Monster Tench.

 This week has been pretty hectic as a work packed week is completed and I pack for my annual trip abroad to soak up some sun and escape our busy lifestyles, which in London is the norm. All week I have been looking to go fishing but finding the time has been difficult, but this morning I had a break in the schedule and although the rain hammered down as I left home I knew this would be last time out fishing until July unless I head out for some deep sea sport in the Med.

 This mornings session was only to be a couple of hours in length so I had set up before leaving home and took only the minimum, upon arrival I was greeted by a shoal of 30-40 Carp spawning on a massive bank of weed, for 5 minutes I stood mesmerised, Mirrors-Commons-Koi carp all thrashing away creating the next generation, with seeing this display I thought that I would not get many opportunities, even if I didn't it would be a relaxing morning and after the initial persistent rain the sun was very keen to dry out everything including my DSLR which got extremely wet but still works a dream, my first chance came from half an hours stalking, a shoal of 6 Carp came in rather close to where I was standing and the last fish of the shoal was the largest which I estimated to be around 24-26lbs, just the size I'd love to get my hands on I thought, so you could imagine my delight when I flicked a bait out to it and it turned on a sixpence to inhale my bread, "get in", I shrilled as my rod slammed over, the beginning of the fight was very subdued, almost as if it hadn't noticed it had been hooked......then it woke up from its early slumber and torn off like a steam train, the power that was put on display was incredible and on 6lb line I was not filled with confidence as it headed away from the open water and ploughed straight into a bank of weed, then everything went solid and my heart skipped a beat as it was inevitable what would happen next on such light tackle, then 20 or 30 seconds later the size 16 hook slipped and it was gone, Gutted !, another big fish lost, some serious unfinished business when I get back from Turkey.

 Absolutely gutted after that loss, it is starting to become customary and that needs to stop, not good for the nerves, so it would take something special to soften the blow of a big loss like that, Cue a patch of bubbles 6ft out off the bank amongst some weed, having left my Polaroids at home like a dope that I am I was solely using my watercraft and visible fish to aim at, in certain light I could see the fish that was turning up the bottom, a large Tench, in fact a very large Tinca, the sort I have been looking for but have thus far been totally elusive, three attempts to hook had passed as it sucked in my free lined bread flake before I lent into it to finally put the hook home, a big big Tench stormed out  into the open water away from all the snags and other crap that littered the swim to my left, 6lb line for a Tench should be more than enough and it proved to be, within 3 mins I had a massive Tench nestled in my net, a new PB?, I was about to find out..........."oh sh@t" it's spun straight past 8lb !, subtracting the weight of the sling it settled on 8lb 3oz....a new personal best what a result, that blow of losing the big Carp was certainly curtailed, I could not believe it, brilliant stuff.

Massive, 8.3 and a new personal best.

What a whacker, whacker-a-roo. 8....3, still pinching myself.

 Then if by magic 20 minutes after putting that Tench back I found another fish feeding and this too was a Tench, another big Tench, what was going on. Same again as the first one it took a couple of chances to finally hook it but I did so and this one torn off a lot better than the fatty, almost five minutes before it graced my net, I thought to myself this is turning out to be one of those "Red letter days", fantastic fishing. This session had been brilliant, you've probably heard every superlative possible to describe these two Tench but they are belters. This is the second one below, at 7.6 it is my 4th biggest Tench ever, just puts into perspective how great today was, I'll fly out with the missus a happy man and not just because we are escaping.

Another lump of 7lb 6oz, great mornings fishing.

Large paintbrush which propelled it through the weedy water.

I did also catch a baby Perch on a bare hook whilst bringing it in, crazy little sod, that's a first too.

 Tight lines to all that follow my piscatorial adventure and good luck for the 16th, I will look upon you all with envy, but on the other hand, I'll be in 35c weather soaking up sun on a beach with the better half so, I doubt it will be that much envy, good luck. James.