Tench are among the UK’s most beloved fish species and it’s easy to see why. They look unlike anything else that swims in our waters, with their olive-green flanks and piercing red eyes, plus they put up a great fight too. The season began slowly, but over the past week or so, we’ve seen a influx of double-figure tench being reported, including the biggest fish of the season so far. It is clear to see, if you’re after a tench or two, especially a big fish, you need to get out there now!
Would you be allowed to go fishing on your wedding anniversary? Andy Pulley felt a little lucky to be out on his, late last month, and made the most of it by catching this superb 12lb 3oz tench.
It came from a large southern stillwater, where the High Wycombe angler initially fished three rods on a spot 40 yards out. But, after he’d seen a fish roll near to his own bank, Andy was encouraged to move one rod on to the area around 25 yards out, as he felt the fish could be patrolling closer in.
After repositioning his rod, nothing happened initially, but that night he connected with a fish that fought hard, going under his two other lines before it finally lay safely in the net.
The specimen smashes his previous PB of 9lb 13oz, and fell to a worm kebab hookbait with a piece of foam added for a little buoyancy. This was presented on a helicopter rig alongside an open-end feeder, packed with chopped worms and krill groundbait.
DON'T GO FISHING WITHOUT A SELECTION OF THE BEST TENCH BAITS!
Tench of all sizes are renowned for their fighting abilities, so you can imagine the scrap this 12lb 4oz specimen gave Liam Raphael! He was fishing a southern pit where he managed a five-fish haul, with his biggest back-up tench weighing 9lb.
Liam targeted a clear spot next to a big patch of weed, where he fished a worm kebab on a heli-rig over maggots and groundbait. At around midnight he hooked the big tinca, which plodded heavily 40 yards out over the spot he was fishing. Then, as it neared the net, it made multiple charges for freedom before Liam finally landed it.
YOU NEED A SET OF THE BEST BITE ALARMS IF YOU ARE FISHING AT NIGHT!
Most specimen tench are caught using feeder tactics, but the float can still produce the very largest of fish, as Chris Netto found when he took this 12lb 11oz tinca on the waggler!
The Tenchfishers member had volunteered as a steward at the group’s National Tench Championships on Oxlease Lake at Linear Fisheries, Oxford, and decided to stay on and spend a few days fishing himself.
He kicked off on feeder fished worm kebabs, but with nothing other than a small pike to show for his efforts after his first 24 hours, he was tempted to go home that evening.
However, Chris decided to stay for another night and changed his tactics, baiting the near margin with hemp, maggots and groundbait in preparation to fish the float the following morning. Waking up early, he rigged a waggler up to fish it lift method-style, and used artificial maggots as his hookbait, which he cast over his baited area at 4.15am.
About 15 minutes later, his float disappeared, and Chris hooked a fish that held deep, fighting doggedly. When it surfaced, Chris dared to think that he might have hooked his first-ever ‘double’, but once in the net and on the scales, he still couldn’t quite believe the figure that the needle settled upon.
Since the capture, the tench has been confirmed as a joint complex record at Linear, as well as being the Tenchfishers’ new float-caught record.
READ OUR USEFUL BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HELP YOU CATCH YOUR FIRST TENCH.
When possible, baiting a swim before fishing it can be a big edge, as Matthew Fernandez proved on a recent trip when he landed this tench of 11lb 3oz. It caps a spring in which he’s landed plenty of fish from a southern stillwater, although the larger residents had, until now, eluded him.
Targeting a spot 30 yards out, Matthew baited up prior to every session with a mixture of Dynamite Baits boilies, pellets and hemp. Over the top, he fished Method feeders with short three-inch hooklinks and trimmed-down boilie hookbaits.
Unusually when tench fishing, he had all his action on this session at night. The bites started at 10pm, and the 11lb 3oz fish came to the net following three smaller ones.
THE BEST FISHING BIVVIES WILL KEEP YOU DRY AND COMFORTABLE WHEN FISHING AT NIGHT.
