Northern tench breaks 10lb
A double-figure tench is a rare specimen in the North, where the fish don’t enjoy the milder conditions found further down the country.
All the more reason, then, for Colin Hebb to be celebrating.
He struck gold when he banked this 10lb 11oz specimen from a lake in Yorkshire.
The 31-year-old market trader, from Cottingham, East Yorks, legered three grains of corn hair-rigged to the back of a size 6 hook.
Snail intercepts carp as it follows spawning tench
A snail threaded directly on to the hook produced this 42lb common carp for Tony Gibson during a session on Bluebell’s Swan Lake.
The 51-year-old Nash Tackle and Dynamite Baits-backed rod had banked a couple of tench and bream early in his stint at the Northants day-ticket water but bites soon tailed off as most of the had drifted out of the area.
“I had a look in a quiet section of the lake and found some tench that appeared to be getting ready to spawn,” the IT project manager told Angling Times. “There was a group of good carp following them and grubbing around, and I assumed they were wanting to feast on the tench spawn.”
Moving his gear to the area, Tony cast a rod over a clear patch near to where he’d seen the carp feeding. Selecting a large snail from a tin of Dynamite Baits Hemp & Snails, he threaded it on to a size 6 Nash Twister hook and tipped it off with a small section of dendrobaena worm.
He said: “I’d had success with big crucians and tench earlier in the year using snail hookbaits and also caught a few accidental carp on them, so thought they would make an ideal natural hookbait to try for carp that might be eating spawn.”
In the early hours of the morning, during the middle of an electrical storm, a single bleep was followed by a screaming run and after a powerful fight the chairman of the Northampton Specimen Group netted his prize.
Tony’s rig comprised a 12lb Nash D-Cam mono hooklink and a 2oz lead on a Nash Run Bead.
Double-figure tench from Bluebell Lakes
The Bluebell Lakes complex produced a stunning haul of tench – including this 10lb 3oz specimen – for Northampton specialist Tony Gibson.
He alternated imitation maggot, caster and corn hookbaits over a bed of maggots and Dynamite Baits’ Frenzied Hemp & Snails.
He also used feeder tactics to attract the attentions of 10 other fish to a best of 9lb 15oz which he spotted rolling close in during carp fishing sessions.
Impressive haul topped by a 10lb 8oz tench
This 10lb 8oz specimen topped an impressive haul of big tench for Darran Goulder.
He kicked off his 48-hour session at a southern stillwater with the introduction of two gallons of Dynamite Baits mixed particles, 2kg of pellets and a gallon of red maggots.
It was a tactic that certainly paid off for the Shimano-backed specialist from Kent, as he used maggot feeder tactics to land no fewer than 25 other fish to 9lb 7oz.
“This season has been incredible, and this is my fourth double of the year,” said Darran.
“It’s such a beautiful, dark fish, 25ins long. I’m not normally one to get the tape measure out, but this fish was absolutely massive.”
Brilliant year for specimen tench continues
The best year ever for specimen tench has not only produced another record-shaking specimen weighing 14lb 13oz, but also seen experts reveal why both stillwater and river fish of many species are growing bigger than ever.
Dai Gribble yet again backed up the theory when he banked the biggest tench ever caught by design, along with three other doubles to 10lb 12oz.
The Korum-backed man beat the benchmark he himself set with a tench weighing 14lb 13oz – the same southern stillwater fish he caught at 1oz less a few weeks ago.
“I didn’t go back to catch the same fish, but there are many more big fish to catch and with the current tench form I really wanted to make the most of it,” said Dai.
“I have banked 15 double-figure tench this season, which is nothing short of sensational, but I know of so many others who have had such phenomenal catches at UK venues.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the mild winter that saw fish continue to feed when they would normally shut up shop and also contributed to there being an abundance of natural food are some of the key reasons why 2015 has already produced huge tench, crucians and carp.”
Two other anglers who also broke their tench personal bests were Lincolnshire’s Brian Hankins and Colin Hebb.
Brian’s fish weighed 12lb 11oz and was taken at a Colne Valley gravel pit when he feederfished imitation casters at 40yds range in a gap in the weed.
