6th and 7th June Horseshoe lake

I woke to a cloudy day and recast out at 4.20am. The rigs were the same as before.

The rods didn’t get any action during the night.

Soon I had a good run which produced a small tench of 2lbs 1oz.

Then at 4.35pm a small tench rolled over the baited area, this normally means that a bite is not too far away. Tench tend to roam in shoals so it might be small however there could be larger ones lurking amongst them.

The morning was quite still which gives you a great opportunity to spot fizzing tench in the area.

The carp guy’s had had a very sparse time of it lately. Even the junior fish-in had only produced 40 odd carp and most of these were off the top and from a couple of swims. They just have not spawned yet, and looking back at my diary showed they spawned early last year in May and June.

Anyhow after seeing the tench roll at 4.35am I had a great run at 4.45am. The tench gave a respectable fight but not spectacular. She weighed in at 7lbs 14oz but was empty of spawn, so perhaps her energies were sapped.

Still there was some fizzing from the baited area so my hopes were still high.
I had one more run at 5.45am from a spirited tench of 4lbs 12oz who was not at all pregnant. having already given birth.
Then at 7.15am I had a run and hooked a strange fighting fish. I thought that it might be a small tench who tussle away 3 times harder their weight when compared to the females.

What I wasn’t expecting to see a perch of 2lbs 6oz in the net.

This is a first 2lb perch from Horseshoe that I’ve had.
At 10 .45am I had one more screamer of a bite which I missed again, not sure why?

It was quite for the remainder of the morning and early afternoon.
I put out some more hemp and at 4.12pm a tench rolled over the baited area. Then at 4.30pm I landed a tench of 6lbs 10oz which was a fat girl who was ready to give birth.

One very fat lady!

Then at 8.25pm I had nice female of 4lbs 9oz.
Finally I had a perch of 4oz which gave me a bit of a pull on the alarms.

Up and early at it in in the morning. Who needs that alarm clock, just listen for the birds!
I recast at 4.08am it was clear and mist drifting off the water.
Nothing much happened until 4.45am when the rod was away again.
The fight was very spirited and a small female tench of 2lbs 12 oz came into the net.
By 10am I had enough and decided to pack up, I had a date with a previous boss who was over from the USA.
I spoke to a tench man (Lee) who I introduced to the swim and told him about where to cast etc. He was from Devon and needed to catch a tench. I only hope he caught from there.