I arrived just after 11.00 in the morning. It was bright and warm but very breezy. My tactics on this visit were to roam with a single rod, landing net and minimum tackle. I started free-lining but a downstream wind made far-bank control impossible, so I later switched to a couple of swan shot on a link.

At the first swim I cast a free-lined piece of flake and immediately saw the line tighten. A 1lb 2oz chub came to the net. A fine start to the day. Things however got more difficult after that. About an hour later a 4½lb pike took my bread flake as I was retrieving; unexpected, but a good fight ensued.

After trying a number of unproductive spots, including the bridge swim where I had seen large fish, I concentrated on a shallow section where I could see the fish. After a while a chub emerged to take by bread flake, which I could see on the bottom in the shallow water. A fine 3lb 10oz fish was landed.

Click any image to launch large format slide show.

It was now fairly late in the afternoon, so I settled in a deeper swim and decided to fish it until I left. It was more accessible than some of the others I had tried. Amazingly the first fish was another pike; this time 4lb 10oz. It took luncheon meat! However, a little while later, using luncheon meat on a swan-shot leger rig, I got a good pull on the rod top, and after a short battle a 3lb 14oz cub was netted.

Excuse my facial expression in the photo, but it was taken by a boy who came to see the fish and I wasn't sure he had pushed the button!

It was now approaching 19.00 and I didn't want to stay too late. One more cast was the maxim; however, I missed a bite, so cast again. The next bite was a really firm pull and a good fish was on the end of the line. As I netted it I knew it was a better fish, and sure enough it weighed 4½lb; a personal best chub.

For the first visit to a new water I thought I did quite well. Most satisfying was the fact I had come to target the chub and had succeeded.