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Tench 2024

Sounds like a place full of knobs to me ! Bin it off and wait for the rivers to open and then go back to what fishing is all abou, . Fishing for whatever unknown fish swim in front of you and enjoy our pure sport for what it is.
I was Tench fishing a local club water last week that is also known for its large carp… late afternoon I heard someone approaching pushing a barrow, just as I came in to his view I heard him exclaim “oh FFS” put his barrow down and asked when I’m packing up, I said I was there until dark, he said he had been prebaiting and needed to fish this swim so will just wait behind me which he did for the next 2 hrs. This was on a large pit with about 20 swims and only 3 others fishing!!!
Funny thing was as I was packing up there were carp crashing out in the bay opposite 😂
 
I was Tench fishing a local club water last week that is also known for its large carp… late afternoon I heard someone approaching pushing a barrow, just as I came in to his view I heard him exclaim “oh FFS” put his barrow down and asked when I’m packing up, I said I was there until dark, he said he had been prebaiting and needed to fish this swim so will just wait behind me which he did for the next 2 hrs. This was on a large pit with about 20 swims and only 3 others fishing!!!
Funny thing was as I was packing up there were carp crashing out in the bay opposite 😂
I did the exact opposite 3 weeks ago. Baited a fairly deep water swim for tench a couple of times; away from the main concentration of carp. Turned up early in the morning to find the only angler (carping) on the 70 acre pit was in the one prebaited swim (by coincidence, not design). He was there for 3 days (now he is there 3 days every week) so I went home.

Going down there now to see how busy it is at the shallow end.
 
I did the exact opposite 3 weeks ago. Baited a fairly deep water swim for tench a couple of times; away from the main concentration of carp. Turned up early in the morning to find the only angler (carping) on the 70 acre pit was in the one prebaited swim (by coincidence, not design). He was there for 3 days (now he is there 3 days every week) so I went home.

Going down there now to see how busy it is at the shallow end.
The carp are now spawning on my club water so will be nice and quite for a while🤞
 
They close the lake here when the carp start - so after a false start yesterday it was quiet on the spawning front today. If they don’t spawn tomorrow, I expect it will stay open for 2 more weeks at least (based on the weather forecast).
 
Hi all.Excuse the rant,went fishing yesterday to a local gravel pit for the first time this year.It is a predominately a carp pit but also holds large tench and bream.Every year the rules seem to change regarding catching,handling carp etc.I had a float rod set up for fishing for tench just over the marginal shelf but had another rod set up for carp fishing off the top which I have enjoyed with some success in the past.I had just become settled in my swim when the "bailiff " came round.Im sure his bivvy was in the same spot as last year!.Anyway,asked to see my license,no problem,asked what I was fishing for.I replied I was fishing for tench."but you have a carp rod".Anyway to cut a long story after he had checked the size of my landing net,my unhooking mat,the breaking strain of my line (15lb min),and to put a top hat on it whether I had a jell to put on the carps lip if I caught one.
Being a stickler for the rules which I had glanced at I had even bought one of those.He returned back to his bivvy in which he had 3 rods out,its only a small pit but whatever. I persevered with the float set up untill the sun burnt the clouds off and I saw a few carp cruising on the top.I pinged out a few dog biscuits to see if they were interested.Mr bailiff was straight round.Apparently the only baits allowed for carp are pellets or boilies!.
I replied,I hadn't seen that in the rules,he told me chapter and verse which page,paragraph etc.He gave me the benefit of the doubt and I returned to float fishing but checked my book for if he was taking the Mick.He wasn't,also I am also not allowed to fjy a drone or drive my remote controlled boat on the lake.
By this time at least 4 other anglers had turned up,they all proceeded to cast at least 2 rods out and then spray a load of boilies out around where they had cast.Which is worse I asked myself,tons of boilies going in or a few dog biscuits.Anyway had tried corn,bread,pellets and worms on the float,nothing except small perch on the worm.
Anyway,rant over.Roll on June for proper fishing.Stay safe all.
Sounds just like the sort of water, that I wouldn't want to be a member of😳. Had Mr Bailiff wound his 3 rods in before he popped around to see you 🙂?
 
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Sounds just like the sort of water, that I wouldn't want to be a member of😳. Had Mr Bailiff wound his 3 rods in before he popped around to see you 🙂?
Sorry about the late reply Adey.My beloved's been monopolising the laptop.Short answer is I don't think so.I was going to mention it to him but I just didn't want to end up arguing with the guy.Dont need the hassle while fishing.
 
Since last posting I’ve done two forty-eight hour visits to the Larkfield complex of fisheries. First trip was a long weekend with The Tenchfishers at the Kent Region Fish-In. What a disaster, the weather was grim, like much of this past six months. It was wet, cold and surprise, surprise only one Tench was caught. I barely came out of my bivvy all weekend and all I had to show was a small pike which chased my feeder on the retrieve and got caught in the scissors by the trailing hooklink.
Last week another couple of days, this time on the Road and Island lake on the SWS ticket with my mate Phil. I couldn’t buy a bite but Phil managed eight to 7-14 from a gravel mark he found with good old marker float method.
Wednesday of this week found me back on my local cub water with a mate I’ve known for nearly sixty six years, we started infant school at the same time and lived on the same estate. He and I started before 5am in a large double swim I’ve had some success in before. Wednesday was a disaster for him but I managed to catch five, four of which were seven pounders. Wednesday night was very quiet and fairly wet and neither of us troubled the landing nets. Yesterday was a real red letter day with Dave catching fourteen fish biggest 7-12 which is a new PB for him. I caught thirteen fish and also caught a new PB of 9-05. We were delighted to say the least and decided not to put baits out last night but to get a good kip and start early. Dave started before me and caught three more Tench before his guest ticket expired and he had to wend his way home to Hampshire. I was luckier, I added four more Tench to my tally including my second “nine” of the trip at 9-02. A trip of dreams for both of us and plans afoot for another trip together in June.
 

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Well done on the 9's Bill. Lovely looking Tench to boot.

Not so many tench for me this spring compared to the previous two years. Big bream catching (by accident) instead.
 
Well done on the 9's Bill. Lovely looking Tench to boot.

Not so many tench for me this spring compared to the previous two years. Big bream catching (by accident) instead.
Thanks Ady. Not too many Bream in the lake I fish, lots of small roach which prove a pain at times and the odd carp. I did get a near 22lb mirror in the session as well….I forget to mention the terrapin as well 🤣
 
well done Bill, fantastic fishing and great to get two 9's, really well deserved.
Cheers Cliff. Not even something I’d dared daydream about to be honest and when I weighed the second fish I was flabbergasted, I knew it was an eight plus but couldn’t believe the scale. Dave double checked for me before I started pinching myself 🤣
I’m two fish away from another personal milestone, I’m off to SWS on Wednesday for a two night/three morning session and yet to catch from there. Dare I dream ?🤣
 
Fantastic result Bill. Well jel as the kids say🤭. Surely that ten can’t be far away🤞
Cheers Kev, “well jel” is a new one on me. Not sure it’ll creep into my vocab though 🤣
 
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