fish; deep orangey/red lower fins and a lovely golden tinge to the scales and the gill covers.

That was to be the only fish but it made the difference between a disappointing day and one to feel good about. I had considered staying until dusk but had walked far more than I had intended and decided to call it a day around 6:30pm.

I think next time I might consider taking a float rod and trotting maggot. If I can't dissuade the dace from taking my chub bait I might as well take some maggots and fish for them. And perhaps a hungry chub might come to the party.