The catch equalled his personal best of 10lb 5oz just a few weeks ago, but he blew that out of the water with his fish of a lifetime.
“I’ve been tench fishing for around 38 years and I’ve never known a season like this,” said Brian.
Moving up country to a stillwater in Yorkshire, Colin Hebb also continued an incredible run of recent form when he beat his tench personal best with a monster 12lb 5oz specimen.
A sweetcorn hookbait presented underneath an overhanging tree did the trick for the 31-year-old market trader.
But 2015 will not only go down in history for producing more huge tench than ever before.
Following the capture of two new British record crucians, both weighing 4lb 10oz, and a 20lb 15oz bream already banked this year, fisheries management consultant Dr Bruno Broughton believes that a distinct trend is emerging from the fantastic early-season coarse fish catches – a big-fish boom.
“There is mounting evidence from a wide range of fisheries that coarse fish have waxed fat in the last year,” he said. “We have already seen substantial numbers of huge fish of many species in recent months, with stillwaters producing unsurpassed catches of tench, carp, crucians, perch and other species. The trend looks set to extend to rivers, too.
“The mild winter and the relative lack of frosts will certainly have extended the growing period and can be linked to the immense sizes which known fish have attained in recent months.”
24 to 11lb 1oz tench from water with untapped tinca potential
Darran Goulder’s run of form for tench continued when he enjoyed a red-letter session at a venue whose stocks of the species are largely unknown.
The Shimano-backed specialist admitted that at times he couldn’t keep a bait in the water when he banked no fewer than 24 tench, the best tipping the scales at 11lb 1oz, during a 48-hour session.
Feederfished maggots cast over the top of a bed of Dynamite Baits Frenzied Particles, pellets and maggots was the winning combination for Darran, whose catch included 13 tench over the 8lb mark.
“I couldn’t get on my regular water, so I travelled to a carp syndicate to target its unknown tench stocks,” said Darran.
“At times there were rods, nets and tackle strewn across the floor as I tried my utmost to keep a rod in the water.”
12lb tench caught on float tackle
First double figure tench falls to bread after 15-year hunt
“I would never fish for tench with bolt rigs and bite alarms because to me the float is the only way.”
These are the words of Colin Hebb, who ended a 15-year quest for a double-figure fish when he landed this huge 12lb 1oz specimen on float tackle.
It would have been easy for the Yorkshire specialist to give up hope following almost two decades targeting the same local water after he’d heard stories of the capture of double-figure tench.
But his dedication was handsomely rewarded when he baited his swim with four handfuls of mashed bread and put his faith in traditional tactics.
After a few hours of being pestered by small roach, the tip of his float eventually slid away among the lilies and a firm strike saw the 31-year-old market trader connect with his
first-ever double-figure fish.
“I’ve always had faith that there was a big fish in this lake, but I never expected a tench over the 12lb mark… it’s incredible, especially for a lake up north,” said Colin.
“I would never fish for tench with a bolt rig and bite alarms as it just doesn’t feel right to me, so that’s why I have always persevered with bread under a float.
“There were times when I thought I was going to lose the fish. I just couldn’t stop it boring into the vegetation and there were lilies snapping all over the place, but it eventually came straight out and went into the net. I guess it was just meant to be.”
Colin’s rig was simplicity itself. He used a float that took 2bb shot with 10lb mainline tied straight through to a size 6 Fox hook.
Sharing a landing net ...two 10lb-plus tench
Darran Goulder now knows what it’s like to have two 10lb-plus tench in the net at the same time.
The Shimano-backed rod fished a southern stillwater and introduced a big bed of Dynamite Baits Mixed Particle and 3mm pellets at the start of the session.
Rubber caster hookbaits alongside a maggot feeder soon saw a 10lb 1oz fish in the net, and moments later his other rod screamed into life and a 10lb 6oz fish joined the first.
Several other tench to 8lb 15oz were banked in a truly memorable session.
Huge tench biggest ever to be caught by design
The biggest tench ever landed by design has been caught by Dai Gribble – a record-shaking 14lb 12oz monster.
On his first trip to a southern stillwater, the Stafford rod earned his place in angling history as the captor of the biggest tench specifically fished for. Two other catches over this weight, including Darren Ward’s 15lb 3oz record, were taken by carp anglers.
