Started off in morning rain at Alders, the only one on the lake all day. Typical Alders, quite a few line bites and the method feeder being played with, but no takes. The only fish, two bream in the 5lb range who actually fought quite well, came on float-fished sweetcorn off the lilies in Dead-Carp-Corner. When the clouds cleared and the temperature shot up at midday, the bites stopped and I packed up for Brimpton, my first river Kennet session of the new season.

Hmm, I loose fed maggots, a dozen or so every 30 seconds to build up the swim, a lovely bend with both fast and slower water. When I dared, I cast in for the crease between water speeds and held the 4.5AAA Avon float back, set with double-maggot as low as the streamer weed would allow, to two-thirds of water speed through the . After each 20-minute trotting session I gave it a rest and another 15-minute feed. This seems to account for chub after chub for other Kennet bloggers, but I had just the one bite and a welcome, but remarkably un-chubby brown trout. I changed the depth, altered float speed and searched all parts of the swim, so I'm still not sure what I'm wrong, but I just can't catch a chub - or roach, or even gudgeon.