Two doubles in big tench hit

Many anglers will have hung up their tench rods for the year, but Tom Allen proved they may well be premature in doing so with the capture of five specimens including a brace of doubles.

During a session at the 65-acre Haversham Sailing Club the Newport Pagnall-based rod landed fish of 10lb 8oz, 10lb, 9lb 8oz, 8lb 7oz and 6lb 5oz in the space of eight hours.

Targeting a an area of light silt next to a thick weed bed Tom baited up with around a kilo of Sticky Krill boilies and offered 16mm hookbaits over the top.

“I’ve fished the lake for the last three and a half years for the carp and to say it’s tricky is an understatement,” he told Angling Times. “To give you an idea, until three weeks ago I had not caught one! I did have a lake record bream of 18lb last year as well as a tench of 9lb 7oz which made up for all the blanks.

“In the past three weekends the lake has repaid me for my persistence and I have now had 22 carp. But it’s my latest session that I won’t forget in a long time, landing five good tench, including three new personal bests, in a short space of time.”

All of Tom’s fish were beaten with rigs comprising 15lb Sufix Stealth Skin hooklinks and size 8 Gardner Talon Tip hooks on running rigs with 3oz leads.

“I had to wade 20 yards to land each fish safely with the aid of my brilliant wife who helped me put my waders on on each occasion – even for the 3am fish!

“The length of the biggest three tench was unreal, I can’t imagine what they would have weighed pre-spawning. Some carp anglers see tench as a nuisance species but I love them and never grumble when they come along.”