Having taken a huge haul of fish to 13lb 3oz a fortnight ago, Korum star Dai switched his attentions to a different venue, but it was sticking to his tactics that proved decisive.
With no past experience on the venue, he looked for a fish-holding feature, and a gravel bar with a deep drop-off around 40 yards out was soon located. He fed several pints of 2mm Sonubaits pellets, hemp, casters and maggots before casting his helicopter-style maggot feeder rig baited with three fake casters over the top.
Patience was the key, as he had to wait until the second morning for the all-important bite.
He said: “When I first netted it I knew it was a double, but I didn’t think it would be as big as my fish from two weeks ago until I lifted the net. At that point it felt like I had two fish in there, it was that heavy!
“It has been a crazy two weeks and it’s been the stuff of dreams. If someone had told me I would be catching two huge doubles from two separate waters at the start of the season I would have just laughed at them,” he said.
It is not just Dai who has been getting among the big doubles this summer either, with Tony Smith slipping the net under a 13lb 13oz specimen.
The West Yorkshire pensioner made the long trip south to an large stillwater, where he baited a spot about 40 yards out with casters, hemp and Dynamite Baits The Source pellets.
At 5am the following morning, with tench rolling on the surface, Tony decided to recast his inline maggot feeder rig baited with two fake hair-rigged casters and half a worm.
Just minutes after his rig had hit the water his line was peeling off the freespool reel and the huge fish – a new personal best – was on.
He said: “The way it was fighting, I thought it was a big male and I struggled to land it at first, as it didn’t want to give up.
“When I finally netted it I put it on the unhooking mat and starting laughing, as it almost seemed too big to be a tench.”
Rob Thompson managed to better his most memorable tench season ever by slipping the net under a giant 11lb 9oz specimen. After breaking his personal best twice with fish of 9lb 1oz and 9lb 11oz earlier in the year, the Leicestershire rod returned to the same southern gravel pit for a two-day trip.
After baiting up a gravel bar with Sonubaits pellets and groundbait mixed with a glug of molasses and maggots, Rob managed to snare his prize using a helicopter rig with a size 12 Korum hook baited with an 8mm Sonubaits pineapple boilie.
Tench proved to be like red buses for Alan Rio when a quest to catch his first double ended in the capture of two huge specimens in a session weighing 10lb 3oz and 10lb 8oz.
The Surrey angler used a heavy feeding approach, Spombing out a combined total of 18 pints of maggots, casters and hemp before fishing a leger rig baited with fake buoyant casters and a PVA bag of loosefeed over the top.
The ploy worked a treat, as Alan netted 10 other tench during his three-night session, including another of 9lb 9oz.
Four doubles to 10lb 7oz in amazing tench haul
Justin Grapes had the tench fishing session of his life when he landed four double-figure specimens.
The Norwich-based all-rounder had a feeling things were going his way when the first session at a Bawburgh Lakes Fishery produced a cracking 9lb 14oz tench.
It didn’t take long for the bigger fish to find his bed of maggots and casters as his three-day session produced tench of 10lb 7oz, two at 10lb 4oz and another of 10lb 2oz.
“My target for the year was to catch a double, but to bank four in a session is incredible,” said Justin, who is backed by Team Fishing Hut.
“This is my best tench session ever, and I doubt if I’ll ever better it.”
All his fish fell to feeder rigs baited with three Enterprise artificial casters.
Two personal bests on the trot!
A quest of almost 20 years in search of new personal bests for two of the UK’s most cherished fish ended in style as Mike Lyddon landed huge tench and crucians.
First, the Gardner-backed angler headed to a Surrey club water in an effort to top his crucian best of 4lb 3oz that had stood for two years.
Finding an old stream bed around 50 yards out, he laced it with a carpet of groundbait and cast a flatbed Method feeder over the top.
His fake caster hookbaits soon caught the attention of crucians weighing 3lb 10oz and 3lb 13oz.
A lull in sport during the night seemed to indicate he had had the best of the sport, but a sudden flurry of action reactivated the session, and he told Angling Times: “I had a bite out of nowhere and after a fairly short battle there was a huge crucian lying in the bottom of the net.”
