After the disappointment of missing a couple of cracking bites on my last visit to Stamford this was my last chance to put things right before the close season.

I used the quiver-tip top on my Korum feeder rod to present less resistance. Having sold my Mitchell reel, I used one of my small Shimano bait caster reels with 6lb line.

I started in the large bay, but after about 45 minutes without a touch went up to the swim above the bridge that has always produced. Sure enough, I soon had a bite and felt a fish, but it wasn’t hooked. I then had another bite and this time hooked the fish only to lose it within seconds as the hook-hold failed. At this point I thought they might be well and truly spooked, but I did get another bite and connected. After a bit of a battle a nice chub of just over 4lb was landed at 11.00.

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I tried the swim for a bit longer but they were now definitely spooked, so I went back to the large bay via the bridge pool and another swim. I didn’t get a bite in either of these other swims but after a short while in the large bay a positive bite resulted in very solid resistance. Another good fight saw a 4½lb chub in the net (time 12.50).

It then went quiet so I went back to the swim above the bridge but there was nothing doing. A dog walker standing bolt upright on the edge of the bank probably didn’t help. Back again to the large bay I cast close to the far bank and after a while was into another chub. It again fought well and weighed in at 4¼lb (time 14.45).

After this I didn’t get a touch so, come 16.00, I decided to make my way back to the car park, dropping in any likely spot along the way. Nothing came of this. To be fair I was only giving each spot about 15 minutes, hoping for an instant take if any chub were around.

It therefore turned out to be a good end to the river season. A pleasant spring-like day and three fish over 4lb. My best chub catch ever.