Arrival time: 09.45
Weather: Light cloud cover and feshening wind. Still very warm for time of year.
Tackle: 11'6" John Wilson Avon with 1.5oz quiver, Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, link leger and 6lb line direct to 8 hook. Changed to 12 hook during session.
Baits: Bread flake & worms.
Fish: One small roach and a smaller perch.

My third visit to a swim on the back channel having walked the stretch the previous week and seen how it had improved, weed clearance having been carried out. Previous visits had produced only small fish so this time I decided to try for something better, taking bread flake and worms rather than maggots, as was the case previously. Unfortunately the better fish didn't show up. In fact catching anything was a challenge. I later moved on to the Trout Stream.

Starting with bread flake having thrown in mashed bread I didn't get a hint of interest. Not even small fish bothering the bait. I changed to worms thinking at least there was then a chance of a perch or two, big fish hopes having now faded. I got a few bites and actually hooked a roach, at which point I decided to change from the 8 hook to a 12. More snatch bites followed but I didn't manage to hook any of them. I explored the swim casting near the far bank, midstream and the nearside margin, but just a few unhittable snatches, probably small perch.

By now I had negative vibes about the swim and decided to take my chance on the adjacent Trout Stream.

The Trout Stream wasn't at its best, far from it. There was negligible flow and it was still quite low with lots of dying streamer and reeds/rushes. There were however at least a couple of spots where I could cast a bait.

At the first of these spots it was difficult to see all the browning streamer so it was a matter of hoping the bait fell into a channel. A few casts produced nothing on worm which sort of indicated that there was either nothing interested or any fish there didn't spot the bait. A hungry chub would have taken the worm quite quickly. So I moved on.

The next spot was similar and the outcome was similar - no indications of interest.

Moving to the large shallow bay where people exercise their dogs it turned out to be far too shallow to bother with. But a favourite swim nearby had been improved by reed clearance, possibly in reaction to my comments in a video short when I had looked at it the previous week.

As I sat down in the swim it was the first time during the session that I felt hopeful. Probably because the swim had produced many times in the past. Still on worms I got a strong pull on the quiver that I thought could have been a chub. But I didn't connect. More lesser pulls followed that I missed and I was starting to think these aren't chub. And sure enough when I hooked one it was a small perch that was attacked by a pike as I brought it in, narrowly missing those gaping jaws.

The perch was deep hooked so I decided to change to bread flake but no bites were forthcoming. Time to call it a day.

All in all a disappointing session but at least the last swim gave me a bit of hope.