Arrival time: 11.05 (bankside)
Weather: Bright sunshine, cold and windy.
Tackle: 9ft Shimano Aero X1 Finesse Feeder (1.5oz quiver), link leger, 5lb line, 6 hook.
Shimano Exage 1000RC reel.
Baits: Bread flake & Cheese paste.
Fish: One chub

I had forgotten how far it was to the end section of the Trout Stream. Good exercise but with the new hip and following a bad cold I did find it a bit exhausting. I set up where I caught my first chub on the last visit to this section of the stream, but this time not a touch.

I then moved on to another spot where I was successful last time, but again not a touch. Things weren't looking too promising. Both swims showed signs of being fished more than when I was last there.

I next fished a swim that was occupied by a swan and cygnets on my previous visit and therefore not really viewed. And quite a swim it was. Great for long trotting but I was of course equipped for legering. With a lot of water to explore I was hopeful, but once again not a tremor on the rod top.

Moving along the stream I found a spot almost hidden by trees, and certainly likely to be so in the summer. Once again it looked promising but once again it didn't produce a touch. It was also extremely tricky to fish. Things were certainly looking bleak as I headed back along the stream with the intention of dropping in one or two spots on the way.

I stopped off briefly at the first swim I had fished but again there was nothing doing. It was now approaching my packing up time so I decided to try one more spot that I had seen not far from the entrance to the stretch.

I cast out a piece of flake and within minutes had a tap on the rod top, amazing after 3 hours of nothing further down the stream. The tap developed into a firm pull and I was into a good fish. There was a lot of vegetation in the margin into which, of course, the chub made a beeline. With my new 9ft rod I didn't have the length to pull it away from the margin and had to muscle it through the vegetation, which fortunately had died off and was quite soft.

After a few anxious moments a 3lb chub was in the landing net. Quite an amazing end to what had been a very challenging day. It just goes to show that you should never give up. At 3lb it's my PB for this stream.