The Trout Stream had been going up and down with the recurring periods of heavy rain but the river level information suggested that it was at last below the normal winter high level mark and steady. So, I thought I'd take a chance. On arrival, however, the stream was well up and at a level well above that when I had fished it in the past. It was likely that my usual favourite chub spots might not deliver on this occasion.

The banks showed signs of recent inundation with lots of mud! Walking was heavy going as my boots clogged up and I was soon feeling it! I decided, therefore, to start at a swim near the start of the stretch, a spot where I would normally finish off.

There was somewhat slacker water near the far bank so I cast across there hoping that a chub might be resting up near the crease with the faster flow. It was difficult to hold the bait in position and I was snagging on most occasions when I retrieved. After a while I decided to make my way to the spot where I normally start, about half way along the stretch.

On the way I ldipped in a couple of swims, both being difficult to fish, but didn't try for long as neither looked that promising once I started to fish.

At my favourite spot the water was pushing through a bit and I was a bit doubtful whether the chub would be in their normal lie. But it was worth a try. Unfortunately I snagged badly when retrieving my first cast and lost all the terminal tackle. I decided not to retry!

I moved downstream a bit to a large bay that in lower water conditions is very shallow, but I thought it would be worth a try as it offered an area of fairly calm water. And the decision proved to be correct as shortly after casting a gentle pull on the rod tip resulted in a chub being hooked. It wasn't big and was in quite poor condition, which is unusual for this stream, but it fought well and I had avoided a blank.

I tried another cast into the bay but wasn't too hopeful of taking a second chub from the same spot, and so it turned out. So I decided to make my way downstream. I stopped off at a spot where there was an inviting slack area but it was difficult to cast because of trees and shrubs and I didn't stay long.

As I made my way to the next spot my way was impeded by a water filled channel that in normal times is just a dip in the ground. But on this occasion a strong flow of water was flowing through it from residual floodwater in the fields. I wasn't sure that my wellingtons were high enough to get across, but after a test run without tackle I managed it. Not that it helped as I didn't do any good fishing the eddy where I hoped the fish might be laying up.

And walking further downstream didn't reveal any promising looking spots. So I decided to make my way back to the top of the stretch and fish where I started before packing up.

Unfortunately my second attempt in the swim didn't yield any more success than when I first tried it. It was time to call it a day. I was genuinely exhausted from walking through the heavy mud and more than happy to make my way back to the car which, unfortunately, involved a bit of an unwelcome hike!