Tench 2022

[Graham Elliott]

Many years ago I once caught several 7+ fish from Johnson’s in Kent by fishing lobworms on a Dyson rig (pike fishing paternoster) to hold them static above a weed bed.

A bit mad, but it worked.

Tim.
I wondered afterwards whether I should have fished a pop up corn on a 2 ft tail just to see, or gone away from the heli rig and simply gone freeline with breadflake on top of the weed and just visual.
Some of the tench looked 8lb plus.

I always try to analyse failure more than success.

 

[Josh Porteous-Webster]

Finally some success, first tenches of the year landed

Tried another new lake for us on the recently acquired hdaa book. I had 3 tench between 5lb and 6lb 12oz and my Dad had one about 4lb. My first two were caught on the mag feeder with worm and fake mag hookbait, the last and biggest of the day was on a dumbell popup from the reedy margin over groundbait/casters/hemp.

Well chuffed and definitely heading back there at some point. Just after we left one of the carp anglers had a 14lb bream, quite a unit!

 

[Michael Weir]

Also blanked. Saw fish moving on top of weed but they would not get heads down. Frustrating day.
Not helped by NE wind. 2 others blanked.

Pressure's high this week too.

 

[Tim Marks]

Tim.
I wondered afterwards whether I should have fished a pop up corn on a 2 ft tail just to see, or gone away from the heli rig and simply gone freeline with breadflake on top of the weed and just visual.
Some of the tench looked 8lb plus.

I always try to analyse failure more than success.

Sounds similar to my problem at Johnson’s. There, the only clear spots were right in the edge and the fish were cruising along parallel to the bank 10 - 15 yards out above 2-3 ft of weed. I simply manufactured a way to suspend a worm in front of them. I reasoned that because of the thickness of the weed, it would be simpler to work from the ‘top down’ rather than the ‘bottom up’; If that makes sense.

My experience of short hooklink heli rigs for tench suggests that they work well on fairly clean bottom but are pretty rubbish in any sort of weed.

Reading the two recent books on tench (Tinca Tinca and Redeye) suggests people are now using long hooklinks again for fishing over weed. Then choosing semi-buoyant hookbaits and allowing a slow fall so that the bait sits on top of the weed.

 

[Graham Elliott]

Sounds similar to my problem at Johnson’s. There, the only clear spots were right in the edge and the fish were cruising along parallel to the bank 10 - 15 yards out above 2-3 ft of weed. I simply manufactured a way to suspend a worm in front of them. I reasoned that because of the thickness of the weed, it would be simpler to work from the ‘top down’ rather than the ‘bottom up’; If that makes sense.

My experience of short hooklink heli rigs for tench suggests that they work well on fairly clean bottom but are pretty rubbish in any sort of weed.

Reading the two recent books on tench (Tinca Tinca and Redeye) suggests people are now using long hooklinks again for fishing over weed. Then choosing semi-buoyant hookbaits and allowing a slow fall so that the bait sits on top of the weed.

Yes. I screwed up really Tim.
Always learning.

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

Blanked on Saturday. It’s a 87acres lake with only about 4,5 pegs that you can fish…10-15ft deep and very weedy, tried both worm with maggot feeder and float, not a single bite…

 

[Jean-Pierre Bantin]

Sounds similar to my problem at Johnson’s. There, the only clear spots were right in the edge and the fish were cruising along parallel to the bank 10 - 15 yards out above 2-3 ft of weed. I simply manufactured a way to suspend a worm in front of them. I reasoned that because of the thickness of the weed, it would be simpler to work from the ‘top down’ rather than the ‘bottom up’; If that makes sense.

My experience of short hooklink heli rigs for tench suggests that they work well on fairly clean bottom but are pretty rubbish in any sort of weed.

Reading the two recent books on tench (Tinca Tinca and Redeye) suggests people are now using long hooklinks again for fishing over weed. Then choosing semi-buoyant hookbaits and allowing a slow fall so that the bait sits on top of the weed.

I had luck for my second trip this year with a few pop up worms. I had forgotten my foam and simply injected two of the worms with air. This seemed to work, but only landed three Tench. One of about 5lbs and two of only 3lbs.

 

[Tony Koziol]

I returned yesterday to the scene of last weeks success, as already stated high pressure 1024 yesterday and that NE wind was not conducive to bagging up again

A 05.30 start then saw me wait until 10.05 before a run occurred however worth the wait a 6lb 8oz male graced the net followed by a 5lb 13oz female.

Then nothing until 15.00 when an eel turned up followed by its mate an hour later and finally a lovely perfect tinca about 2lb.

Three Tench and two eels, a tough day but beats working.....that was left until today.

No tenching next, a little farm pond for a chance of some delightful Crucians....

Thank you for reading.