“I knew it would be close to breaking my best and on the scales it was agonisingly close. It eventually settled on 4lb 3oz 8dr. I was delighted, but my attentions quickly turned elsewhere.”
A switch of water saw him head to a gravel pit close to his Surrey home inpursuit of his first double-figure tench. Almost 15 years had passed since his last personal best ‘tinca’ of 9lb 9oz, so he spodded out a bed of hemp, particles and maggots in an effort to settle the score during a three-day stint.
Lots of fish could be seen rolling over his baited spot and tench of 7lb 8oz and 8lb came in quick succession, before an 11lb 8oz fish decided to swallow his trio of popped-up artificial maggots.
“I’ve been after a double-figure tench for a long time, and to finally achieve it is incredible. The fish gave a good account of itself and I was relieved to see it slide over the landing net,” said Mike.
His successful maggot feeder rig was made up of a 10lb Gardner Target Speciskin hooklink to a size 14 hook.
A hat-trick of pbs could now be on the agenda and Mike has set his sights on several new campaigns.
He concluded: “I’m going in search of a big bream and chub once the rivers reopen and I’m hopeful my run of form will continue.”
14lb 8oz tench rocks the UK record
A huge 14lb 8oz record-shaking tench and the greatest haul of specimen tench of all time have been caught in a week that will go down in angling history.
Dai Gribble made the tench fishing world stand up and take notice when he took the catch of a lifetime by sliding his net under a 13lb 3oz fish – which incredibly was backed up by no fewer than seven other specimens in double figures.
In what experts have labelled the greatest tench catch ever that also featured fish of 11lb, 10lb 14oz, 10lb 9oz, 10lb 6oz, 10lb 5oz, 10lb 2oz and 10lb 1oz, the Korum-backed specialist chose a venue that is part of Medway Valley Fisheries in Kent.
The Stafford-based member of The Tenchfishers adopted feeder tactics with artificial caster hookbaits that he cast over a bed of 2mm Sonubaits pellets, hempseed, casters and maggots.
It was a winning combination that kept the huge fish coming, with the 13lb 3oz specimen sliding over his net as the historic session drew to a close.
“This is as good as fishing gets. I still can’t believe that I’ve made a catch like this and I still feel like I’m dreaming as it hasn’t truly sunk in yet,” said an ecstatic Dai.
“I hoped one day that I’d beat my personal best, but I never saw a tench like this coming at all. Since the capture I’ve found myself in conversations where both myself and the others involved have referred to the other double-figure tench as ‘the smaller ones’. That’s just ridiculous, but it really puts this catch into perspective.”
Dai’s catch sets a new record for The Tenchfishers which was previously held by Vice Chairman and Press Officer Paul Thompson with a fish weighing 12lb 9oz.
Paul was on hand to witness Dai’s incredible haul as he was with him for the session.
“In my opinion this is not only the single greatest-ever haul of specimen tench, but the catch of the century,” said Paul.
“It took me 16 years after joining The Tenchfishers to catch my first double-figure fish and there are so many anglers out there that have been or are still in the same boat. This just goes to show what an incredible achievement this is.
“I was fishing 20 yards up the bank from Dai, and to be a part of it and see the huge frame of that fish go over the frame of his net truly was an honour and something I’ll never forget. The guy is a tench catching machine.”
Chris Jacob also wrote his name into angling history by banking a record-shaking 14lb 8oz tinca while fishing for carp.
It falls just short of the current British best that stands at 15lb 3oz 6 dr and gave the 25-year-old, from Basingstoke, Hants, a big surprise during a session at a venue known as the Tippings Lane Carp Fishing Syndicate, just outside Reading.
The winning hookbait was a pink 18mm Carp Junkie boilie, and it provided the only bite of his session.
“I was in total shock when I got the fish on the mat because it was like nothing else I’d ever seen or caught before. My biggest tench before this was around the 6lb mark,” said Chris.
“When it came to weighing the tench I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the reading, so I had to check three or four times just to make sure I was doing everything correctly.
“This water did a fish of 13lb 6oz last year, so everyone fishing here knows there’s always a chance of catching a huge tench, but I never thought that person would be me.”
