Ted Bryan banks winter tench brace

Former Drennan Cup winner Ted Bryan took the unusual step of fishing for tench in the middle of winter and it proved to be a worthwhile session when he netted this 9lb 12oz specimen from a southern stillwater.

The Sydenham, London, based ace turned his attentions to tench in his quest for an elusive specimen and fed several large balls of NashBait Fish Frenzy Monster Crab and Shellfish groundbait laced with freebies into a deep spot close to an island before three rods baited with a variety of offerings were presented over the top.

A long lull in sport occurred before the barren spell was broken when a 7lb 12oz tench fell for a 10mm Amber Strawberry pop-up.

The highlight of the outing came shortly afterwards though, with the big male fish falling for the same approach.

“I knew it was going to be hard but the mild temperatures gave me confidence I would succeed. Using three rods with different baits definitely increased my chances of success,” explained Ted, who used 10lb mainline and a size 10 hook.