First tench session 2017

First I need to apologise for not producing many accounts of my blog. This is mainly around my dear old Mum not being too well and having to spend 8 weeks in 4 different hospitals as not being fun for her. So my fishing time has been none existent. Bless her heart she is still in hospital but looking as if she may be on the mend however at 86 I don’t expect miracles.

So having seen my plans of bream fishing disappear for the season it was now time to concentrate on some Tinca Tinca fishing. The weather has been up and down for spring with the beginning of April warm at 22c, however last week the temperature at home in the garden plummeted to -3c causing plenty of damage to some of the fresh growth on the plants.

I decided to leave that week alone and head out the following week. The lake I’m fishing has a shallow area so the temperature is very important. So with stable air temps of 15c for the day and 6 for the night I thought I would venture out for a couple of days.

I arrived at 6am with a cold northerly wind blowing behind my back and the sky laden with clouds. I quick look around the lake made it impossible to spot rolling fish or any subtle movements. So I stopped off in a swim that had been very kind to me in the past.

The rigs I was using is my standard setup Drennan 2.25lb t/c rods and 10 line. The end tackle was going to be different this year in that I was going to use casters as feed. The rigs consisted of a Drennan feeder (modified) with an PVA bag and rubber casters on a hair.

All I was doing was putting out some feed of casters chopped worm and hemp out as an attractant. I knew where the gravel area was from previous years and it was here I baited.

I was casting out every 45mins to keep some bait going in. The morning passed by and by about lunch time I hadn’t seen a fish or had any indications of any being around. I saw an angler arrive on the far bank and look around at swims and I thought bloody brave bloke fishing into the teeth of the strong easterly.

Soon after a chap popped his head around into my swim and it was Frank a fellow tench fisher. Funnily enough we had met about two week ago at one of our Tench Fishers pub meetings. He was the mad fisherman on the opposite bank. We talked about the lake and past experiences and where to fish and “Bingo” a tench rolled just in front of my swim. We chatted some more and I suggested to Frank he might like to fish in the next swim as this was the first sign of a tench. We both agreed it would be a great social too. So Frank returned with his kit and was soon finding a spot to cast to.

I kept the bait going in and made coffee while Frank sorted himself out with the tackle bivvi and like. By about 6pm Frank was done and we were sharing a coffee when I saw a tench roll near to my baits. then I had a couple of liners. Finally the alarm burst into life as a tench was hooked. I first thought wow I had hooked a carp with the speed of the fish. It gave me a good old run around and I had forgotten what a delight the Drennan tench rods were to use.

After a while the tench could be seen twisting and turning in the shallow margins slowly being lead to the waiting net. Now this was to be first tench for about 2 years as last year I hadn’t fished for them last year. I was too intent on some perch.

Both Frank and I were trying to guess the weight however we both surprised that it was a big male of 7lbs 14oz.

So at last there was a sign that the tench were around.

I continued fishing away with renewed hope. It got to about 7.30pm and I cooked up a Rogan gosh curry and rice for us both plus a great cup of tea to wash it down.

Frank was next to be into a fish. It was a small tench of just over 4lbs.

Dusk was approaching and we stood having the last brew of the day watching the rats run along the bank under our feet it was wonderful to be out on the bank once more. I tend not to fish during the night as more often than not you only catch the big brown monsters, which doesn’t float my boat to be fair. So I tend to reel in for the day and get a good nights sleep ready for an early start. I also take all bait and foods back to the car to stop the night marauders from pilfering my store.

Frank though thought he would leave his rods out.

2pm I heard Franks alarm burst into life and him playing a fish. I gave it a little while listening for the inevitable splashes of landing the fish. Now I needed a pee too so I got up and wandered into Franks swim where he was just preparing to weigh the fish. Sure enough it was a great looking mirror carp of 23lbs. A few photo’s were taken for him and I returned to my now cold bed once more.

 

I was woken a few times during the night as the foxes killed a rabbit or two, the rabbits last cry often being the loudest.

At 5am the rods and more bait was back out on the spot. Tea and coffee made for Frank and me. The dawn chorus was fabulously loud in volume and variety. Early spring would and couldn’t be the same without it.

My next bite came at 7.40am when again I was serving Frank with another brew. I raced back to the swim thinking I had missed it. However the line was pulling through the alarm in fits and starts and I soon lifted into the tench. This time the fight was over much quicker as it turned out to be a smaller male of 6lbs 4oz.

As a celebration Frank bought a welcomed bacon butty around.

The morning passed with not much more happening. All the tench we had caught were males so we thought the big girls hadn’t moved into the shallower part of the lake. I did see a few damsel flies hatching and normally when these are about in large numbers the tench are feeding.

At I actually was in my swim when the rod roared off again line pouring off the reel. I was on it like a coiled spring and lifted into another tench. This one pulled back and I thought I had hooked a carp, however after a few head shakes it was obviously a tench. The rod took on a great curve as the tench fought for freedom. It’s fantastic when you see the tench in the crystal clear water twisting and turning. Soon it was in the net and mine. I pulled open the net to see a 7lbs 2oz tench laying there. She was quite dark in colour however in perfect trim.

I was staying until 8pm however Frank needed to be away by about 4pm so it was a delight to hear his alarm go off at about 3pm and I went around to see him playing a nice tench. In the net first time and she, and yes she looked a great fish in fact 8lbs. There were a few lacerations on this girl which was a surpise as it didn’t happen in the fight. Frank was pleased as I was to see a big girl in the area and perhaps more would come along.

Frank packed his stuff away and left and I remained hoping for another, however it didn’t happen. Still I have caught 3 tench more than last year and it was wonderful to be on the bank with Frank he really is good company.