For many years I have dabbled in the sport of tench fishing but never with any conviction and certainly never with a view to catching double figure specimens, you can only catch what's in front of you and only now that is a possibility.
Just before I go any further on the tench fishing I will also add that recently Dynamite Baits had got in contact with and offered me a proposition I could not refuse and now am sponsored by Dynamite Baits going forward as a result of the parent company being Rapala VMC I also have access to Okuma and Rapala tackle too, it just gets better. As a kid I'd grown up using Drennan tackle for most of my fishing and on the bait front have used their hemp, robin red pellets, source boilies and paste etc for many years, now I can keep some extra very much needed pennies in my pocket!
Anyway, now you are up to date with that I will get back to the fishing and the lakes I have chosen is a mature Kent gravel pit with some very nice fish present, double figure Tench are a real possibility, this is one specimen fish that has been missing from my list, 8lb 3oz is certainly a modest fish but one I have thought about beating for some time, now I have this ticket I will do my best to make that happen.
Only 35mins drive from my house it's perfect for even just short trips after work when I get the chance I will be heading over. A couple weeks back I had my first trip there and was just using it to get an idea what I was facing and just putting the tactics that I know to the test and hoped that something would happen and after a couple of hours I had my first run which was in the shape of a lovely 7lb 1oz male tench.
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Possibly my best male Tench. |
From that point on I had fizzing tench and rolling fish over me for hours, later on in the afternoon the left hand in open water went again and a nice 6lb+ Tench was nestled in the net, this was going well I thought!
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Number 2 in the net, 6lb+ female. |
Into the night I fished with total focus but the bobbins remained steady. I had to get some sleep and set my alarm for 3am so I could get up and refresh the rods and get more feed out there and hope for a mad rush of fish, the sunrise was majestic and a prime example of what fishing can reveal, I wouldn't be up at that time for anything else.
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Around an hour after sunrise my open water rod went again and once again a nice tench around the 6lb mark was landed, I am told the fish average 6-7lbs so it looked like I was amongst some good fish but not monsters. The day seemed to fly by and Tench showed everywhere around me but my rods were lifeless apart from the odd liner. Before I knew it my time was up.
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Loving the new rods, bloody ace!!! |
I'll be going 3 rods from tonight! |
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Fake caster on the method. |
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Heli rig fished with snail. |
Factor 15, yea man |
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Angling selection, black :) |
My second trip there was just for the day and slipped into the peg I had had success in previously but unfortunately the Tench weren't as active and for me whilst the rods were silent I topped my already tanned body.
Back out this evening, fingers crossed for more action!!