Specimen ace cracks it at last

After years of struggling to get to grips with a southern gravel pit, specimen angler Ryan Hayden was rewarded with this 9lb 14oz tench.

Ryan said: “It was caught on Saturday morning but I hadn’t seen a single tench roll at all. 

“I was anticipating an early pack-up when the middle rod, fished in a deep marginal channel, went into meltdown. 

“After the hardest fight I’ve ever had from a tench this beautiful fish of 9lb 14oz reluctantly rolled over the landing net.”

An 85g Method feeder with a double fake maggot hookbait presented over a bed of hemp and dead maggots was the successful tactic.