Tench 2022

[Bill Walford]

This mornings corner swim. A pod required despite the nice soft looking surface. Underneath is hardcore and logs!

 

[Simon Archer]

Socks and Crocs. Behave.

Linear on Sunday for me, after a little scare when they closed Hunts Corner due to spawning, but they've now finished apparently.

 

[Michael Weir]

Great Tenching again Bill.
Blank all-stars again for me at Sywell today.

 

[Michael Weir]

Socks and Crocs. Behave.

View attachment 19320

Linear on Sunday for me, after a little scare when they closed Hunts Corner due to spawning, but they've now finished apparently.

I was sent some footage of carp spawning in Dorchester (Oxon) on Sunday. Good luck Simon.

 

[Bill Walford]

Great Tenching again Bill.
Blank all-stars again for me at Sywell today.

Thank you Michael. I’m off to Sywell myself in a few weeks for a Tenchfishers get together. I’ve never seen the place but at last years fish-in quite a few people blanked but some that did catch caught well. They are in there….somewhere!

 

[Bill Walford]

Socks and Crocs. Behave.

View attachment 19320

Linear on Sunday for me, after a little scare when they closed Hunts Corner due to spawning, but they've now finished apparently.

Has to be done Simon
Good Luck at Linear, keep us all posted

 

[Michael Weir]

Thank you Michael. I’m off to Sywell myself in a few weeks for a Tenchfishers get together. I’ve never seen the place but at last years fish-in quite a few people blanked but some that did catch caught well. They are in there….somewhere!

I'll be interested to see how your fish in goes. Park ranger did tell me, raking works well there. Also it doesn't really warm up until June. So may not get back there. As we know what June's about.

 

[Bill Walford]

This mornings corner swim. A pod required despite the nice soft looking surface. Underneath is hardcore and logs!

View attachment 19319

Interesting that it is said that a camera never lies but I’ve been perusing the picture and it makes the fishery look quite small but the swim that can be seen slightly to the left is 48yards plus away. The “bank” to the right is actually an island is 140 yards from where I was sitting and from the shortest cast from the bank I’m on to the point of the island is 105yards. The water in front of me is a channel which runs to another area of the lake. The pit extends 240 yards to my right down to a parking area. All measurements courtesy of Google Maps.

 

[Robert West]

Iam enjoying this thread bill there’s some fantastic fish being caught
we had another crack at the tench at our local club lake, I’d arranged to meet my son there as our days work had been postponed so we thought we’d take advantage.
It not very big lake, it has a island in the middle.
Today we fished the narrower side of the island it’s only approx 5m from the fishable bank to the island so it’s all close range stuff. You can’t fish to light as there are carp to 20lb.
I set about about try to tempt one of the tincas, but as usual the carp payed me a visit although not the 20lb fish there gave me the run around losing one fish to snags.
My son arrived around 9:30 and had a small carp first cast then another.
But the tench arrived in the end with Nathan catching a 3lb 9oz fish not a 6lb fish he’s hoping for from this venue.
Next it was my turn with a 4lb 3oz fish which was most welcome. Then just as we were packing up Nathan’s rod went again and so another tench sat in the landing net. We recognised it as a fish he’d previously caught on the 27th April so we were hope for a little weight gain, the 2oz for 6lb fish but sadly unbelievably it was exactly the same weight as before at 6lb 14oz
Here’s to our next visit

 

[Bill Walford]

Iam enjoying this thread bill there’s some fantastic fish being caught
we had another crack at the tench at our local club lake, I’d arranged to meet my son there as our days work had been postponed so we thought we’d take advantage.
It not very big lake, it has a island in the middle.
Today we fished the narrower side of the island it’s only approx 5m from the fishable bank to the island so it’s all close range stuff. You can’t fish to light as there are carp to 20lb.
I set about about try to tempt one of the tincas, but as usual the carp payed me a visit although not the 20lb fish there gave me the run around losing one fish to snags.
My son arrived around 9:30 and had a small carp first cast then another.
But the tench arrived in the end with Nathan catching a 3lb 9oz fish not a 6lb fish he’s hoping for from this venue.
Next it was my turn with a 4lb 3oz fish which was most welcome. Then just as we were packing up Nathan’s rod went again and so another tench sat in the landing net. We recognised it as a fish he’d previously caught on the 27th April so we were hope for a little weight gain, the 2oz for 6lb fish but sadly unbelievably it was exactly the same weight as before at 6lb 14oz
Here’s to our next visit

Great day Robert. I’m guessing your water is not too deep judging from the colour of the Tench ? You probably noticed that the fish you are holding is a male.

 

[Robert West]

Great day Robert. I’m guessing your water is not too deep judging from the colour of the Tench ? You probably noticed that the fish you are holding is a male.

Hi bill many thanks. I was aware my fish was a male and Nathan’s 5lb14 fish a female
Indecently i miss quoted the weight of his fish in my post it was 5lb14oz and not 6.14
Interestingly my fish look bigger but over a lb lighter. We always weigh our fish for our own records and get a feel for the size, it just goes to show looks can be deceiving.
Your very observant bill the lake is only 3-6ft deep mostly between 3-4ft hence the lighter fish deep water fish being darker.
The shallow water make for a interesting encounter if you hook a bigger fish.

 

[Bill Walford]

Hi bill many thanks. I was aware my fish was a male and Nathan’s 5lb14 fish a female
Indecently i miss quoted the weight of his fish in my post it was 5lb14oz and not 6.14
Interestingly my fish look bigger but over a lb lighter. We always weigh our fish for our own records and get a feel for the size, it just goes to show looks can be deceiving.
Your very observant bill the lake is only 3-6ft deep mostly between 3-4ft hence the lighter fish deep water fish being darker.
The shallow water make for a interesting encounter if you hook a bigger fish.

