They say unlucky 13. My thirteenth trip to the Welland and it was a bit disappointing. I suppose I may have become bit blasé after a few very successful trips.

It was hot, very hot, and the river was clear, but it usually is in the summer. Also there were far more people walking along the bank. It’s the school holidays so perhaps the river is being fished a bit more. There was certainly the ubiquitous litter in the spot I fish. Or perhaps the chub had moved elsewhere; you can’t catch what’s not there, as Richard Walker said.

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The day passed with me getting the occasional jab on the rod top, which I guess were smaller fish having a go at the cheese; certainly nothing hittable. I thought of moving position but convinced myself things would improve later in the afternoon. I had brought some chopped cheese cubes for loose feeding, the irony being that there seemed nothing in the swim to feed.

Just as I was literally thinking of calling it a day, at 17.50 a positive bite resulted in a fish running strongly upstream and me trying to keep it out of the reeds and bullrushes. After a bit of a scrap a beautifully conditioned fish of 2lb 15oz was on the bank.

Convinced the chub were now there for the evening I pressed on but by 19.30 I hadn’t had another bite. At this stage I was a bit beat having sat in the sun for a long time, so despite it being a lovely evening I packed up, thankful for at least one good fish. It will teach me to take things for granted. I had been quite disappointed when the rod top didn’t wrench round within the first half hour of arriving. But I should know by now, fishing isn’t anywhere as predictable as that.

Until the next time.