How did you get on?

[john step]

Unlike Mike above, It has been warm and bright sun all day here in sub tropical Lincolnshire.
I fished the deep reservoir and caught about 9 or 10lb of nice roach, plenty being netters with only a couple of small rudd amongst them.
Also a couple of decent perch. Two and a half pound and one and three quarters.
All on mag and wag at about 12 foot deep.
The photo....I must remember to smile. I was concentrating on the whistle app thingy.

 

[Philip]

Nice Perch. Your getting there with the self takes.

Small tip ...many smart phones have a camera release delay function (...2 sec, 5sec, 10sec etc) if you use that it (should) give you a few seconds to compose yourself after you press the shutter release/whistle & before it actually takes the photo.

 

[nottskev]

4.50 am, a mist on the water, the far side of the lake invisible, rustlings in the foliage and splashes somewhere on the water. I might even get up that early one day, but today I got to the tench lake some time after 3pm. Overcast with a bit of rain in the air; that'll do, I thought.

I set up the long rod and pin - just for the pleasure of it. The pole is a bit more efficient as you're usually trying to drop into small clear patches in the weed. I always bring at least two baits, as the tench are capricious, and what they'll take one day they won't look at the next. My two were red maggot and a mix of 4 and 6mm expanders with some Robin Red added to the water for a bit of the favourite tench colour. I'd actually called in to Lidl in the morning and bought some prawns to use, but re-considered and I'm about to stir-fry them. Three til four thirty was clearly their siesta, as I couldn't get a bite til then. The first fish was quite likely the biggest

For the next hour they fed grudgingly, and you had to keep dropping your bait in, twitching it and striking - and missing - anything you thought might be a bite. I sometimes see a shoal of rudd or roach playing on the surface well out, and when my bait was held up at the surface once this lovely fish was the result. I can envisage an evening on here ignoring the tench and fishing the top layers.

From 6pm on, the tench bites were easier to connect with, and a few more went in the net. At 7pm a sudden big downpour had me packing up. I could probably have doubled my catch fishing til 8pm, but how many small tench do you want to catch when you could be home and dry with a beer and stir-fried prawns?

 

[seth49]

Back on our syndicate water yesterday, due to various events I haven’t been here for a few weeks, glad I did as it fished very well compared to our usual fishery, I just fished the pole as it works well here, usual chopped worm and ground bait and fishing a section of worm on the hook a size 14 kaizen spade end hook, these are my favourite hooks now for any bait which is hooked directly.Started catching a mixture of Roach, Rudd, and perch to begin with before the tenches arrival was announced by lots of fizzing bubbles around my float .

Had some nice tench up to 2lb 5oz as there only up to about 3lbs in here I had few over 2lbs, mixed in with the silvers, there in really good condition too, as the owner feeds some pellets every day.

By about 4pm I had caught 17 tench, so I said to Neil I’ll try and catch 20 and then call it a day, so put in some ground bait and fished worm over this, but not getting any more tench just roach etc, now I had some red maggots with me but hadn’t used them much, so I tried cupping about twenty in and fishing over these, that seemed to do the trick, and I had another 4 tench in a short time, have to remember that one, it certainly worked well.

So a good day with 21 tench, and 23 assorted silvers, enjoyed and Neil did ok as well.

 

[nottskev]

I had some prawns left over so I had a couple of hours at tea-time on the estate lake. The forecast was light winds, but around 5pm the trees were thrashing and bits of tackle were getting airborne. My unhooking mat - a dog bed type affair took off and flew into the lake together with the forceps and disgorger on it. I instinctively went to snag it with the landing net, but the rules here demand a net of preposterous size, and it was simply too unwieldy in the wind and I was cringing as I stopped the mat floating away with the thin end of an expensive rod instead. You can see from the pic the trees and water surface are in motion.

It was an uncomfortable couple of hours, but at least I found the fish will happily take prawns. I missed a couple of bites, so I'll have to think about how to hook and present them.

 

[john step]

Kev have you tried threading the hook right though the prawn leaving just the point exposed?