Adam Perna realised a dream when his quest for a double-figure tench ended in success as he smashed his personal best with an impressive 11lb 12 oz fish.
After a switch from artificial casters to two grains of corn on a size 10 hook that was nicked through a PVA bag full of pellets his alarm screamed out at 3am.
After a 15-minute fight the 30-year-old specimen hunter from Bicester, Oxon had achieved his goal.
“The fish was enormous, measuring almost 25ins long with a 20ins girth,” he said.
“There was no obvious sign of spawn, so it will get bigger still.
“My target had been a 10-pounder, and I knew I’d smashed that out of sight as soon as I took in the sheer depth of this fish.”
Two 11lb tench add to a great tally for 2015
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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Alan Stagg lifts the Drennan Cup
“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I first started targeting big fish and to think that my name will now sit alongside some of the greatest anglers of all time just blows my mind.”
These are the emotional words of Alan Stagg, who has this week been crowned Drennan Cup Champion.
The Basingstoke based fishing fanatic took the most coveted prize in specimen angling after votes cast by specimen fishing’s elite put him well ahead of the rest of the field in this year’s competition.
At the end of the 2014/15 season Alan had amassed an impressive five weekly awards in his quest for the famous Drennan Cup and ultimately it was the Gardner tackle employee’s versatility and ability to catch some of the biggest specimens from both still and running water that saw him secure the prestigious title.
“It was my birthday and I was in my garden having a celebratory drink and I got the phone call telling me that I’d won and my jaw hit the floor. I could hardly speak as it was the best present I could have ever wished for,” a delighted Alan told Angling Times.
”I’ve had the Drennan Cup in my sights ever since I started targeting big fish and many all of my fishing heroes have their names on the cup and I’ve been close in the past, but words can’t describe what this means to me. It’s such a huge honour because the unique aspect of this competition is that the winner is decided by votes from your fellow anglers and there’s no bigger accolade than that.
Alan’s campaign began last May when he ended a seven-year quest to beat his bream personal best when he slipped the net under a huge 17lb 3oz that was backed up by another fish weighing 16lb 12oz during a session at a southern gravel pit.
His incredible run of form continued on the same venue a few weeks later after netting one of the biggest braces of all time with a combined weight of 34lb 11oz.
The first trip to a new water saw him gain with his third weekly award when he adopted a float-fishing approach to achieve a long-time ambition of catching a rudd over the magical 3lb barrier.
It took him hours to locate the fish but when he found them he landed specimens weighing 3lb 5oz, 2lb 7oz and 2lb 5oz.
He then switched his attentions to running water and proved why he’s regarded as one of the most gifted all-rounders in the sport when his second river session of 2014 on a tributary of the River Thames produced a 15lb 8oz barbel.
It was only fitting that his fifth and final Drennan weekly award saw him join an elite group of anglers who have banked 3lb-plus roach from both still and running water.
The 3lb 3oz 8 dram fish was the first ‘proper’ roach he’d ever banked from a river and came from a southern chalk stream caught on feeder fished maggots.
“It really was a dream season for me as I achieved so much and banked fish that I’ve been after for so many years,” Alan continued.
“To have come out on top of a field of anglers that’s made up of such well-respected and genuinely inspiring people is a huge honour, but to have my name on the famous Drennan really is as good as it gets.”
Leading the chasing pack in the 2014/15 Drennan Cup competition was Angling Times columnist and Peg One consultant Paul Garner.
He finished his campaign with a total of three weekly awards for impressive specimens such as a huge 12lb 10oz tench, a 3lb 11oz 8 dram rudd and a 4lb 2oz 8 dram personal best rudd.
The remaining places in the top four were filled by well-respected big fish anglers Brian Ingram and Mike Lyddon.
Drennan Cup sponsor Drennan International have again been delighted with the continued popularity of the competition and congratulated Alan on his victory.
“Congratulations to Alan on a richly deserved win. In all sport, rewards are generally directly proportionate to the amount of effort & practice invested, and I know first-hand how much time Alan puts into his fishing, Said Stewart Moss of Drennan International.
“I’ve personally bumped into him several times on various venues banks over the years and he really is an expert specimen angler and will be an exceptionally popular Drennan Cup champion.”
