10lb 10oz tench highlight of 15-fish haul
This 10lb 10oz tench was the highlight of a 15 fish haul for Ted Bryan during a session on Medway Valley Fisheries’ Larkfield Lakes complex.
The first 24 hours of the Sydenham-based former Drennan Cup holder’s trip produced tench of 7lb 8oz, 8lb and a surprise 6lb eel.
But it was during the second day that the fish really found his bed of hemp, chopped worm, maggots, casters and pellets, and he landed a steady stream of specimens including the big double and two other fish of 9lb 1oz and 9lb.
His winning rigs comprised 10lb Nash mainline, a 10lb hooklink and a size 8 Fang hook baited with a maggot and worm cocktail.
Click here for more angling news...
Five double figure tench for 56lb from Bawburgh Lakes
Darryn Stolworthy has backed up the predictions of many experts that the British tench record will be broken this season with one of the best ever hauls of the species.
During an incredible session at a midlands stillwater, the Norfolk-based specialist broke his personal best three times in a catch which featured five doubles for a combined weight of 56lb 13oz.
The highlight of the historic catch was a 12lb 2oz specimen and this was backed up with fish of 11lb 14oz, 11lb 12oz, 10lb 10oz and 10lb 7oz.
Suspecting that the resident fish were cautious of big beds of bait, the 44-year-old roofer decided to gradually build up his swim with the use of Kamasan Black Cap feeders filled with maggots.
It proved to be a wise decision and the biggest of the session was the first to find the Angling Direct-backed rods cocktail of real and imitation maggots, fished in conjunction with a size 14 hook and a braided hooklink.
Darryn’s haul has further cemented the predictions of many fishery experts who believe that the mild winter has resulted in the species reaching larger weights much earlier in the season than normal.
“There’s no doubt that the fish here are bigger now than they have been in previous years,” he told Angling Times
“These tench regularly encounter big beds of bait and disturbance caused by marker floats and I think they have become wary as a result. I simply cast my feeder around and once I’d found a deeper hole at 30yds I gradually topped it up by recasting regularly.”
Three of the tench beat his previous personal best for the species of 11lb 11oz and he also banked three smaller fish to over 8lb.
“It’s been an ambition of mine to catch a tench over the 12lb-mark, but to catch one just before dark and then bank three other doubles the next morning was nothing short of incredible,” he continued.
“I had a few more days on the water after that crazy few hours and I just found myself sitting there shaking my head and laughing because I knew I’d just experienced something that will probably never happen again.”
Click here for more angling news...
14-fish haul topped by 9lb 11oz tench
This 9lb 11oz tench was the highlight of a 14-fish haul taken by Kevin Durman during a 24 hour session on Medway Valley Fisheries’ Larkfield Lakes.
The Kent-based all-rounder enjoyed success with inline Korum Grub feeders and three red maggots plus one imitation grub on a size 10 hook over a bed of hemp and pellets.
Kevin told Angling Times: “A great trick when targeting tench is to position a fake maggot over the eye of the hook and then thread three real ones around the bend.”
Click here for more angling news...
Two personal bests on fishing holiday
This colourful 4lb 2oz golden tench was one of two personal bests caught by Brian Oliver during a holiday to remember at Anglers Paradise in Devon.
The 71-year-old from Cambridgeshire spent a week at the award winning fishery with his brother-in-law Paul Grace and good friend Gary Fairbrother when he banked the fish on a legered boilie tipped with a grain of corn during a session on the Specimen Tench and Orfe Lake.
Brian also helped himself to a new personal best golden orfe of 3lb 4oz during his stay.
To find out more about the fishery visit www.anglers-paradise.co.uk
Click here for more angling news...
9lb 2oz tench and 12lb 12oz bream from Midlands gravel pit
Justin Grapes has taken full advantage of the rising temperatures and during two morning sessions landed tench to 9lb 2oz and a bream of 12lb 12oz.
Targeting a midlands gravel pit, the Norfolk-based specialist used long range tactics to bait a spot at 90yds with two kilos of hemp, corn and casters. The double figure slab then fell to two pieces of imitation corn fished on inline lead rigs.
A switch to fake casters proved more successful for the tench, and the Fishing Hut team member proceeded to land seven fish with the best two tipping the scales and 9lb 2oz and 9lb 1oz.
Click here for more angling news...
Biggest tench of the season on first cast
A big tench was Josh Fisher’s number one target this season and he met his goal in memorable fashion when he banked this personal best 12lb 7oz specimen – the best of the season so far.
