surrey nine-pounder banked

A dip in air temperature didn’t stop Michael Costello from putting 15 tench in the net – topped by this 9lb specimen. 

The 28-year-old from Sutton, Surrey, targeted the Lodge Lake at Newdigate Farm Fishery in what were unfavourable conditions for the species.

He told Angling Times: “It was just before the warm weather arrived and the temperature didn’t get above six degrees all day, but when I first arrived at the fishery I could see quite a bit of activity in one swim in particular. 

“The depth of the peg was only around 3ft but that’s where they seemed to be.”

To pick out the bigger tench, Michael fished 10mm Mainline Cell wafters in conjunction with PVA bags of Hemp and Hali Crush groundbait.

“It was looking grim for a while,” he added. “ But I ended up catching 15 tench – of which the first three were all over 7lb! I was chuffed with that, but my next bite absolutely shot off and I thought it was a carp at first – it turned out to be a new personal best tench at 9lb.”