11lb 10oz tench on fake casters

17-year wait ended for tench fanatic Dave Harman when he finally beat his personal best with this sublime specimen of 11lb 10oz.

The 53-year-old from Surrey banked one of the biggest tench of the season on the second evening of a three-day session in pursuit of big tincas on his local gravel pit. 

Speaking exclusively to Angling Times, Dave described his session and the tench fishing on his local water of late.

He said: “I ended up back on the same water I fished last spring due to a mix-up with a different permit, but this actually paid off, as I have steadily been catching numbers of tench to 9lb-plus. 

“However, over the last three weeks the fishing has slowed considerably, with just the
odd fish coming out here and there.

“So when my alarm sounded and I realised it wasn’t a bream, my heart was in my mouth.

“The tench put up a good battle after making a powerful initial run, but it wasn’t until I placed her on the mat that I noticed her considerable bulk. 

“This is the largest tench to come from the pit in recent years, and although not the 12lb fish I would dearly love to catch it still put a massive smile on my face.”

Dave’s new tench best took three rubber casters on a size 14 Pallatrax wide-gape hook attached to a 4ins hooklength of 15lb Drennan Gravel Braid. 

This was fished helicopter-style above a 60g Korum open-end mesh feeder and cast to a gravel bar at 60yds range over a bed of casters and mixed particles. 

His approach also brought an 8lb bream to the net in the same session.