 

[nottskev]

Hi Pete, I tried various ways of putting them on, mostly threading the hook into the tail, the toughest bit. It may be the missed bites were smaller fish. I ended up thinking I might be better detaching a short hooklength and threading it through the length of the prawn as you might with a pellet cone or a pva stick.

 

[mikench]

Far be it from me to advise you Kev but I try and treat the prawn in the same way as when sea fishing with large prawns and hooks.

How to Bait a Prawn (Put it on your hook) | Seabreeze

Think you know how to bait a prawn? Think again! These three tips will ensure you're not giving a free lunch to your catch.

www.seabreeze.com.au

The prawns must be fresh though. On balance and with largish prawns I prefer to hair rig them with a bait stop . I often use them still frozen or partly. A bag of prawns is cheaper than a pint of maggots.

 

[wetthrough]

@mikench wrote "A bag of prawns is cheaper than a pint of maggots."

Gets expensive if you're loose feeding them.

Out yesterday, originally planned with @mikench who unfortunately had a family emergency and had to cry off. Lovely water we've fished before with a good head of Carp and Tench, though not for me as it turned out.

Arrived around 6.30am although it doesn't usually start fishing til around 9.30/10 ish. Early as there's a chance the swim will need raking out and I didn't want to start, feed the swim and then find it needed raking. Spent about 30min raking although it turned out not to be too bad. Used the 13' Altima despite being only 35" deep. My preferred rod for shallow water is the 10'6" Toreon but there are deep reeds either side of the peg and it can be hard work keeping a sizeable fish out of them with a shorter rod. As expected, first bite came around 9.30/10 to sweetcorn on an 18s. Carried on picking up small stuff all day ending up with 17, mostly Roach with 7 or 8 for the net, 5/6oz. One small but not micro Perch, one hybrid and two later on I wasn't sure about. Looked like a cross between Chub and Rudd. Switched to a size 16 to try pellets but no joy. Maggots just got me smaller fish.

Just one other angler on the water in front and an the left hand side of the lake. He came over later and asked, 'did I see that'. Tells me he'd tried everything, sweetcorn meat, you name it, couldn't get a nibble. In desperation he'd molded a big piece of bread round the hook and almost straight away got in to a real lump. Took him all round the lake after about 20min he gets it near netting distance, it tore off again and snapped his main line off. Estimated to be around 20lb and the biggest he'd ever had on. Not unlikely, the largest known in the water is over thirty. He was seriously miffed. He was using a hooklength (I didn't ask what) but with a lot of weed around it's anyone's bet where it's going to break.

 

[Ray Roberts]

I had some prawns left over so I had a couple of hours at tea-time on the estate lake. The forecast was light winds, but around 5pm the trees were thrashing and bits of tackle were getting airborne. My unhooking mat - a dog bed type affair took off and flew into the lake together with the forceps and disgorger on it. I instinctively went to snag it with the landing net, but the rules here demand a net of preposterous size, and it was simply too unwieldy in the wind and I was cringing as I stopped the mat floating away with the thin end of an expensive rod instead. You can see from the pic the trees and water surface are in motion.

View attachment 21273

It was an uncomfortable couple of hours, but at least I found the fish will happily take prawns. I missed a couple of bites, so I'll have to think about how to hook and present them.

View attachment 21275

View attachment 21277

With regard to the landing net rule, can’t you have that set up and then use a smaller one for the fish you are targeting? My club recently modified this rule on one of our waters where you only need the bigger net if you are targeting the cats and carp. Prior to this, you had to have a six ft mat and a 50 inch net set up whatever you were targeting. The difference was that you could use a smaller net to land other fish, but had to have a larger net just in case. Common sense prevailed however and it’s much more sensible now.


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[nottskev]

With regard to the landing net rule, can’t you have that set up and then use a smaller one for the fish you are targeting? My club recently modified this rule on one of our waters where you only need the bigger net if you are targeting the cats and carp. Prior to this, you had to have a six ft mat and a 50 inch net set up whatever you were targeting. The difference was that you could use a smaller net to land other fish, but had to have a larger net just in case. Common sense prevailed however and it’s much more sensible now.


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The rules on this water are....... well. it's probably against the rules to describe them. Your suggestion is far too reasonable to be allowed.

 

[Philip]

Lightning strikes twice.

