I so enjoyed last week’s trip to the Welland that I decided to return. Again I planned on less than a full day, arriving late morning with the expectation of packing up with the arrival of forecast rain later in the day.

I went back to the large pool and again fished the far bank. With the success of cheese last week I had bought a few sticks of cheddar at the weekend.

I soon had a sharp knock but I suspect it wasn’t a chub, or perhaps a smaller one. This was repeated on subsequent casts although I then missed a firmer pull. Just over an hour after arriving, at 12.25, a much more decisive pull connected me with my first chub, which when landed weighed 2lb 13oz.

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Things quietened down after this until just over an hour later (13.30) when another good bite produced my second chub, the best of the day at 4lb 7oz. It felt much heavier from the off and fought hard to get into the nearside weeds.

Another hour or so passed and at 14.45 the third fish was hooked following another positive bite. This one was 4lb 2oz. It again sought refuge in the weeds but my tackle was robust enough to muscle it out.

To be honest I didn’t expect to take any more fish but I persevered and after yet another ‘magic’ hour, at 15.35 I was into my fourth fish, which really battled, managing to get into the marginal weeds further downstream, requiring me to stand precariously at the edge of the high bank to exert some opposing pull. All ended well with a nice 4lb fish in the net.

The forecasters had predicted rain at 16.00 and sure enough at 16.05 it started. I put on the rain gear and sat it out for half an hour, but based on the forecast for heavy rain I decided to call it a day. Walking back to the car park I met a chap who was fishing maggot and he told me he had previously had a 3½lb perch out of the stretch. As I usually use bread, luncheon meat or cheese my chance of a perch is remote. Perhaps I should bring some worms next time. Interestingly he also fishes Fields End, quite a coincidence.

As I was talking to him the rain stopped, and although it spitted on and off during the evening it wasn’t really that bad. So much for the forecast, although it did rain heavier during the night. I wish I had stayed a bit longer, although whether I could have taken more than four chub out of a single swim is debatable.

Based on these last two trips I think my summer will be devoted to rivers and I’ll leave the lake at Fields End alone until it quietens down a bit in the autumn. In addition to worms I might try lighter tackle and smaller baits to see whether the ‘knocks’ were decent roach.