 

[Bill Walford]

It’s been hard going this week in the current weather and atmospheric conditions. Blanked Monday (as already posted) managed 3 x 5lbers yesterday and a solitary 7lber today. Fishing again next Tuesday and will possibly try another club lake for a change of scenery.

 

[Cliff Turner]

so gents Im hoping to wet a line next week ... so what rigs are you using ? I prefer float fishing if possible but on the lake I'll be fishing there seems to be more fish at 20-30yd range so I normally fish two rods, one on popped up red maggot with maggot feeder and one on method feeder varying hook baits, small wafters, pellets, maggot. Any other rigs recommended ?

 

[Jean-Pierre Bantin]

Frankly sounds like what I'm doing. Not sure what to advise. Where I have been of late, those are my Baites of choice, including worm kebabs.

 

[Bill Walford]

so gents Im hoping to wet a line next week ... so what rigs are you using ? I prefer float fishing if possible but on the lake I'll be fishing there seems to be more fish at 20-30yd range so I normally fish two rods, one on popped up red maggot with maggot feeder and one on method feeder varying hook baits, small wafters, pellets, maggot. Any other rigs recommended ?

Good luck for your “off” Cliff. Nothing any different to your proposed rigs I’m on a maggot feeder with reds but have also had a couple on worm kebab and another couple on white maggot. My feed, via a rocket as my wife likes to call it, is hemp, dead reds and a few grains of sweat corn. The range I’m at is as per you state.

 

[Bill Walford]

Three for me today biggest 6-12 AND sixteen Roach all but one in the 6-10oz bracket. I would have been tickled pink with a bag like that on the right tackle but alas they didn’t stand an earthly on Barbel Seekers and 10lb line!

 

[Robert West]

I haven’t been tench fishing as yet going tomorrow so Iam enjoying this thread started by bill some cracking fish have been caught although I have been my sons been a few times so far he’s managed 10 to 5lb14oz
We’re going together tomorrow so hopefully some of his luck will rub off onto me.
Here my sons biggest so far 5.14

 

[Bill Walford]

I haven’t been tench fishing as yet going tomorrow so Iam enjoying this thread started by bill some cracking fish have been caught although I have been my sons been a few times so far he’s managed 10 to 5lb14oz
We’re going together tomorrow so hopefully some of his luck will rub off onto me.
Here my sons biggest so far 5.14

Good Luck to you both Robert

 

[Bill Walford]

Had a real red letter day today. A dodgy start when I hooked (and lost) a carp when the bait had only been in the water for a few minutes on the first cast. Then a Bream and a couple of Roach within the first twenty minutes of the day saw me up sticks and move to another area of the lake. A couple more Roach before my first Tench of the day and had a steady stream of fish ‘till mid afternoon. I ended the day with sixteen Tench ranging from 3lb 13oz to 8lb 13oz the breakdown being 2 x 8lb+ 1 x 7lb+ 6x 6lb+ 3 x 5lb+ 3x 4lb+ 1x 3lb+…..Happy Bunny or what ! Recent blanks and hard graft days forgotten (nearly). I was lucky to have a double hookup landing “twins” of 6-10 & 6-11. Sorry about the shadows.

 

[Tony Koziol]

Brilliant Bill well done, meal to celebrate that result ?

 

[Mark Pevy]

Had a real red letter day today. A dodgy start when I hooked (and lost) a carp when the bait had only been in the water for a few minutes on the first cast. Then a Bream and a couple of Roach within the first twenty minutes of the day saw me up sticks and move to another area of the lake. A couple more Roach before my first Tench of the day and had a steady stream of fish ‘till mid afternoon. I ended the day with sixteen Tench ranging from 3lb 13oz to 8lb 13oz the breakdown being 2 x 8lb+ 1 x 7lb+ 6x 6lb+ 3 x 5lb+ 3x 4lb+ 1x 3lb+…..Happy Bunny or what ! Recent blanks and hard graft days forgotten (nearly). I was lucky to have a double hookup landing “twins” of 6-10 & 6-11. Sorry about the shadows.

Christ, im going tomorrow for an overnight session on a local approximately 80 acre pit,haven't fished a Stillwater for years, went earlier today to bait a swim ,just hope its available tomorrow ,if i manage one i will be over the moon lol

 

[Bill Walford]

Brilliant Bill well done, meal to celebrate that result ?

Cheers Tony. Had sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice collected by the current Mrs W, on the bank in the evening sun. She also came down earlier in the day with an extra three pints of maggots ‘cos I was running low. Keep telling her she’s still on probation although we’ve been married forty-eight years. Might have to sign off her probation period soon

 

[Bill Walford]

Christ, im going tomorrow for an overnight session on a local approximately 80 acre pit,haven't fished a Stillwater for years, went earlier today to bait a swim ,just hope its available tomorrow ,if i manage one i will be over the moon lol

Good Luck Mark. There’s one with your name on