Tench 2023

[Graham Elliott]

My second 24 hours at Bawburgh drawing to a close and little to report. At about 1am the left hand rod hit the butt only for me to strike into nothing and while standing holding the rod feeling bemused the RH rod took to the butt with the same result! Obviously a liner moving across the swim
A couple of hours away from the rods yesterday afternoon for a bbq gave a chance to meet up with new aquantsnces, have a bite and a couple of beers. My mind now turns to tidying up what was a very orderly bivvy yesterday and to start thinking of home. Got a couple or three more hours to fish so forever hopeful of another fish but I can’t complain if one doesn’t come I’ve got a new PB from the trip

That's a result Bill.

Still waiting for HS to open again. Mind turning towards rivers though after awful Big Tench time

 

[Kevin Copping]

My second 24 hours at Bawburgh drawing to a close and little to report. At about 1am the left hand rod hit the butt only for me to strike into nothing and while standing holding the rod feeling bemused the RH rod took to the butt with the same result! Obviously a liner moving across the swim
A couple of hours away from the rods yesterday afternoon for a bbq gave a chance to meet up with new aquantsnces, have a bite and a couple of beers. My mind now turns to tidying up what was a very orderly bivvy yesterday and to start thinking of home. Got a couple or three more hours to fish so forever hopeful of another fish but I can’t complain if one doesn’t come I’ve got a new PB from the trip

That’s got a paddle on it Bill. A pb is always special. Very well deserved for all the effort you make and for sharing your successes (usually) with us. That ten can’t be far away. I personally have had ten, that is ten tench, not a “ten”.

 

[Tony Koziol]

Just completed my first 24hours on the Tenchfishers fish-in at Bawburgh. One run in that time and I’m still on a high from a new PB yesterday evening. 9-03 not the biggest to have been caught a chap on another lake had a 10-15 yesterday part of a six fish catch

A huge well done Bill, could you smile next time please

 

[Mark Thompson]

At last we are off the mark.
Sunday afternoon session for 3 nice tench, first and best 8lb 7oz all on corn
Plus a 13Lb Common last knockings, was a battle but fun.
Got savaged by mosquitos all day !

 

[Robert West]

Just completed my first 24hours on the Tenchfishers fish-in at Bawburgh. One run in that time and I’m still on a high from a new PB yesterday evening. 9-03 not the biggest to have been caught a chap on another lake had a 10-15 yesterday part of a six fish catch

Congratulations on your pb bill well deserved

 

[Bill Walford]

Congratulations on your pb bill well deserved

Cheers Robert

 

[Bill Walford]

A huge well done Bill, could you smile next time please

Cheers Tony that’s a good point but I was using the Whistle App for a self take and concentrating of watching the three second count down. Anyway my smiles are half way ‘tween a grimace and a cry

 

[Ady Brayshaw]

I have just back from three weeks off the Shetland Isles. In Aberdeen it was 12 Deg C and back home in Yorkshire the same temperature. It's been a cold spring. Have the tench started spawning yet? Thinking of going to Linear for a first try there.

 

[Ady Brayshaw]

Just completed my first 24hours on the Tenchfishers fish-in at Bawburgh. One run in that time and I’m still on a high from a new PB yesterday evening. 9-03 not the biggest to have been caught a chap on another lake had a 10-15 yesterday part of a six fish catch

Nice one Bill.

 

[Bill Walford]

Nice one Bill.

Cheers Ady. To answer your question on another post I’ve not seen the Tench spawning although a mate had a couple recently which he thought were spawned out. My fish from Bawburgh was showing signs of carrying bit of spawn but not totally bloated by it. I fished local today and managed to lose two in weed but another mate had a 7-05 female which was in great condition.

 

[Anthony Pearson]

9.4 and a PB. Caught last week.

 

[Bill Walford]

9.4 and a PB. Caught last week.

What a corker, well caught Anthony and congrats on a new PB

 

[Daniel Jeffery]

I managed a couple more on the ‘pin yesterday eve. Messed up the pics as I was too bloody cold! Honestly at the end was glad to pack up and the long walk home just to warm up!

 

[Graham Elliott]

Well a couple from HS yesterday pm at last. .Rudd became a real nuisance as light dropped..

Seemed they fed well yesterday but a chap that had a few is biteless like me so far today

 

[Derek Funcks]

At last we are off the mark.
Sunday afternoon session for 3 nice tench, first and best 8lb 7oz all on corn
Plus a 13Lb Common last knockings, was a battle but fun.
Got savaged by mosquitos all day !

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[Graham Elliott]

Well it seems getting a bit bigger

 

[Cliff Turner]

3 for me today but nothing big, and a rather large eel !!

 

[Terry Simner]

I've been working on making the perfect rig to give me the perfect lift method bite. Main problem has been getting consistent, smooth and accurate casts in a strong cross-wind with a 12ft rod into ~8ft of water, which necessitated the length of line between float to hook being 8.5ft+. 4th sesh today (Rig Mk IV ) was a complete success with 3 bites, all lifts, all straight out of Mr. Crabtree : Driftbeater lifted majestically to the shoulder, leaned over at ~45', then slowly slid under. Answer was to use a sliding float that cocked almost down to the shoulder with 3gms and sank at 5grms : I set the float stop at about 9ft, fixed a 3grm olivette at 2/3rds depth, and a 2grms olivette just above a hooklength bead connected to a 6" hooklength.
Mad maybe but I only really enjoy catching tench by using a waggler, and I do love seeing that float lift. That's what 'floats my boat'

 

[Daniel Jeffery]

I've been working on making the perfect rig to give me the perfect lift method bite. Main problem has been getting consistent, smooth and accurate casts in a strong cross-wind with a 12ft rod into ~8ft of water, which necessitated the length of line between float to hook being 8.5ft+. 4th sesh today (Rig Mk IV ) was a complete success with 3 bites, all lifts, all straight out of Mr. Crabtree : Driftbeater lifted majestically to the shoulder, leaned over at ~45', then slowly slid under. Answer was to use a sliding float that cocked almost down to the shoulder with 3gms and sank at 5grms : I set the float stop at about 9ft, fixed a 3grm olivette at 2/3rds depth, and a 2grms olivette just above a hooklength bead connected to a 6" hooklength.
Mad maybe but I only really enjoy catching tench by using a waggler, and I do love seeing that float lift. That's what 'floats my boat'

Totally agree, all my tench this year have been on the waggler. Very satisfying but also frustrating watching little knocks, dips and swirls of the float. Last session I had a textbook lift bite…only to reel in a roach. Subsequent cast out and my second tench took prawn on the drop (I’m guessing from about mid water). Best laid plans and all that.

 

[Neil Maidment]

I recently had my first visit this closed season to my club's three pond complex. I again chose to fish a pole at around 8mtrs/10mtrs right to the edge of a nice group of pads. Started with last year's very successful bait, 2 redworms (or two halves of a lobworm), only to find hordes of tiny rudd and roach towing it all over the place.

Rummaged around in my bag and box and found some 6mm & 8mm Robin Red Durable Hookers and fished those over a bit of groundbait (a mixture of various old bag ends of several brands and wonder ingredients). That got them bubbling very well indeed. The more of that I introduced via a little pole cup, the more they liked it.

I ended up with quite a number of tench, all of which were the typical 3lbs/4lbs, but finally had my first 5lber from the pond at 5lbs 06oz.

I also had a rare little crucian and a single bream. That bream was the first for me from the whole complex. It seems it had been netted from one of the other ponds during a drain down/maintenance earlier in the year (the only one netted).