What they win:
1 Alan Stagg, £2,000
2 Paul Garner, £1,000
3 Brian Ingram, £500
4 Mike Lyddon, £250
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Target silverfish at unique Redbridge Lakes
With its unique layout and virtually carp free stocking policy Redbridge Fishery is a refreshing change from you ordinary commercial fishery.
Both the fishery’s pools contain a mixed stock of tench, cruicians, roach, perch, bream and ide and anglers visiting the venue recently have been bagging up with the latter with nets topping 40lb.
LAKE CUTHBERT (30 pegs)
Every peg has a rush bed to target close in as well as a small bay around 26m across on the edge of the island. Depths average 5ft and with only a handful of bigger carp to over 10lb light tackle and simple rigs are all you need on this pool. With a huge stock of silverfish, tench and crucians it’s a great place for a pleasure session where bites are not difficult to come by. At the moment casters and maggots fished shallow at around 11m is the top tactic for the ide.
LAKE DAISY (34 pegs)
This pool which has depths averaging 5ft is devoted to the pleasure angler. Huge nets of ide, roach, crucians, perch and tench can be caught fishing simple tactics like pole and waggler. At the moment anglers are catching well fishing a 4mm pellet over a bed of fishmeal groundbait at around 10m out. There are also some big perch in this pool to over 4lb and these are often caught fishing caster and worm tight to features like the rush beds found in most pegs.
Prices: £15 a day, £10 taster day
Contact: 020 8551 5663, 07774 990 100, www.redbridgelakes.co.uk
Location: Redbridge Fishing Lakes, 1 Salix Lane, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8LY
Rules: No keepnets, landing nets supplied by fishery, barbless only, no fixed leads, no bait discarding, no boilies, joker, cat meats
Facilities: Toilets, café, tackle shop, disabled access; tackle hire, free kids coaching
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Bag 30lb of stillwater barbel from Thorpe Fisheries
There are few commercial fisheries that can be branded as ‘natural’ venues, but Thorpe Fisheries in Tamworth certainly fits the bill thanks to its spring fed waters. The excellent water quality has helped keep the fish healthy across both lakes to insure you’ll be catching immaculate looking specimens throughout your session. When it comes to stillwater barbel, there’s no better place to head than the 42 peg Brook Meadow Pool where they grow to a rod-bending 7lb.
Most methods will catch them however a worm fished next to the sluice between pegs 38 and 39 may well bring you 30lb worth. Aside from barbel, carp to 16lb, tench, roach, chub, bream and crucians all reside here, with 60lb mixed bags a regular occurrence in matches fished over the weekends.
Many anglers prefer to fish the pole at 12m where the shelf starts to run down to around 13ft deep. Krill groundbait works wonders here, especially when double caster, worm or corn is fished over it. Alternatively, the reed lined margins are a perfect place to attack with this groundbait late in the day for a big double figure carp.
The Method feeder with dead maggots on the hook will also produce good bites from tench and carp when chucked to the island.
Alternatively, the 22 peg Spring Pool offers the same species to catch bar the barbel. Due to the vast space of open water, 100lb of quality carp can be amassed on the pellet waggler during the summer, which will soon start to show.
Prices: £7 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: Rosie on 07707680758
Location: Thorpe Fisheries, Clifton lane, Thorpe Constantine, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 0LH
Rules: Barbless hooks, no meat, no surface fishing, only 3 tins of corn, landing nets to be dipped before fishing, carp friendly pellets allowed, small inline method feeders only, no dogs allowed.
Facilities: Toilets, parking, disabled access.
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Plenty of ide at Pine Lakes
Regarded as one of the best ide fishing venues in the UK, Pine Lakes in Doncaster offers you the chance to put together a 100lb-plus net of the silverfish in just five hours.
The two-lake complex was something of a mystery until recently when new management took over to boost lake stocks and the overall flora and fauna of the fishery.
Since then it has come on leaps and bounds with some really superb fishing on offer. The 27-peg Big Lake with the single island is the place to head if you’re after a big net of ide. In 2009, a 119lb bag of just ide was recorded off peg 5 on casters. The angler had fished shallow on the pole at 7m and 9m whilst sprinkling casters over the top via a catty.
