Swim raking pays off with 12lb 10oz tench

Time spent raking a swim proved worthwhile for Paul Garner when he broke his tench personal best with this huge 12lb 10oz specimen from a southern gravel pit.

The venue hadn’t produced a single bite during his last three trips, but after clocking up over 1,000 miles traveling from his home in the Midlands, his fortunes finally took a turn for the better when he decided to clear two channels in the margins.

Both were baited with a hemp and maggots flavoured with Nashbait Crustacean Extract. The Peg One consultant then cast out helicopter rigs baited with three red maggots and critically-balanced with a piece if red foam.

Fish of 8lb 14oz and 7lb 12oz were landed before the sight of a much larger tench rolling over his left-hand-rod really got his heart racing.

“I had to be off the lake at 6am and I was cursing the fact as the minutes ticked by knowing full well there was a very good fish over my baited area,” Paul told Angling Times.

“I had resigned myself to another blank when at three minutes to six my line twitched before pulling up tight. I was in. I thought it was another fish of around 8lb, but the closer it got to the net the bigger it got!

“The lake was really starting to test my resolve, not just because of the long drive, but this was my fourth visit this season and the first three were blanks. The fact that it has been such a struggle makes the capture all the more satisfying.”

Paul used 12lb mainline, 12lb fluorocarbon hooklinks and size 12 hooks.

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