Arrival time: 10.30.
Weather: A beautiful spring day but with a fresh downstream wind.
Tackle: Korum 12ft 'Multi-feeder', Shimano ST2500FB baitrunner, block leger on link, 6lb line to 8 eyed hook..
Baits: Bread Flake & cheese paste.
Fish: Blank

For what was probably going to be my last trip of the season I decided on the Mill Stream, reports suggesting that the river was around four inches over normal level. On arrival I found the stream to be moving through quite quickly and hoped that exploring a few slacks near the far bank might find me a chub. The stream being a fairly straight channel it doesn't offer too many places of refuge for the fish in high water conditions.

I stopped around half way along the stream and tried a couple of small slacks near the far bank, where tree branches were hanging in the water. They looked chubby but there was nothing doing. I moved downstream a bit trying a couple of more far bank slacks, and then a bit further doing the same. Unfortunately I didn't get a touch in any of the spots.

I walked further upstream but didn't see any spots that looked promising, the pace of the water seeming to be faster nearer the outflow from the main weir pool. At this point I had half decided to make my way over to the main river but when I got to the swim by the road bridge it looked promising, the flow being moderated a bit by the increased width of the stream at this point. So I decided to stop there and give it a go.

I was casting over by the far reeds, down towards the bridge. There was a narrow zone where the flow appeared to ease but the central faster flow was always tending to drag the leger and bait into the centre of the stream.

But I did get a good tap on the rod tip after a short while, which I felt through my hand on the butt of the rod. This was encouraging and I made up my mind to finish the session in the swim as I didn't know what the main river was like.

I persevered for a couple of hours or so during which time I got another couple of good taps but unfortunately nothing that I could hit. Reluctantly I finally accepted that I probably wasn't going to catch, which was disappointing as it was almost certainly going to be my last river session of the season. But I'm already looking forward to June!