Although he’s caught more than60 double-figure tench, a fish over the 10lb mark from Staffordshire’s mega-tricky Copmere had eluded Dai Gribble until a recent session, when he landed this immaculate 11lb 13oz specimen.
The fish is, to Dai, ‘worth the same as a 13lb gravel pit tench’, and is one he’s been after since he began fishing the water way back in 1981.
Dai kick-started his session by raking the weed, clearing spots around 35 yards out, which he baited with a mixture of 2mm Sonubaits pellets, hemp, maggots and chopped worms. Over the top, he fished a mixture of maggot and worm kebab hookbaits, presented on heli-rigs.
The next morning, he had a take from what he knew instantly was a good fish. It gave a steady, plodding fight, weeding him up a few times, but as soon as it surfaced, Dai knew instantly that he’d hooked the one he was after.
Despite landing much larger fish, Dai says this one is up there with the best he’s ever caught. Amazingly, he had his second double-figure tinca from the venue just two days later, this time weighing 10lb 6oz!
NEED A NEW ROD FOR YOUR TENCH FISHING? CHECK OUT OUR BUYER'S GUIDE FOR SOME OF THE BEST.