It was my mate who drew my attention to the difference in colour to what I was catching and what he catches. He lives down your way (ish) at Whiteley near Fareham and fishes the Portsmouth waters. With exception to the old brick pit the other lakes/ponds he fishes are of similar depth to your lake where as my local is an old gravel working with clear water and depths to 16ft. “My” fish tend to be dark, some nearly black. Regarding the size in pictures I’m sure it’s all down to how you hold them. I think that the picture that Carl put on really shows the fish off well. I need a lesson from him

 

[Kevin Copping]

Back on the fish today. Arrived at the pit at about 5:30am to find just one angler on my favourite bank. Almost too much to choose from but elected to fish the last swim in the northeast corner of the lake. Breeze was forecast to be light southerly swinging to a slightly brisker southwesterly. Baits were out by 6am with a good bed of hemp and dead maggots delivered from the feeder. Had to wait ‘till 8:15am for my first Tinca of the day. Second fish came very quickly afterwards at 8:35am and was a cracking 8lb 2oz female. I caught steadily ‘till 12:20 when the bites dried up. I fished on ‘till 3pm but was baking in the sun so called it a day. Nine fish in total, 1 x 8lb. 6 x 5lb+ 1 x 4lb and 1 x 3lb.

View attachment 19318Photo taken using whistle app on my iPhone. Only second time I’ve used it in anger but quite pleased with the result.

Really impressive Bill. Your catches continue to inspire. After Geoff and I made our first visit on Tuesday(sorry our paths didn’t cross) I can confirm that your results aren’t good fortune. Our day was an unmitigated disaster after being evicted from the double swim that you had mentioned. I had three runs, none landed. Really struggled with the weed growth opposite the new pontoon. Left with our tails between our legs at 7pm and on the drive home asked ourselves “Would Bill have caught today”. Obviously never in question. Top tinca ing old boy.

 

[Bill Walford]

Really impressive Bill. Your catches continue to inspire. After Geoff and I made our first visit on Tuesday(sorry our paths didn’t cross) I can confirm that your results aren’t good fortune. Our day was an unmitigated disaster after being evicted from the double swim that you had mentioned. I had three runs, none landed. Really struggled with the weed growth opposite the new pontoon. Left with our tails between our legs at 7pm and on the drive home asked ourselves “Would Bill have caught today”. Obviously never in question. Top tinca ing old boy.

Thank you Kev….Blimey ! I must have walked past you both on my way back to the car! I do apologise for not seeing you. I’m interested to know what you mean by evicted? Drop me a PM if you feel up to elaborating. I might even have your moby number which if I have I’ll call you.

 

[Bill Walford]

Two today for eight hours fishing. Baits out by 6:10am but had to wait 4.25 hours for any action and just like buses two came in thirty minutes and then nothing ! but a brace of 6’s before the drifting weed and bright sun sent me running for home.

 

[Graham Elliott]

It was my mate who drew my attention to the difference in colour to what I was catching and what he catches. He lives down your way (ish) at Whiteley near Fareham and fishes the Portsmouth waters. With exception to the old brick pit the other lakes/ponds he fishes are of similar depth to your lake where as my local is an old gravel working with clear water and depths to 16ft. “My” fish tend to be dark, some nearly black. Regarding the size in pictures I’m sure it’s all down to how you hold them. I think that the picture that Carl put on really shows the fish off well. I need a lesson from him

The tench from my old haunt, clear but deep water nearly black

 

[Josh Porteous-Webster]

Had another 4 off motorway on monday, including an old chunky male, biggest being about 5lb this time.

Lost another bigger one to a hook pull , my fault really id not had any signs of a bite for over an hour and with one rod in to rebait I took the opportunity to go for a pee in the bushes, close enough to keep an eye on the rod still in. Just as I zip up i hear the whirring of the baitrunner I played it for a good 5 mins, caught a brief glimpse of her and how lightly hooked she was and then that was that...

Surprise of the day was seeing a mallard dissapear into vortex of water.... mustve been a big catfish, forgot they were present till i saw that, very surreal.

My Dad had 8 tench to about 6lb and is still thrashing me on this water. No bream for either of us today, possibly busy breeding.

 

[Carl Salisbury]

It was my mate who drew my attention to the difference in colour to what I was catching and what he catches. He lives down your way (ish) at Whiteley near Fareham and fishes the Portsmouth waters. With exception to the old brick pit the other lakes/ponds he fishes are of similar depth to your lake where as my local is an old gravel working with clear water and depths to 16ft. “My” fish tend to be dark, some nearly black. Regarding the size in pictures I’m sure it’s all down to how you hold them. I think that the picture that Carl put on really shows the fish off well. I need a lesson from him

Bill, I take no credit for the pic. A total stranger took it on my iPhone. I must admit he did a good job

 

[Bill Walford]

Bill, I take no credit for the pic. A total stranger took it on my iPhone. I must admit he did a good job

It’s a cracking picture and the way you are holding it makes it I think Carl

 

[Bill Walford]

Five fish in twelve hours today but one wasn’t a Tench. An eighteen pound Common Carp took a liking for my maggot bait, took a little while to bring to the net on my Barbel Seeker. Had to happen one of these trips I ‘spose!
The other four were all Tench, a brace of 7’s, a 5 and a diddy little 2lber with a big attitude