ANGLING ADVENTURES IN THE SUN - TENCH

 

                                TERRIFIC TENCHING

six of the best to start the day

It’s difficult to imagine anything more enjoyable than a misty dawn beside a tench lake with the promise of hot sunshine to follow and thankfully we’ve had plenty of those to melt ourselves in this summer.

such a beautiful spot you don't even need to cast in

I didn’t have time to continue my annual quest for a double figure tench so I satisfied myself with ‘average’ tench from a beautiful gravel pit not far from home. It’s a peaceful spot, principally a carp lake but with plenty of red-eyes to savour and with the carp sulking in the heat and seemingly impossible to catch, I had this large lake to myself. No bivvy-peg bashing, crashing spods or too loud bite alarms ringing out – bliss.

another six plusser to add to the tally

Even if the carp weren’t feeding, the tench certainly were. I only blanked once in four sessions and that was only because I got smashed by one while float fishing by the lilies and then done in by a carp that certainly was. In fact, I often saw lots of signs of carp leaping and bubbling so felt the carp boys were missing out. They were not alone, for when checking through my diary I was surprised to find I'd only been four times - what kept me away?

a battling male to enjoy in the sunshine - what a scrapper

On one memorable session I landed eleven tench, including several fives and a few sixes, so that day was certainly memorable, even if some might sniff at the average size. In my book, I’m so fond of them that any tench is a good one and really small ones are as cute as fish get.

Like almost every angler, I would love to catch a tench over ten pounds but am stuck on 8lb 9ozs and unbelievably, that weight has been repeated on five different waters! So, if you’re reading this and want to invite me to join you on a BIG tench water, then please go ahead!

carefully and quickly back to his watery home

Although I always prefer to fish with a float, on this occasion I decided to try this ‘new’ technique called ‘Method Feeder’! Yes, OK, I’m behind the times but also proud to be a traditionalist. So having read plenty about it in the angling ‘comics’ as my wife Sue rudely calls them, I reckoned I knew enough to make a success of it. So, as instructed, I cast frequently for the first hour and avoided the noisy kersplosh of my spomb.

the quiet wait for a bite - perfect

As match anglers do, I had two swims on the go, widely separated to attract different fish and avoid what seem like the inevitable tangles when fishing two rods. I fished both at 39 yards only because they are my lucky numbers! Yes, sad I know but …

yet another cracker - I began to lose count

Much to my delight, it worked a treat and before long my buzzers went into melt down and the first tench was nestling in the landing net. Several more followed and even if I don’t think bolt-rigging is particularly sporting, it’s certainly effective.

One advantage it has of which I do approve is that it gives you more time to enjoy the waterside scenery and watch the wildlife, just as important as catching fish for a nature nut like me.

alarms turned right down and taped up so they don't scare the wildlife - or me

Chris in action on the weedy back bay - a delightful spot and tench heaven

On a couple of days I was joined by friend Chris Wild and being as keen as I on float fishing, suggested he try a shallow, weedy lagoon beloved of tench. Having raked his swim and baited up, it soon became a jacuzzi of bubbles from feeding fish but turning those signs into tench on the bank proved difficult.

Reverting to small baits wasn’t an option because of the shoals of ravenous rudd. I’m sure Mr Bowler would have cracked the problem in no time but in the end Chris gave up with the float, cast out a boilie armed method feeder and by the evening had landed three tench, including his PB.

Chris's tench PB of 6/7 - extracated with diffculty from the weed - he was quite pleased!

He was chuffed and equally so when he joined me on another day and beat his PB by a few inches on only his third cast … on the method feeder again of course. The tench looked like a seven pounder but weighed less than his true PB, though what a cracking fish.

an even bigger tench but not quite as heavy

I too tried the weedy lagoon one evening and having raked the chosen swim and added a few broken boilies, the water surface was soon covered by tench bubbles.

the magical 'lift method'

Initially I couldn't turn these bubbles into bites but adjusting the placing of the shot to create a more sensitive rig, I enjoyed a classic lift bite, the float rising slowly before sliding below the surface. A gentle strike resulted in a battle in the weed but eventually I teased the tench out and into the net.

a fat fighter - I think she'd been on the spinach

the magic and madness of bubbling tench

I thought I'd cracked it and expected more to follow. The tench had other ideas and simply blew bubbles of derision into my face until dusk closed around us to end a splendid day in the countryside.

what a gorgeous time to be 'out there' - with or without fish

Interspersing my tenching were several trips to Christchurch Harbour for a serious dose of mullet madness … and when you catch the fever that goes with trying to fool these wonderful fish, it’s difficult to stop … but that’s a story for another time.

rivers meet - the Avon and Stour at Claypool - dawn magic

ANGLING ADVENTURES IN THE SUN - CRUCIAN CARP AND BARBEL

           

                PART ONE – A CRUCIAN CONUNDRUM            

a glorious bar of beaten gold

Rain at last after the most glorious summer we have had since records began – almost … but now it’s cooler our river water temperatures will drop and I can safely go barbel fishing again. Until then I’ll take advantage of the inclement weather, escape the need to graft in the garden and write about some angling adventures with friends, starting with the first day of the season.

