One bite - an 11lb 7oz tench

A 30-year quest for a double-figure tench ended in success for Steve Andrew when the only bite of his first ever session on a new venue produced this huge 11lb 7oz specimen.

In a capture that’s sure to inspire many anglers to begin their 2015 tench campaigns, the new personal best rewarded all of his years of hard work and dedication when it took his feederfished maggot hookbait.

The member of the tenchfishers who comes from Ringwood in Hampshire found a gravel bar at 50 yards at his chosen stillwater in the south and introduced a bed of dead maggots, hemp, casters and pellets .

But he had to wait until the closing stages of his final morning to receive his one and only bite that came as he began to pack away his tackle.

“I was packing my bed chair and sleeping bag away when the alarm screamed off and I was in to the fish that I’ve always dreamed of catching,“ said Steve.

“The frame of the fish just amazed me as it didn’t have a belly at all like some of the big fish do which means that when it’s at its heaviest it wouldn’t be surprised if it’s well over the 12lb barrier.

“I’ve spent my whole fishing career targeting all of the old famous tench waters like Sywell Reservoir and Wraysbury and had some stunning tench, but to finally catch a ‘double’ is very emotional. I still can’t believe it.”

The 57-year-old, used a Drennan inline feeder coupled with 10lb mainlin, a short 20lb mono hooklink and one imitation maggots along with two real grubs threaded onto a size 12 Drennan Super Specimen hook.

His specimen beats his previous personal best for the species that stood at 8 lb 4oz and was taken on the edge of his baited area that he kept topped up with ‘Spomb’ during his session.

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