Alternatively, carp, F1s and tench have been stocked and are often caught on the Method feeder and maggot cast to the island, or corn fished down the edge late in the day. The 30-peg Small Lake offers similar fishing but with three islands to target. The ide go big in here, and specimens to 2lb are a regular occurrence. Double maggot fished shallow will work but try fishing on the deck for a slightly bigger stamp. The pellet wag cast to the aerator between the islands with a banded 4mm pellet can also produce big ide, roach and rudd, as well as the odd carp to double figures.
Prices: £6 a day, £5 concessions
Contact: 07867 553645
Location: Oak Field Farm, Kirton Lane, Thorne, Doncaster DN8 5RQ
Rules: No boilies, hemp, cat and dog meat, bloodworm, joker, tiger nuts, floating baits, braided hook lengths, bolt Rigs, you must use the Landing net provided by the fishery, keepnets are available for hire £1 extra and for this you get two nets, one for silvers and one for carp, all nets must be returned.
Facilities: Parking, toilets, pellets available, drinks available
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Big tench haul from stillwater
The tench fishing season started early for Nigel Peers when he slipped the net under five big tench topped by this 7lb 4oz fish.
The South- East based builder netted all his fish using a legered 15mm popped-up boilie which he cast tight to some snags at an unknown stillwater.
Nigel started his session at dawn and successfully attracted the fish into his swim by using PVA bags filled with pellets before topping up his swim with loose-fed small pellets and odd boilies during the day.
By late afternoon he had landed four fish with the biggest coming as the light started to fade.
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Trinity Waters caters for all tastes
There's growing pressure on modern fisheries to provide anglers with a diverse fishing experience but Trinity Waters in Somerset certainly offers that and much more. Comprising four unique lakes, the fishery sets a standard of angling that meets the desires of pleasure anglers, matchmen and specimen carpers alike. So whether it’s a bag of silverfish or a 30lb carp that makes you tick, Trinity certainly has the goods to deliver. Here’s a breakdown of the lakes:
SITE 1
Woodland Lake (31 pegs)
Woodland is the main match pool and is the lake to fish if you’re in search of big nets. Current match and pleasure weights are rolling in around the 80lb mark – although a 120lb bag of carp was recorded recently on the pellet wag fished 3ft deep at range. Paste will soon come into play down the edge when the weather warms up, whereas the Method feeder or pole fished short on the deck with maggot and caster will account for 40lb-50lb bags of roach, tench and skimmers all year round.
Ash Lake (20 pegs)
This six-island water has the potential to produce triple-figure nets of carp, crucians and tench in the summer; however 50lb bags are currently coming out on small bits of paste. Fish down the track and on the deck with the pole and feed micros via a cad pot to catch. The Method feeder with worm segments on the hook to the islands will also work as the weather warms.
SITE 2
Wildmarsh Lake (78 pegs)
Wildmarsh is a hit with both carpers and matchmen as it offers a shot at big carp to 16lb as well as huge nets of bream averaging 5lb. Boilies and PVA bags of pellets cast into open water will find the carp, as well as the odd big bream to 11lb which have been caught by carpers in the past. If you’re a pleasure angler though there are plenty of mixed fish stocked including tench, barbel, chub and small carp as well. Alternate between the pole and pellet down the edge or the Method feeder in open water with paste or maggot to catch a range of species.
Chandos Lake (8 pegs)
Known as the specimen carp lake, Chandos has suffered a drop of form during the winter however the fish are starting to feed again. Carp to 29lb are stocked – and an encouraging 21lb common was banked just last week. Over hanging willow trees, lily pads and islands provide plenty of features to cast your boilies and PVA bags of pellets at, with bright pink or yellow pop-ups proving the most successful hookbaits of late.
Prices: £6.50 a day, £4 concessions
Contact: 07896982567 or 01278 450880, www.trinitywaters.co.uk
Location: Trinity Waters, Straight Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 2BQ
Rules: Own keepnets can be used BUT MUST GO IN WATER DRY – two nets to be used for carp and silvers, barbless hooks only, no stalking of fish, unhooking mats for large fish, use bait in moderation, no boilies (apart from Wildmarsh and Chandos lake), no rods to be left unattended, no floating baits.
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