My final trip of the river season so I decided on the Trout Stream as it had been the most consistent of my winter venues. The level was down considerably and the water clear, and with bright sun when I arrived it wasn't the best of conditions for chub fishing. Overcast periods followed but these didn't improve the fishing, which can be summarised as not having a bite! Fortunately, after trying numerous spots I did have a bit of luck to round off the river season.

I started at my favourite spot hoping for a quick win. It wasn't to be and after four casts, and about 20 minutes trying, I decided to move on. The next stop was the wide glide where I had caught previously. Unlike the first spot it was sheltered from the chilly northern wind. Unfortunately it was occupied by two swans that made a right nuisance of themselves, continually crossing my line and taking the classic 'heads down' posture trying to find my bread bait. I managed a few casts but in the end gave up largely because of the swans.

Moving on I tried what I refer to as the raft swim where I caught my PB for the stream back in November. Subsequent flooding had changed the nature of the swim and more recent attempts there have not produced a bite. It was the same on this occasion, and then the swans turned up - cue move on to another swim.

I next tried a couple of swims that I hadn't fished previously. This coincided with a large dark cloud and light rain, with the wind strengthening. I stayed a while but again I didn't get a touch.

It was time to walk back to the head of the stream to a swim that I would normally make my last call. Once again a previously reliable spot didn't yield a bite.

As it was my last chance to catch a chub before the season end I decided to explore some spots that I hadn't previously fished. In the first of these, having cast just short of a tree bough laying across the stream, I went to retrieve and felt resistance. At first I thought I was snagged but then a decent fish fought back! I hadn't had a bite and this was explained when I realised it was a pike that had grabbed the bread flake on the retrieve. It was a spirited battle against the strongish flow but I would have preferred a chub.

I then went to check out a spot where I had caught some years ago but the water was racing through so I gave it a miss. A little downstream was a swim I hadn't fished before. It was a location that would be inaccessible in summer because of extensive nettle growth but the flattened undergrowth showed clear signs of other anglers having fished there. It was a good looking spot with slackening water downstream of a more turbulent section.

I hadn't been there long when I got a clear bite, the first of the day. I didn't connect and following this I missed another couple of what appeared to be good pulls. They weren't vicious pull-arounds but should have been hittable. Finally, having carefully ensured that the hook point was clear of the bread flake, I hit the next bite. A decent if not enormous chub gave good account of itself in the fast flow and soon it was in the net. My end of season chub wish had been fulfilled.

I fished on for a while but, as is often the case, the bites stopped after that chub was landed. It was already past my intended packing up time so I decided to call it a day, quite happy with the final outcome.