Arrival time: 11.00 in car park
Weather: Bright with a blustery wind.
Tackle: 12' Korum Multi-feeder, simple SSG link, 6lb line, 6 hook.
Baits: Cheese paste / bread flake.
Fish: 2 chub, 1 roach

I did well on my last trip to the Mill Stream, my first fishing outing after my hip operation. So today I was reasonably confident of getting a fish or two. But although conditions were good I struggled. There were plenty of indications on the rod top but most were no more than taps, and when there was a more positive pull it was short and extremely difficult to hit.

I didn't have a good start, losing tackle on the tree branches after just a few casts. I was there around 40 minutes before I managed to make contact with a fish, which turned out to be a chub of perhaps around a pound. It fought well but compared to the fish I caught on my last visit was a mere chublet.

I continued in the same spot for perhaps another 40 minutes but although I continued to register interest on the rod top, and had a few missed strikes, I didn't make contact with another fish.

At that point I decided to move to the head of the mill stream, a swim where I've caught before. The pattern was the same, namely interest on the rod top but inability to hit a fish. However, after about 20 minutes I managed to connect with another small chub of probably less than half a pound.

I persevered and was later rewarded with a roach of about a quarter of a pound that had taken cheese paste on a size 6 hook; quite remarkable. I decided to change down to a 12 hook with smaller bait in an attempt to catch more roach, but unfortunately the change of tackle didn't improve my ability to hook the tentative bites and I didn't catch any more.

A move back to the first spot didn't produce anything either, other than the unhittable taps. I didn't stay long, on the basis that if there was a chub there willing to feed I would have known about it quite quickly.

I finished off at the pool by the road bridge. I only made a few casts as it was by now my packing up time. Again I had some taps on the rod top but nothing I could connect with.

Considering that conditions were really quite favourable, in terms of water level and colour, it was a bit of a disappointing day. But that's fishing.