The Norwich angler has paid little attention to the species during his career but made a pledge to place a heavy focus on them this year and set his stall out on a Midlands stillwater.
Having failed to tempt any bites in the first few sessions of his campaign he intended to introduce a large bed of bait at the beginning of the outing but that plan went out of the window when he realised he had left his spod rod at home.
Forced to rethink quickly, he opted for an active approach that involved recasting a 2oz feeder baited with fake corn and a pva bag of maggots to a spot over 50 yards out on a regular basis.
A long wait was expected before action commenced but the Angling Direct backed rod was given a major shock when he received a bite on his first chuck of the day.
“The rig had only been in for about 10-minutes when the alarm screamed off. At first I thought it was a carp but I could feel the head nodding and that was the tell-tale sign I was into a big tench,” explained Josh.
“After an energetic fight and several hairy moments when it was under the rod tip it went into the net. As soon as I placed the fish on the mat it looked huge and when I went to weigh it on my Avon scales which go up to 12lb they bottomed out.”
“I switched to another set of scales and couldn’t believe the final weight. I don't feel like I deserve to catch such a huge specimen so quickly and I'm truly grateful to have friends such as top specimen angler Chris Turnbull who passed on such good advice,” he added.
Another angler that has become the envy of tench anglers everywhere is Paul Faint who slipped the net under a 12lb 3oz lump during a session at a Lea Valley pit.
Having landed a 14lb 4oz pb bream just days before, the Waltham Abbey-based angler switched his attentions to tench. Careful analysis of his swim helped him locate a clear gravel batch which was baited with a large carpet of corn, dead maggots, casters and 10mm boilies.
A 12lb 4oz slab was the first fish to fall for his feederfished trio of plastic casters and it was another two hours before he was in touch with his target species. Paul said: “As soon as I struck I felt a solid resistance and was confident I was into a big tench.”
“My heart was pumping and when I finally had it in the net I was amazed – I wanted to beat my previous best of 8lb 1oz but I never expected to smash it by this much,” added Paul, who used 10lb mainline and a short braided hooklink of the same strength to a size 12 hook.
Top 10 biggest tench of all time
1. Darren Ward, 15lb 3oz 6dr, Sheepwalk Lake, 2001
2. Mike Coz, 15lb 2oz, Oxfordshire club lake, 2007
3. Will Hart, 14lb 11oz, Southern Stillwater, 2007
Jt4. Alan Brennan, 14lb 8oz, Fishers Green, 2004
Jt4. Karl Connolly, 14lb 8oz
Jt4. Gordan Beavan, 14lb 8oz, Herts Lake, 1993
7. Gary Newman, 14lb 4oz, Bury Lake, 1994
8. Phil Gooriah, 14lb 3oz, Wraysbury One, 1987
9. David Pirie, 14lb 2oz, Dagenham Chase, 2007
10. John Payne, Mill Lake, 14lb, 2010
Join the Tench Fishers
The Tench Fishers are a group that are dedicated to helping enthusiasts of the species gain better results. The committee regularly arrange ‘fish ins’ where members meet to target the species at a highly regarded water and exchange tactical information in an informal manner. Signing up also entitles you to discounts on several day ticket waters. Annual membership is priced at £25 and you can find more details on how to get involved by visiting www.tenchfishers.com
Click here for more angling news...
New personal best tench on final cast
This superb 9lb 2oz tench was caught by Iain McDonald during a short evening session at a local southern stillwater.
The 42-year-old from Canterbury opted for a maggot feeder approach, casting to a silty area between two gravel bars but had to wait until the final cast of the day to record his new personal best.
Iain’s setup included a Korum Grub Feeder with hair-rigged fake maggots on a Korum Power size 14 hook and an 8lb fluorocarbon0 hooklink. He said: “It was my last cast of the day as I had run out of maggots and hadn’t caught anything but thankfully this fish came along.”
Click here for more angling news...
100lb tench bag from Derbyshire stillwater
The alarms never stopped screaming for Rob Thompson during a session on a Derbyshire stillwater and by the end of the outing he had landed almost 100lb of tench.
Hair-rigged plastic maggots were fished in conjunction with a Korum Grub Feeder to attract the shoals with numerous fish to 5lb falling in the opening stages.
Action got even better later on and by the end of the day he had taken a total of 16 fish to a best of 7lb.
“The fish were definitely hungry and I used over four pints of maggots in a few hours sport,” explained Rob.
