Tench 2024

[Ian Sewter]

I found pop up foam (cut into the small shape of a maggot) could sink after a while as it absorbed water, which meant that the maggots I thought were popped up were actually sat on the bottom! Squeeze any absorbed water out and everything pops up. Try your hooklink in the edge when you reel in - you might be surprised!

 

[Dave Quinn]

First Tench trip in almost 2 years for me yesterday, with a 12 hour session on a local day ticket water that I’ve managed a few from in previous sessions.

It’s a book online affair and I booked on early last week - the BBC weather forecast looked pretty much spot on. That all changed as the week progressed to the 40mph + Westerlies and heavy showers that materialised!

I’d already got maggots and a tub of lobs on the Saturday and bag was sorted and rods were made up the evening before. So I was going regardless of the weather.

“When the wind is in the West…” and all that, but I should add. in my experience, this lake (and others that I’ve targeted Tench on the same complex) can be a bit moody when there’s a chop on the water. Combine that with a feeling of being a bit ‘rusty’ and I wasn’t hugely optimistic.

The peg I booked was actually relatively sheltered from the wind and I managed to get the storm poles into the gravelly soil after a few attempts. Good thing too, as I hadn’t been long set up and cast out when the first showers of the day started.

I decided to fish both rods on the same spot, a cleaner area 50ish yards out. There’s usually a small set of pads 10 yards or so beyond it, marking the start of a shallower plateau, but they’re yet to hit the surface.

Both rods were on helicopter rigs, one with a maggot feeder & red maggot hook bait the other with a cage feeder and a lob ‘kebab’.

The plan was to fish both rods relatively tightly placed, with holes enlarged on the maggot feeder and regular casting with both rods to get a compact bed of bait down. However the line clip fell off in my hands on the Ss2600 on the maggot rod (only third outing, so not pleased!). So my plan for a tighter baited area turned into something more like half a tennis court, maybe a bit smaller… Probably zoned the bait a bit as the day progressed. First overhead casts in since 2022, remember!

Had my first fish an hour or so in. A stocky male probably just under 4lbs. Then another slightly bigger not long after. I would’ve been quite happy with that brace. But the maggot kept screaming off… Changed the hooklink on the lob rod to match the other rod once another couple had been landed.

There were a few ‘quieter’ spells, but I think the longest I went without a take was just over an hour. Any inactivity was usually followed two or three takes in quick succession.

Finished the day on 15 Tincas. No monsters, which was a good thing, as I’d left the scales in the river bag!

Ended up losing six too! One managed to kite towards me at a hell of a pace and snagged me in a small bay to my right. One fell off at the net. Interestingly though, the other 4 were all after really heavy drop backs, again with the fish kiting towards me, but lost the hook hold moments after getting back in contact. Possible mechanics of short heli rigs and heavier feeders, was my thinking…

Finally, that was the first session with my custom C2s, put together specifically with Tenching in mind. So they definitely got a good Christening!

Can’t wait to get out and have another go, although I’m not expecting that every time!

Pics of some of the better/prettier ones…

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You might have already seen it but theres a new video of some top feeder match anglers which concentrates on fishing the heli rig. Bream but you might find it interesting Theres lots of underwater filming, they come to some interesting conclusions about the heli rig, hooklengths and hybrid feeders.

 

[Alex Warren]

I found pop up foam (cut into the small shape of a maggot) could sink after a while as it absorbed water, which meant that the maggots I thought were popped up were actually sat on the bottom! Squeeze any absorbed water out and everything pops up. Try your hooklink in the edge when you reel in - you might be surprised!

There's fair bit of variation in the different brands that I've seen. Can't remember the brand of the first batch I got, but was definitely susceptible to this - you could see & feel the water coming out of it when you squeezed it between your thumb and forefinger, after it had a decent soak or a few casts. The Nash stuff that comes in blocks is decent though. Seems to be less porous/spongey. Like you say, always a good idea to drop it in the edge for a test.

 

[Derek Funcks]

On the lake in the dark this morning and fishing just before 6am . Had to wait ‘till 11am for my first action but then caught steadily’till I left just after 6pm. Fourteen fish to 7-14 with two other sevens in the support cast. A REAL first for today was having a Robin land on my head, not once but twice, as I was feeding maggots to him. Over the moon with the experience
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Bill, forgive me for asking, buy why oh why would you put maggots on your head.

 

[Tim Marks]

You might have already seen it but theres a new video of some top feeder match anglers which concentrates on fishing the heli rig. Bream but you might find it interesting Theres lots of underwater filming, they come to some interesting conclusions about the heli rig, hooklengths and hybrid feeders.

Once you have watched that, also watch ‘Gurubox’. It’s a hilarious take on ‘gogglebox’; famous (?) Guru sponsored anglers react to the underwater filming and the reaction of the commentators……

As I’ve said before, a decent feeder oriented specialist angler could help them out a fair bit.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I think Tench can be very different in their behaviour on different waters, in my experience, you can’t just turn up with a generic Tench rule book and expect ‘em to have read it. Even when you do start to suss them and the venue out, they can change their traits at a whim…

Agree 100% . The fact they are so enigmatic at times makes them such an engaging species to fish for.

