I returned to this backwater to explore the upstream section, having only made my way along part the stretch the previous week. But conditions were entirely different, it being much warmer with a strong wind that made fishing difficult at times. The combination of heat and wind was also very tiring, especially since I walked quite a long way during the four hours that I was there.

I parked at a different point to access the top end of the stretch but then made a misjudgement in that I decided to walk along the River Nene to the weir pool where the backwater is fed from the main river. The idea was to have a look at the main river while making my way to the top of the backwater. But it was a long walk and the temperature had already climbed uncomfortably. I arrived all hot and bothered, as they say.

Having reached the weir pool I decided to fish there while I cooled down a bit, before checking out the remainder of the stream. My first idea of trundling a light link leger at the edge of the faster water in the weir pool, with a piece of spam on the hook, didn't produce even a touch. Changing to bread flake gave me some knocks and after I while I managed to connect with one of them, the result being a small roach.

Having recuperated from the walk, I set off to try some spots along the stream. I soon came upon a 'prepared' swim that looked very promising. It was a shallowish glide with streamer weed and I started with flake casting downstream, getting a few knocks but nothing positive. After some experimenting with spam, and then moving on to cheese paste, I finally hooked and landed a small chub.

My next stop was at a gap between bank-side trees where I spotted a chub using polaroids. It was a tricky place to fish and I hoped that by dropping in a bit of flake just upstream of the fish it would take. Well I was sort of right, but it turned out that what I thought was a chub may have been just a shadow. But there was a chub that I hadn't spotted, which took the flake almost immediately. But I was watching the 'wrong fish', so the take took me by surprise and the fish ejected the bait. The best chance of the day was missed.

I moved on, trying more spots, but the wind seemed to be getting stronger and I was getting hotter and more fatigued. I lost my terminal tackle fishing a shallow glide full of streamer weed and perhaps should have called it a day at that point. But I wanted to try to get a better chub so continued.

I had touches on flake but suspected smaller fish, ending up in a swim quite close to where I had walked to the previous week. So I had effectively then covered the whole stretch. Once again I didn't tempt anything, only getting knocks. Then, as if to convince me to call it a day, two otters popped up right in front of me. I was pretty shattered at this point and really didn't need any convincing to wrap things up for the day.

So, a bit of a disappointing day. But I managed to cover the remainder of the stretch and next time I can target those spots that appeared the most inviting, even if they didn't offer up anything on this visit.

When I got back to the car the external temperature indicator read 39.2⁰C!