Click here for more angling news...
Two 10lb fish head up great week for big tench
A heavy baiting approach paid dividends for Craig Woolhouse whose first ever double figure tench was the highlight of a memorable session on a Leicestershire syndicate water.
The new best for the species of 10lb 14oz was one of four tench landed by the 33-year-old owner of The Bait Shop, who got through eight pints of red maggots, five pints of casters, two tins of corn and six kilos of trout pellets.
The cracking specimen fell to half a lobworm hookbait fished on a helicopter feeder presentation constructed using 8lb Drennan Supplex hooklinks and size 14 and 12 Super Specialist hooks.
He said: “A double figure tench was my prime target this year and I had several venues short listed that I was going to visit in search of one. The fact I caught it from a local venue only a 15 minute drive from my house and not at one of the well-known waters made it all the more special to me.”
Craig also increased his bream pb during the session with a specimen of 14lb 8oz the biggest of 15 slabs landed.
Another angler to break his tench personal best was Chris Reynolds who landed this 10lb 2oz specimen from Richworth Linear Fisheries’ Hardwick and Smiths Lake.
Travelling from the West Midlands to fish the Oxfordshire venue with his brother Scott, the duo landed a total of six tench during their three day session.
All of their fish came from a spot at 30yds range which they had baited with hemp and dead maggots. Over the top of this they offered red maggot hookbaits on size 14 Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hooks and 12lb ESP Ghost hooklinks.
He said: “We’d gone with the intention of trying to break our personal best’s so decided to set-up on Hardwick as this lake is known to hold the bigger specimens. The session went better than expected with me smashing my old best of 5lb 7oz and Scott upping his from 6lb 6oz to 7lb 3oz.”
Click here for more angling news...
8lb 9oz tench from southern stillwater
A short three hour afternoon session was all the time that Iain McDonald needed to catch this 8lb 9oz tench from a southern stillwater.
Setting up at the end of the lake which the wind was hacking in to, the 42-year-old from Canterbury, Kent cast out two maggot rigs, one with four real maggots on the hook and the other with a couple of hair-rigged fake grubs.
He said: “I’d seen a few carp showing in the area so thought there would probably be tench present too.”
His hunch proved correct and the eight pounder was backed up with a second tench of 7lb.
Tench personal best beaten twice in two days
Iain McDonald enjoyed an amazing start to his 2014 tench fishing campaign by beating his personal best twice in one week - culminating with the capture of this 8lb 6oz specimen.
The 42-year-old from Canterbury was targeting a Kent stillwater where he first broke his personal best with an 8lb 2oz specimen using a maggot feeder setup with hair-rigged fake red maggots. A return to the same venue just two days later saw Iain land five more tench, breaking his own record again, landing the biggest of the two fish using the same tactics. His two rod setup consisted of Kamasan black capped and Korum Grub Feeders, Fox Illusion 8lb hooklength and size 12 Korum Power Hooks.
Click here for more angling news...
200lb of tench in just 24 hours
Phil Spinks proved that specimen hunters and match anglers have a lot to learn from each other when he amassed a huge net of 31 tench for 200lb.
At this time of the year many big-fish anglers put their faith in ‘bait and wait’ tactics, but the Norfolk-based all-rounder adopted a little-and-often feeding approach to take his biggest haul of the year.
Moulding a light, fluffy groundbait mix around a Korum Method feeder, Phil re-cast every 30 minutes to gradually build up a bed of feed during his 24-hour session at a local gravel pit.
The action was so frantic that he was unable to keep two rods in the water as fish averaging just over 6lb found his three hair-rigged imitation casters too hard to resist.
By the end of his session he’d banked 31 fish with the best topping the scales at 7lb 1oz.
“Sometimes to catch lots of fish you have to think more like a match angler and build your swim slowly rather than just pile it in at the start,” Phil told Angling Times.
“If you were sitting down for a day’s feeder fishing you wouldn’t just cast out once and sit there until you got a bite. When you’re after a big bag you need to keep the feed going in regularly. Too many anglers use a method mix that’s way too lumpy and heavy, which doesn’t breakdown quickly enough, so that’s why I take the time to riddle my bait just like a match angler would - it’s these little things that can make a huge difference.”
Click here for more angling news...
Great week for tench topped by 11lb 2oz specimen
Tench fishermen across the nation are proving why you should be out there targeting the species this weekend as a string of specimens hit the bank – this 11lb 2oz fish the highlight.
