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Tench 2023

Great angling. brilliant eel. well done.
Regret not my favourite fish Nick but got to say it was an impressive beast and certainly scrapped well on my 1.75lb rod. I was so glad it was lip hooked, probably down to the fact that I was using a worm kebab so effectively the bait was on a “hair”. Only a size ten crimped barb hook as well so the unhooking was a doddle. She swam away very strongly and looked double impressive in the water.
 
I haven’t done as yet Bob but I’ve caught nearly as many sub five pound fish so far this year as I did last season in the whole of May & June so next trip I’ll be trying boilies on one rod. Go on! Get started, you know you want to 🤣
Yeah I think I will Bill , I’m keen to try out a new venue. 👍
 
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Are you planning on doing any long stay tench sessions Bill?
I’ve a ticket for SWS Fisheries at Larkfield Joe, just got it, so when I start down there I’ll be trying to fit in two nights three days. I say try ‘cos life’s been complicated with cancer in the family and I’m doing a turn at transport for treatment. Treatment finishes in April sometime so hopefully mid/late April will see me do my first session. I’m not expecting to catch as regularly as I do locally but hoping for a PB
 
Yesterday morning 04.30 the Blackbirds were singing as I loaded the van, air temp was already 11C and a bit of drizzle was in the air, perfect I said.
I pulled into the car park at 05.30 only one car so a good chance of a producing swim on what is the first "real Tench session of the season" by 06.00 both rods in, maggot feeder and fake corn/maggot combination on the other rod.
Another six cars arrived by 06.30 a busy day I thought.

I must admit it was slow going, I walked round to my neighbour on the left at 09.00 after ten minutes of chat his maggot rod was away and a few minutes later I netted a male of around 5lb for him, it was interesting as he had forgotten his landing net pole, I shot back to my swim and cast the rods back out. At 13.00 my alarms still remained redundant so I went to change my flasks over at the van and have a chat with a chap who had caught four over 6lb, whilst on my way back I photographed a fish just under six for the same chap.

The afternoon came and went without a touch, a Pintail duck was trying to get friendly with a female Mallard " good luck I shouted"

Five o'clock and a drop back occurs on the maggot rod I pick the rod up and I hit fresh air " oh pooh" I say to myself. Rod recast I start to tidy up ready for ragging in then out of the blue the worm kebab rod wakes up and a few minutes later a plucky five pounder is landed and returned promptly. With only a few minutes left I just recast a small lobworm on the same rod and within minutes its off again, this time a little two pounder is the result, my Tench season is under way and I drive home happy.

As I approach my Diamond Year a surprise present was delivered this morning in the form of a pair of Chris Brown buzzer bars, which I bought for myself🤣
 
I’ve a ticket for SWS Fisheries at Larkfield Joe, just got it, so when I start down there I’ll be trying to fit in two nights three days. I say try ‘cos life’s been complicated with cancer in the family and I’m doing a turn at transport for treatment. Treatment finishes in April sometime so hopefully mid/late April will see me do my first session. I’m not expecting to catch as regularly as I do locally but hoping for a PB
Sorry to hear that Bill...hope the treatment is going well for your relative.

I hope to be able to get at least two, 2 night/3-day sessions this season. One tactic I'm planning finally try this season, is to keep a line out of the swim for the first half of the session.

E.g., arrive after work, bait-up, then bait up again in the morning and then top the the swim up every couple of hours. Before waiting until the 2nd evening before putting my rods out. I've often had some great sessions on that 2nd evening and 3rd morning...but I've always tended to fish from the first morning. Just have a hunch that it might help route out some of the bigger girls.
 
Sorry to hear that Bill...hope the treatment is going well for your relative.

I hope to be able to get at least two, 2 night/3-day sessions this season. One tactic I'm planning finally try this season, is to keep a line out of the swim for the first half of the session.

E.g., arrive after work, bait-up, then bait up again in the morning and then top the the swim up every couple of hours. Before waiting until the 2nd evening before putting my rods out. I've often had some great sessions on that 2nd evening and 3rd morning...but I've always tended to fish from the first morning. Just have a hunch that it might help route out some of the bigger girls.
Wow! That’s adventurous Joe, it’s a great idea but I’m not sure I’m disciplined enough to sit on my hands for that long. I’d only need to see a fish roll over or near my baited area and I would be sending a feeder out 🤣 Do please keep us posted how it goes you could be starting something here.
 
Sorry to hear that Bill...hope the treatment is going well for your relative.