Some Cracking Carp have been gatecrashing my Tench fishing on a Gravel pit but with the weed rampant I was struggling on Tench tackle so decided to return with the right tools for the job. Battling through the brambles I plopped 2 rods on my spots. Just 10mins passed and I had a screamer on the RHR. After the inevitable long first run the battle was relatively uneventful and I netted a very chucky near Leather. As I put the rod down the other rod screamed off. Mayhem! I propped up the net with the fish and grabbed the second rod. Close in I saw it was a common, not a monster, so really gave it some stick & was not too gutted when the hook pulled as it had saved me the mess of trying to land two fish in the same net..little did I know what was coming.

Chunky near leather ..my second 40 in recent weeks from the water.

Turning my attention back to the first fish I lifted the net & realized it was a lot bigger than I first thought & the scales confirmed I had my second 40 in just over a month from the water, a real chunk of a Mirror sparsely scaled and thick set. A lovely fish. I returned it & sat back assuming that was it for the session after all the commotion. However, 20mins later another rod shot off. A spirited fight and I netted another good Mirror. Almost unbelievably in a carbon copy of earlier as I netted it the second rod took off - another double take! This one didn’t come off & I attempted to get it in the same net. That bit I managed, however the first fish then lept out! Nightmare! You can imagine the scene of total chaos, balancing a net with one fish thrashing in it & trying to grab the other rod being dragged in. I should also make the point that the “swim” is not nice flat & purpose made, it’s a rough gap in trees on a steep slope & not easy to negotiate at the best of times. Jumping into the margins I managed to grab the departing rod & frantically ripped the line free from the tangle of branches it had been dragged through. Somehow the fish stayed on & I played it back for a second time, this time managing to get both fish into the net & I collapsed soaked & muddy. I took the opportunity for a quick brace shot for this thread as they were both on the mat. The Mirror – a scaper 30- & the Common -estimated in the 20s- both went back strongly after their ordeal.

Followed by another double take & this brace ..

All in all, it was quite a session. A double-double take & a 40, 30 & 20 in just two hours fishing. The water as I have mentioned in previous posts is little fished & a bit of a mystery which is right up my street.

Not the easiest swim to negotitate at the best of times..

 

[mikench]

Magnifique Philip et bravo!

 

[john step]

You wont forget that session in a hurry. Call me a Boy Scout Always Prepared but when carping , I always have two nets set up.

 

[sam vimes]

My venue won't be threatening Nottskev's for sheer numbers of tench. Fortunately, I'm quite content to be fishing for the odd one when they are a new PB (and possibly a venue record) 8lb 5oz.

 

[Pete Shears]

Visits to the big reservoir last Friday and this morning yielded around 40+ bream to 4lb-ish and two roach, the best 1lb 1oz. Surprisingly no pike trying to grab them. Still hoping for a tench here.
Plenty of birds - ospreys,red kites,kestrels and buzzards - a family of reed buntings flying in front of me all morning today.

 

[john step]

The new lake to myself today. 14ft Acy Ultra maggots/corn for about 8lb of silvers. I even had a baby tench which I didnt realise were in there.
A couple of interlopers about 9lb which was fun on the Ultra. Its still in one piece!

 

[jon atkinson]

My venue won't be threatening Nottskev's for sheer numbers of tench. Fortunately, I'm quite content to be fishing for the odd one when they are a new PB (and possibly a venue record) 8lb 5oz.
View attachment 21335

That is a belter Chris - most of us will only ever catch one like that in our dreams!

 

[riverman]

My venue won't be threatening Nottskev's for sheer numbers of tench. Fortunately, I'm quite content to be fishing for the odd one when they are a new PB (and possibly a venue record) 8lb 5oz.
View attachment 21335

thats what you call a tinca well done sam.beauty.

 

[riverman]

just got back from a local lake and apart from a barbel can you believe around the 2lb mark had over 50 roach out on the pole.tried maggot meat prawn mussel and corn but the roach were intercepting everything.a fellow opposite had 2 carp on banded pellet around the 5lb mark(something i didn't take) DOH!as well as a load of roach.fished from 06.00 till 13.30 but still an enjoyable session.