I love the ‘Glorious 16^th’ because of the anticipation that this special day creates and it will be a sad day if it’s ever done away with … but I’ll not bang on about the whys and wherefores here. Suffice to say the decision of where to start fishing and what for is an annual dilemma but a delicious one because all the choices are so appealing. River or Lake? Barbel, tench, carp or crucians?

lovely isn't it - well over two pounds

a perfect place to start the season

Agonising no more, I did what I usually do and joined my pal Chris Wild on a beautiful, peaceful lake in deepest Wiltshire, intent on a crucian or two.

Arriving the afternoon before the big day, I walked round before choosing my spot, put a little pellet powder in the edge and settled down to wait with a cuppa … but hardly had the tea filtered down before two crucians appeared from the lilies on the right and hovered over the groundbait.

waiting in my swim with intense anticipation

feasting on the little green pellets

More joined them from the left and before long seven big crucians were hovering up the freebies at my feet. What made this scene even more delightful was that I could not fish for them and had to simply enjoy watching their antics and all the other wildlife around the lake. It sure beat fishing hands down.

rolling in the shallow swim just adds to the delight

the final sunset before the great day

Dusk eventually arrived so I retreated to my camper van and enjoyed a celebratory glass of wine. I was doing just the same a few years back with Mr.Yates and after our second glass of merlot, a barn owl floated past the open door – perfect!

Dawn broke early this year but I was already sitting by my swim, waiting to cast until I could see my float. Bubbles of feeding tench and crucians rose to the surface and so did my anticipation. Is there any more delightful way to start the season then this?

Tackle was as simple as it comes, the first two sections of a Drennan margin pole with medium elastic and line straight through to a strongish barbless 14 hook. I’d virtually be freelining in the grass at the waters edge, but added a tiny section of the broken tip of a waggler as a tell-tale and shotted with two small tungsten sinkers, the lowest being just an inch or so from the hook as an essential tell-tale.

just an inch of float top provides a super sensitive rig for those tiny bites

If the crucians as much as breathed I’d know about it. I’d developed this set up the previous opening two days and caught sixteen crucians averaging two pounds under my feet so I knew it was sensitive enough to fool those cunning bars of gold.

On this cool opening day it took a while for the water to warm up and the crucians to move into the shallow edges but when they did the fishing was exciting. Soft pellets were taken enthusiastically by the crucians but just as quickly spat out, though eventually a few held on long enough for me to enjoy a rewarding day. A small pinch of flake fooled them too as I could clearly see when they sucked it in. 

 Chris with an old warrior of two pounds

Chris eventually caught several on the other side of the big bed of lilies, having been driven mad by the crucians’ notorious, tentative bites. Helping him by supplying a tiny bit of old float did the trick and this reminded us of just how much more enjoyable a days fishing is when shared with a good friend, especially when every missed bite … and there were lots of them incite ridicule. 

an old warrior with an old crucian

We both caught a few, all around two pounds but failed to tempt a tench, so it was more or less honours even between hunter and hunted.

aren't they cracking fish to start the season

Bantering and laughing our way through the day made for a grand way to start the season and I had more to look forward to the following week, an invite from friend and work-mate Martin Bowler to visit the River Wye. No peace for the wicked but someone has to do it.

casting into dreamland

PART 2 – WYE BARBEL

There can be few places so beautiful to fish as the sylvan pools of the River Wye and to be here with Martin for a good catch up and trip down memory lane was about as good as it gets.

We had spent four and a half years working together on our Channel 4 series, “Catching the Impossible” and in spite of all the pressures of trying to catch some of the biggest fish in Britain, we have remained the best of friends ever since.

44lbs 4ozs of pristine common carp

I still find it difficult to believe how big most of them were and how impossible some of them would be now. However, with Martin not only being one of the finest anglers this country has ever seen and so hard working it makes me tired just thinking about it, anything is possible. ‘The harder I work the luckier I get’ comes to mind!

unbelievable Gt.Ouse perch of 5lb4ozs

the final curtain - a pike of over thirty pounds from an estate lake. Job done!

However, on this occasion it was to be me under pressure to succeed because contrary to my belief, the purpose of this trip was not to sit by the water and chill but to catch barbel so that Martin could create a feature for the Angling Times. However, the sun shone and the barbel were biting big time, so it all came together nicely.

they pull a bit

Using a method feeder with hair-rigged 10mm trout pellets did the trick but I surprised Martin with a rig I had devised that he had never thought of …which is a miracle in it’s own right.

the fiendish HM rig

Keen to use thinner line than I should in the crystal clear water of the Hants Avon and reduce the risk of breakages from the big barbel, I wanted to use a hair-rig but without the extra knots in the line. Threading the eyed hook up the main line first, then tying the small loop for the hair, it is then a simple job to tie a spade-end knot and thread the hair through the loop. Judging the hair length comes with a bit of practice and voila, I had a barbel rig with just one knot. I found it a simple task and as Martin said, much easier to tie than to describe!

happy with yet another beauty

Casting in, the rod wrenched round first chuck and feeding a handful of pellets after every fish, I totalled fifteen barbel to 9/3 and a raft of chub. So it was mission accomplished and Martin had his Angling Times feature in the can.

Sharing fish and chips, washed down with wine rounded the day off nicely and having put the angling world to rights, we slept well under a full moon, serenaded by a family of tawny owls in the trees above.

friends with beauty in their arms

It proved to be a memorable trip and far more relaxing than my next adventure, out on the estuary for a dose of mullet madness.

 

The series has gone down a storm and can still be bought from Martin Bowler's on-line shop - www.martinbowler.co.uk