Kevin Durman was rewarded for beginning his campaign a month ahead of schedule when he slipped the net under this impressive 11lb 2oz specimen.
One of the mildest winters on record prompted the Kent-based specialist to set his sights on Medway Valley Fisheries’ Larkfield complex and on his arrival he introduced six pints of pellets and maggots as well as three tins of Sonubaits Hemp and Krill.
The action came thick and fast and the first morning produced four fish to 7lb 4oz. The best was still to come, though, when he landed his first ever double and beat his old best of 9lb 13oz in the process using a simple in-line feeder set-up with three maggots mounted on a size 12 Korum hook.
“With it being so mild I started my tenching much earlier than I normally would. I really didn’t expect anything like this, I ended up with a new personal best and 14 other fish to 9lb 6oz,” Kevin told Angling Times.
Jason Rudge also set a new personal best for the species when he topped off a 24-fish haul with a 9lb 7oz specimen.
The Richworth Linear Fisheries Guy’s Lake syndicate bailiff fished simple inline maggot feeder tactics, but claimed the secret to his success was a groundbait mix made from seed and cutting compost bought from a local garden centre that he mixed with liquidised worms, maggots and corn.
“The compost is a great carrier for the liquids that I like to introduce into the swim,” explained Jason, who cast his rigs on the top of a bar at 40yds.
“At times I found it really difficult to keep three rods in the water, which just shows how effective using something a little different can be.”
Norfolk’s Bawburgh Lakes complex is one of the UK’s finest specimen tench fisheries and Andy Waters took advantage of its pedigree to bank a brace of male and female fish, both topping the scales at 8lb 1oz.
The pair fell to three grains of hair-rigged corn on a size 10 hook and 12lb braided hooklink in conjunction with a flatbed method feeder.
Further north, 19-year-old Ricky Cross banked his first ever tench in the shape of an 8lb 4oz fish during a session at the Earl of Harrington’s Angling Club’s Woodrow Pond.
He was actually targeting the venue’s carp when the fish picked up his 12mm pop-up hookbait mounted on a braided hooklink and a size 8 hook
Click here for more angling news...
Surprise 7lb tench in bream session
Bream were the primary target of Kenny Parsons during a session at an Oxfordshire stillwater but he wasn’t too disheartened when this 7lb tench came to the net.
The angling guide prebaited his chosen swim the week before the outing and presented a popped-up sweetcorn hookbait over the top.
With the sun just about to vanish for the day he received the all-important bite and after a rugged battle his prize was on the bank.
For more details on booking a day with Kenny visit www.kpanglingguide.com
Click here for more angling news...
Tench to make a comeback
One of angling’s most cherished species is set to make a comeback as plans to revive and promote tench fishing in the UK are revealed.
The Tenchfishers, which is one of the Uk’s longest running single species groups, has announced the launch of the ‘Tench Heritage Alliance’ which has been set up with the sole purpose of securing the future of the species and waters that contain them.
It will be made up of species experts working closely with the Environment Agency fishery owners to help locate new stocks and increase angling opportunities for those anglers that want to specifically target what has always been one of the nation’s species.
Due to the ever rising popularity and demand for carp fishing, tench have taken somewhat of a backseat in recent years, which has seen a steady decline in traditional venues and resulted in diminishing opportunities for tench fishermen.
But the chiefs at the Tenchfishers, that’s celebrating its 60th anniversary, are confident that this new group will help readdress the balance and help reinstate the species at fisheries across the UK.
“Carp now dominate a huge percentage of our stillwaters in the UK and tench have been pushed into the background, which is something that needs to be addressed,” said Paul Thompson, vice chairman of the Tenchfishers.
“I’m going to be taking one of fishing idols out to target tench this year and I’m really struggling to find anywhere to take them with a realistic chance of catching a few fish without being plagued by carp and that’s a sorry state of affairs.
“We have already been heavily involved in a re-stocking programme at the famous Sywell Reservoir over the last few years and this is just the beginning as we want to help anyone out that wants to help preserve, promote and push tench fishing forward.
“If anyone wants to get involved it would be great if you visit our website and get in contact with one of us.”
*To find out more or get in contact with the Tenchfishers visit the website at: www.tenchfishers.com
Click here for more angling news...
8lb 3oz tench from Linear Fisheries
One of the UK’s most popular specimen fisheries proved that it’s not all about big carp after Cyrus Richards banked this personal best tench that topped the scales at 8lb 3oz.