I hope to be able to get at least two, 2 night/3-day sessions this season. One tactic I'm planning finally try this season, is to keep a line out of the swim for the first half of the session.

E.g., arrive after work, bait-up, then bait up again in the morning and then top the the swim up every couple of hours. Before waiting until the 2nd evening before putting my rods out. I've often had some great sessions on that 2nd evening and 3rd morning...but I've always tended to fish from the first morning. Just have a hunch that it might help route out some of the bigger girls.
Have you been chatting to a certain Mr Horak then Joe ,that sounds very much like an approach he would try .Next level Bait n wait .
Now there’s a bloke who knows a bit about catching the bigguns.
 
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Wow! That’s adventurous Joe, it’s a great idea but I’m not sure I’m disciplined enough to sit on my hands for that long. I’d only need to see a fish roll over or near my baited area and I would be sending a feeder out 🤣 Do please keep us posted how it goes you could be starting something here.
I'll take a float rod and fish the margins for Rudd as a means of trying to resist temptation!
 
Have you been chatting to a certain Mr Horak then Joe ,that sounds very much like an approach he would try .Next level Bait n wait .
Now there’s a bloke who knows a bit about catching the bigguns.
Haha. Idea actually more spawned from Terry Lampard'ss writings in which he makes the point about how responsive tench are to long stay angling.

Only fished for tench the once with Horak, a miserable couple of days in the summer bay at Horseshoe in April. Three of us didn't get a single tench bite between us all. The late John Found turned up, launched out a huge method feeder ball into the horizon and starting catching instantly. We all followed suit...and caught f@#£ all!
 
Hard day today on the home pit. Started at 7am and reeled in 4.45pm. Two Tench graced my net a three pounder and a 6-09. Could be down to the cold nights or more likely the 30kg’s of bait supposedly used by four carp anglers who fished the area over the weekend. When the bailiff told me that I gave Bobs boilie attack a miss and stuck to maggots and worms. Won’t be down again now for possibly a fortnight due to hospital visit commitments and associated bits and bobs. Anyone else catching ?
 
Hard day today on the home pit. Started at 7am and reeled in 4.45pm. Two Tench graced my net a three pounder and a 6-09. Could be down to the cold nights or more likely the 30kg’s of bait supposedly used by four carp anglers who fished the area over the weekend. When the bailiff told me that I gave Bobs boilie attack a miss and stuck to maggots and worms. Won’t be down again now for possibly a fortnight due to hospital visit commitments and associated bits and bobs. Anyone else catching ?
Bill kindly forgot to mention that I was also fishing there today and I blanked !!
 
Practiced a new style of Tench fishing today on a lake that I know only has 1 (one) tench in the lake.

2 Carp and still some changes needed to fine tune it ready for my first Tinca day in a few weeks.
 

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Blimey Graham that’s a challenge! How big is the Tench, a British record?
 
Went out yesterday from 05.45 until 18.15 and not a bite, they were there in front of me as I saw them roll for a couple of hours but that stopped.
Tried the usual tricks but could not muster any interest at all, air temp 12C and water temp 13C odd showers. Fifteen anglers on most after Carp. Only witnessed one chap catching anything and that was Tench and he had seven fish to just over 6lb all on maggot.
Hopefully I can get back next week.
 
with today work cancelled We decided to head to our local club lake and try our luck. Try was definitely the word or me 😂
I arrived mid morning there were fish showing but proved elusive. I fished my own boilies plenty of liners but no takes. my son he arrived around mid day and set up in the sunny bay, he fished the banjo with with one of my other boilie baits that he’s been using. the jammy so and so only managed 3 fish 2 carp to 12lb and a 5lb tench🎣 so he was pleased the tench was a recapture since last spring it had only gained 1oz which was a surprise? It was in fantastic condition. I thinking I might try again on Friday 🤞
 
Haven't seen a tench for 2 years so planning to start today after them. Had my first dip yesterday in 6 months, long story, cold easterly wind, but I was the only one out of 5 there lucky enough to catch. But plastic corn I put on when blanking at last knockings got me a 14 common. Settle for that for openers. But tench hunt starts today!
 
Haven't seen a tench for 2 years so planning to start today after them. Had my first dip yesterday in 6 months, long story, cold easterly wind, but I was the only one out of 5 there lucky enough to catch. But plastic corn I put on when blanking at last knockings got me a 14 common. Settle for that for openers. But tench hunt starts today!
Good Luck Alec 🤞
 
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