 

[Bill Walford]

A cold start this morning, car showed 4 degrees C on my way to the lake . The northerly breeze swung during the morning to NW and finally picked up to a moderate westerly. Eight fish from just before 7am to 1pm and the bites dried up. Fished ‘till 4pm and called it a day. Best fish a 6-09 female but best fight of the day from a 6-04 male which had right attitude. My last fish, a 6-04 female was a milestone fish for the season, my fiftieth Tench over five pound since I started in late February. My best start to a season to date

 

[Graham Elliott]

Just returned from 30 biteless hours, as did a few others.
To my knowledge only one fish landed over that period.
Mind you, It was 12.01.

 

[Dave Durrant]

As per previous, how I mark my line.

I use a piece of pole elastic, tie it in to a loop, lasso it on to the main line and cut it to size.
Easy to tie with the rod in the rests and easy to pick off.

 

[Bill Walford]

As per previous, how I mark my line.

I use a piece of pole elastic, tie it in to a loop, lasso it on to the main line and cut it to size.
Easy to tie with the rod in the rests and easy to pick off.

Thanks for sharing Dave

 

[Alex Warren]

Went out again yesterday. Same lake and same peg. The gale force Westerly that I was tucked away from last week had swung round to a very chilly North Easterly moderate breeze, which was funnelling down right into my face. Luckily I put a thermal under-layer on! Think I would've packed up mid-morning otherwise. It was bloody freezing, in spite of the mostly blue sky.

Bit of a slower start this time around, and not as frantic as the previous session. I took the old man with me too and he was fishing similar tactics (maggot feeder helicopter) in the next peg down, about thirty yards away. He managed the first of the day, at around 10am. A lovely dark female around 4.5lb, with the frame of a scraper six. Like most I'd imagine, these fish are yet to get their bulk on.

My first take came 45 mins later and was followed by another before midday, both hard fighting males around the 4lb mark. Things kicked on a bit by mid afternoon and I finished up on nine for the session and three for my dad. A couple of better ones amongst them this time. A couple of nice-lookers too and did they really did scrap! All fish to maggot feeder and maggot hookbaits.

Having another go on Wednesday, but will most likely only be able to fish until early afternoon. Will definitely try to set aside some time for a session when they're at their better weights - the lake tends to go quite clear once the finer weather arrives and the weed growth speeds up, so they're only going to get darker & greener!

 

[Bill Walford]

I fished on Monday in an area where I was told by a carpy that Tench had been “nuisance's” but alas I couldn’t buy a bite in eight hours.
Back today in a swim I’m familiar with. Fishing bye just before 6am, the northerly breeze, although light, had me dressed as if it was mid January. It certainly felt like mid January ‘till well into the morning. The roach proved to be a problem despite spombing a fair bit of hemp mix out. I had to wait ‘till just after 10am before my first take. She fought like a tiger and was the biggest of five Tinca’s caught from then ‘till nearly 5 o’clock. The quality of the five was brilliant, three sevens biggest 7-12 and two sixes. Delighted is an understatement.

 

[Alex Warren]

the northerly breeze, although light, had me dressed as if it was mid January

Tell me about it! Was the same down this way again today, although not as extreme as Sunday! I’m on antibiotics at the moment and the pamphlet did warn about the risk of increased sunburn susceptibility, even on cloudy days. The sun came out and round on Sunday afternoon and on went the factor 50. Still burnt on my face though - and after shivering for most of the day. Might as well have gone skiing…

 

[Alex Warren]

I also got out again today, but only fished from 7:30am (fishery on time) to 1:30pm (work commitments).

Invested in a spod and tried a tighter bed of bait - maggots, hemp, micros and a fishmeal groundbait. Think they were feeding with a bit less gusto today (or maybe they switched on after I left). Far less liners and fish rolling too.

Still managed three, including what I think was probably the best of my three sessions thus far. Haven’t actually weighed any yet.

Spoke to a chap fishing opposite on the way back, who seemed to know his onions and he’d only had one & lost one.

Monday is the next possible session. The forecasted wind is a SW too, thank god!

p,s Excuse the odd expression - that’s my ‘did I put the self timer on?’ face!

 

[Bill Walford]

@Alex Warren, just out of interest Alex, what part of the country are you in. Not specifics just the general area ? I’m curious just to get a feel for the Tench activity round the country.

 

[Alex Warren]

Hampshire/West Sussex, @Bill Walford

Lucky enough to have a couple of decent Tench waters on my club book and some good day ticket waters that aren’t too much of a trek.

 

[Bill Walford]

Hampshire/West Sussex, @Bill Walford

Lucky enough to have a couple of decent Tench waters on my club book and some good day ticket waters that aren’t too much of a trek.

Cheers Alex. I have a mate who lives Fareham way and is a member of Portsmouth. I’ve tried convincing him to go to Sinah but he keeps gravitating back to Carrow Row Farm and Tithe Barn. I think he’d be better off fishing Funtley at least but ‘cos he catches loads of Tench, albeit small, he’s loathed to spread his wings. He’s happy in his fishing which is the important thing.

 

[Bill Walford]

Cheers Alex. I have a mate who lives Fareham way and is a member of Portsmouth. I’ve tried convincing him to go to Sinah but he keeps gravitating back to Carrow Row Farm and Tithe Barn. I think he’d be better off fishing Funtley at least but ‘cos he catches loads of Tench, albeit small, he’s loathed to spread his wings. He’s happy in his fishing which is the important thing.

I take it all back, he’s messaged me this morning and planning a trip to Sinah next week