The Warwick-based specialist visited Manor Lake at Oxfordshire’s Richworth Linear Fisheries complex for a 24-hour session and after no joy with its resident mirrors and commons, he slipped a piece of imitation corn onto the hair on the back of his size 6 hook.
It wasn’t long before the fish was on its way to the net thanks to the help of 15lb line and a coated braid hooklink.
For more details on the complex visit www.linear-fisheries.co.uk
Click here for more angling news...
9lb 12oz tench is best of 13 fish haul
A bold baiting attack helped Ted Bryan enjoy his greatest tench fishing session in years which was capped off with four specimens over the 9lb barrier.
The Nash-backed rod headed to a venue in Kent’s Medway Valley for a 48-hour session and introduced 30 balls of Fish Frenzy Tandoori Spice groundbait laced with pellets, maggots, corn and hemp.
Previous experience told him that a patient approach would be needed but within two hours he was into action as a 6lb 10oz fish found the net.
Several others to 8lb 12oz were taken during darkness, with a brace weighing in at 9lb and 9lb 10oz sliding over the net the following morning.
With the session coming to a close the former Drennan Cup champion began to pack up but there was time for one last bite and Ted said: “The alarm went off and I struck into a big fish. Shortly afterwards the best of a 13 fish catch weighing 9lb 12oz was in the net.”
All the tench were taken on 10lb Nash Hardcore mainline and a size 10 Fang X hook baited with two Tandoori Spice pop-ups.
Click here for more angling news...
String of tench to 8lb 3oz from Bawburgh
Nathan Long has got his tench campaign on the Bawburgh Lakes complex off to a flying start landing a string of fish to a best of 8lb 3oz.
His first 48 hour session produced a brace of ‘sevens’ weighing 7lb 14oz and 7lb 10oz, and he then returned a few days later to take a male of 7lb 7oz and the eight pounder.
“On my first trip I saw a few fish rolling over an area of deeper water at 30yds range and this is where I have focused my efforts,” he told Angling Times. “I didn’t put much bait in as the water temperature was still very cold, just enough to keep the fish interested if they turned up.
“All my fish have come to my left-hand-rod which I’d rigged up with an inline method feeder and two hair-rigged fake casters.”
Click here for more angling news...
Biggest tench of the year at 12lb 6oz
The capture of the year’s biggest tench – a specimen weighing 12lb 6oz - has led to experts predicting that some of the sport’s longest-standing records could be broken this year.
Following one of the mildest winters on record, fisheries scientists are now urging the nation’s anglers to ‘get out there and target big fish’, as many believe that species such as tench, carp and roach could have already reached record-breaking sizes.
In the depths of winter icy water temperatures slow down a fish’s metabolism, meaning they need to consume far less food compared to other times of the year. But thanks to the unseasonably warm February and March, many species have carried on feeding during times when they would normally be lying dormant.
This theory has been supported by the capture of Paul David’s 12lb 6oz tench from a Berkshire gravel pit – the biggest of the species to be caught in the UK since June 2013.
“I’d caught several tench to over 9lb the week before this session which just shows you how the mild weather is bringing the fish on the feed as I never expected to be catching huge tench this early in the year,” the Hampshire-based rod told Angling Times.
“Most tench anglers leave it until after Easter to get their rods out but I’m so glad I didn’t wait because if I had, I wouldn’t have caught what is by far the best fish of my angling career.”
It is only tench that have been caught at huge weights relatively early in the year, as two record shaking carp, weighing 66lb from Elphicks Fisheries and 64lb 2oz from the Wasing Estate, have also come close to the British best of 67lb 8oz in the last month.
Leading Fisheries scientist and consultant, Dr Bruno Broughton, is not only convinced that species such as tench, carp and roach would have been feeding throughout February and March, but also revealed that warmer water temperatures would result in the earlier development of eggs in the female sex of these species.
“This means that many fish could have already reached, or surpassed, their optimum weights normally gained before they prepare for spawning,” he explained.
“My advice to specimen anglers would be to stop looking at the calendar and get out there now.
This year is truly an exception to the rule and there’s huge potential for records to be broken. I’d say that we are at least a month ahead as far as water temperatures go meaning that the development of eggs hasn’t slowed down anywhere near as much as it would have during past winters.
“In simple terms, tench, carp and roach will now be fatter because their bodies will be developing as if it was already early May. The capture of this huge tench, along with the fact that there have also been two carp over 60lb caught in the last few weeks just shows what is out there to be caught.”
Click here for more angling news...
