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Tench 2016 - 2018 and counting ......

Right, fished Blenheim today. God Awful! 6 boats out and not a single person had as much as a bite...neither me nor my father had so much as a liner, didnt see any signs of fish whatsoever other than a small dead bream and a jack pike. I dont believe there is any head of fish in there at all which is disappointing considering how classic a lake it is. This experience pretty much concurs with all the others i have read from the last few years.
Has anyone fished horseshoe or any of the waterpark fisheries this season? Called in to horseshoe on the way home and had a chat to the bailiff, he reckoned it hadnt been a good tench year...does anyone fish there regulaly? I hear alot about the scaled down carp tactics but i really enjoy float fishing for my tench...is the float successful there?
 
Yeah it looks a good spot unfortunately it would be about a 2 and a half hour drive from us here in Bath. Blenheim was on the edge for us at one and three quarters away, wish I hadn't bothered in hindsight! I just can't seem to find any decent tench fishing near us in Somerset that isn't either on a commercial type fishery dug yesterday and surrounded in platforms, or emptied by otters.

Which is why I am now thinking that the Glos gravel pits are maybe my only option...but its a shame that it is most likely to be sitting behind alarms from what I read, although I will definitely try the float first.
 
Cheers Jason, Horcott looks the goods and is only an hour away from me, as is horseshoe, perfect for an overnighter or two. Wouldn't mind bumping into a stray 20 either! Have you fished there much? Look like decent marginal float fishing? Looks as if it is probably slightly less busy than horseshoe which is a plus.
 
I've done a couple of 3 night sessions on there last year and had plenty of fish on the maggot feeder at long range from the swims in the car park. There not massive 4-5 lb being the average and a 7lber being a big un. There's also plenty of big bream in there as well going into doubles. I know the guy who runs them Lee pollard, he runs Lechlade tackle so any up to date info prior to going it would be worth giving him a ring. The shelf drops off close in so it would lend itself to float fishing.
 
Good info mate. I shall give it a go next time I get some free time...after my new brolly system arrives...haven't done an overnighter for years, looking forward to it...don't know if the old man will be so keen mind!

A 4-5lber is a good tench in my book with a 7 being an absolute monster so no issues with that.

Cheers again
 
George Maltby said:
Good info mate. I shall give it a go next time I get some free time...after my new brolly system arrives...haven't done an overnighter for years, looking forward to it...don't know if the old man will be so keen mind!

A 4-5lber is a good tench in my book with a 7 being an absolute monster so no issues with that.

Cheers again
Click to expand...

Since I last fished it I know he's stocked a lot of small carp, how that's affected the tench and bream fishing I don't know. But I presume you should get plenty of bites....even if it's carp.
 
I live a couple of miles away from Blenheim and only fished it a few times just as it started to go down hill. I don't know anyone local who fishes it now for tench, just a few go for the big perch in the winter
 
6 nice Tench all caught on float fished casters on Thursday morning in very windy conditions
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David - yep, some lovely olives there.

George - that's poor about Blenheim. Same thing has happened with Orchardleigh estate lake, although that was mainly down to human intervention when the previous owners tried to turn it into a commercial day ticket fishery - apparently most of the original stock (which included a lot of big tench and some lovely Leney carp) were removed and replaced with those ugly quick growing footballs. It's now part of a different hotel chain and it's gone back to being for guests only, but it's already ruined.

Anyway, I understand the tench fishing is still pretty good on the Somerset levels in the drains. They've never been fished for that much either, as most people tend to go for the carp, pike and bream. I've not read or heard of otter problems on the drains, except for on the Brue, which you wouldn't be looking at for tench anyway. King's Sedgmoor is your best bet for bigger lumps, whilst the North and South drains both contain large shoals of small to medium sized fish.

You could also try Cheddar reservoir. There always used to be some enormous lumps in there, and they were quite easy to find in still conditions. The only problems are that it is literally a concrete bowl (although there is prolific summer weed growth in the margins for most of the way around), in the summer there is constant bankside traffic from walkers, runners and picnicers, and you can now only fish from the flat bank shelf. On the plus side, it's now run by a club and day tickets are actually both cheaper (it had gone up to £10 a day a few years ago - now £6) and a lot easier to get hold of. There is also a season ticket available, which wasn't an option before. Oh, and no night fishing allowed now. Although they may have done away with that years ago for all I know.
 
had a nice day out today think i had 7 tench in total and lost 2 up to abut 5lbs....back to the rivers now for me!

the morning fish all fell to boilie but the afternoon fish all came on the maggot which was rather weird
 
Hi Guys,
Thinking of buying a Drennan Acolyte 15ft Plus for Tench on the Float as my Drennan Tench at 12'9 struggles a bit in the deep water i fish !
Anybody use one ?
Dave
 
Spring 2017

Having not had much to post about on the barbel pages last season I thought I would get after some tench this Spring. I have had a very exciting couple of weeks having found a beautiful little lake that I can cycle to. It's run by a small match fishing group and they have been busy doing environmental work and stocking it with Rudd, tench and crucians. I have had two trips so far and have caught 7 beautiful tench ranging in size from 4lbs or so down to little baby ones that are very cute. It's an idyllic spot and I am really enjoying arriving Yates style by bike! It takes me back to cycling to the River Tone at Roughmoor after the grayling when I was 13. I saw some of the crucians on the bank this afternoon, gorgeous golden fish!
 
Simon - care to mention the name of this lake and/or where it is? PM if you don't want to broadcast it. Or just say "no" outright.

Struggling to find anywhere (any NICE places, at least) round our parts with crucians.
 
tench

are there any decent tench waters left , with every one overstocking with carp !!
I only no couple local to me.
carp are a real threat to native tench waters in the same way as otters are a threat to barbel numbers .
I have asked the EA to restrict carp number consent stockings to sensible numbers partically if stocked in tench waters but falls on deaf ears .
at present clubs only have to list species , not numbers of fish .
I feel what few natural predominant tench waters are left should be left be , with no carp stockings at all . after all is there not enough carp waters as it is .
 
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