Worms land 11lb 9oz tinca

Hair-rigged worms were the key to the capture of this 11lb 9oz tench – topping another incredible week for the species.

The second-biggest tench reported to Angling Times so far in 2017 was banked by Tenchfishers member Rob Knapp, who smashed his personal best for the species three times at a Kent gravel pit.

He’s been specifically targeting tench for only two seasons, and his dreams came true when an incredible run at the water saw him net 21 tench, including two other doubles at 10lb 8oz and
10lb 7oz, and a huge 9lb male fish.

There was nothing complicated about the 40-year-old Surrey angler’s tactics. He fooled all his tench with simple maggot feeder rigs fished heli-style, but with hair-rigged worms on the hook.

“Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the worms produced fish after fish during a handful of sessions that I will never forget,” said Rob.

“I introduced a bed of hemp, casters, dead maggots, chopped worms and groundbait over a light bed ofsilkweed at 40 yards. This was the main line of attack during each of my sessions.

“You really can’t beat a worm hookbait,” he added.

Dave Harman is regarded as one of the finest tench anglers in the UK, and the capture of a 10lb 12oz specimen proves exactly why.

The Addlestone, Surreyspecialist has now banked 28 double-figure tench, a dozen of those coming from different venues, and he worked his magic during his first two day sessions on a new water.

After a heavy bombardment of pellets and casters at 60 yards range at a gravel pit in the south he cast simple feeder rigs baited with casters over the top.

Along with the 10lb 12oz fish, his tactics also fooled 17 other tench to a best of 9lb 7oz.

“Some anglers have a real connection with a certain species, meaning that they just have an inate ability to catch them – and I certainly have this with tench,” Dave told Angling Times.

“I always seem to put myself in the right spot.

“This was the first time I’d fished this particular water, and to catch a double and so many other fish was a proper result.

“I’ve caught loads of big tench over the years, but I will never tire of targeting them because it really is in my blood.”