Top tench on a kebab!

140-mile round trip has produced one of the biggest tench of the season weighing 11lb 11oz.  

The phenomenal catch was made by Fox and CC Moore-backed Richard Wilby, who made a long journey to fish for just a few hours on a small southern water in what he described as “my last chance of the season to bank a big tench.”

Richard arrived at his swim around midnight and lightly baited an area with casters, hempseed, red maggots and CC Moore Fish Frenzy groundbait before casting out his rigs.

He said: “At first light my bite alarm signalled a couple of bleeps and I thought it was a pike at first, so when it rolled among all the weed my legs turned to jelly. 

“It fought like a demon and I had to give it more stick than I wanted because of the weed. 

“Eventually I scooped her up – it’s one of the best fish I’ve caught for so many reasons and one I’ve dreamt all year about catching.”

Richard’s new personal best fell to a simple helicopter feeder rig, a size 10 Fox Zig hook, 12lb Illusion hooklink and a hookbait incorporating a worm kebab topped with a fake maggot.

It wasn’t the only big tench to be reported either, as Alan Rio proved with an impressive specimen of
11lb 7oz (left).

Just a month after receiving a weekly Drennan Cup award for an 11lb 15oz tench, the Woking-based angler continued fishing the same southern water in hope of a larger fish.

Targeting a west-facing bay at 30 yards with worm kebab rigs over a bed of casters, hemp and corn, Alan was able to catch an 8lb 2oz tench and small common carp, but had to wait until 1.30pm on the third day for a take from something altogether more special. 

“I had a one toner on the middle rod quickly and after a short tussle I had my prize in the net. “It was my second fish over 11lb and it was totally mind blowing.”