I don’t do crowds. I want the lake or river to myself. All day. Telephone turned off, no dog walkers, just the occasional Trout to interrupt my retreat from the real world.

Bank Holiday Monday was definitely not a fishing day. Lycramaniacs clogged the country lanes, leaving plastic bottles in the gutter and shouting at each other. They raised my blood pressure. I relaxed by washing the Defender. The hot sun on the aluminium instantly evaporated the Wash and Wax. After pulling a muscle in my back I switched to relaxing with a beer.

The Tuesday Club had reached cult status. It’s not exclusive but you have to take your own beer and sausages. Or grill a fresh Trout if the fishing is good. I arrived at 11:00pm, too early for a beer. I brewed a cup of tea and chatted with several members. I kept an eye on the shallows at Little Springs as I usually manage to catch a Trout from under the trees.

I took some pain killers for my back, wandered away from the fishing hut and sat on the wet grass well back from the water. I flicked a nymph under the trees, then a buzzer. I had a couple of twitches on the tippet but it was only Roach.

Lunch was excellent. Rare Aberdeen Angus steak, soft bread rolls and a bottle of San Miquel. The conversation revealed that it was St George’s Day so I celebrated with another beer. We chatted about fishing, cars, holidays and other stuff. Lunch lasted for three hours. I played with a new Orvis fly line, guaranteed to cure all your castings ills for £120. It was a very nice line.

A Guest caught three fish on the dam with a Daddy just under the surface. I started fishing again about 3:30pm on the east side of Little Springs. I tried a variety of flies, including a French Partridge Mayfly which I thought might bring a Trout to the surface, but had no takes.

Everyone departed, leaving me to explore the dam from behind a bed of rushes. A fish swirled at the nymph on the first cast, just as I was lifting off to recast. I had a few tugs and nips and eventually hooked a fish which became airborne and shook the hook. I switched to a red hackled black spider. A fly the fish would not have seen before. It would be visible in the coloured water. The fly was taken on the drop while I was not paying attention, the rod pulled round and I failed to connect. I had several takes but the shoal moved away and I packed up. The hot sun, beer and pain killers had not been a good combination.

The river had been stocked that morning. After a couple of days for the Trout to settle down, the fishing should be good. Particularly as the Mayfly hatch is due.