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Second foray and success!


Rusty

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Knotts Lake, Saturday 9th April 2011

 

A return trip to last week’s venue, no early doors start this time just leisurely bait buying and preparation in the morning and a bimble along the A34 in time for a 10:00am arrival. I was keen not to change too much while I was finding my way with these tench so bait was the same as last week, liquidised bread with hemp and corn as feed and corn hookbait.

 

The first dilemma was where to fish, the second which method to use. I wanted to float fish the lift method, that would’ve restricted me to the margins but which margins should I choose? Without local knowledge it would be a lottery. Fishing near features is always a good start but the most obvious features were out of float fishing range. Eventually I decided that getting my bait into the most likely spots was (at this stage) more important than the method used and so I plumped for a swim with a feature not too far away, float fishing would have to wait until next time;

 

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End tackle would be a running ledger, a size 14 hook hair rig and a small bomb, bankside tackle would be the most basic of setups, alarm sounds were optional but I’d have to make them myself;

 

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I threw in couple of tennis ball sized handfuls of feed and sat back soaking up the morning sunshine in a T shirt and, for the first time in ages, no wellies (I was wearing trousers too). The water temperature was a cauldron like 57 degrees F, it would rise to 59 degrees by the end of the session, surely warm enough for tench to feed.

 

An hour in and nothing to show but a couple of line bites, then a proper bite started to develop. The bobbin would climb almost to the rod and then drop right back again, sometimes this would be a smooth gradual climb others it would be a series of sharp movements but each time it would fall back. I wasn’t sure what to do, the fish may have had the bait in its mouth but maybe not the hook? Alternatively the hair may have done its job but the fish hadn’t spooked and run. Had the bait been directly on the hook I would’ve been confident enough to strike and just as I was considering my options (including crayfish as a possibility) the situation resolved itself, the bobbin climbed as before but this time kept going until line started to peel from the reel.

 

A firm lift of the rod was met with something very unhappy on the other end. The anti reverse was on and stupidly I hadn’t taken into account the 4lb hooklength in setting the spool drag. The initial lunging runs were a bit fraught and I’m sure that using a float rod saved the day until I could rectify my mistake and flick off the anti reverse. After that it was a case of hanging on, not rushing and backwinding when I was being bullied. My thoughts at the time are difficult to convey, if it was a carp I was pretty relaxed, I’ve caught them before on similar setups and patience is the key. If, however, it was a tench the rod holder turns into a gibbering wreck and patience is a quality that has to be forced upon the situation. I would soon know, the water whilst deep was very clear and I’d be able to see the fish long before it was within landing net range. Five minutes into the struggle my worst (best?) fears were confirmed, the culprit loomed into view and it was indeed a tench, a beautiful looking massive finned specimen highlighted by the sun. In my book at least it was a monster and the largest tench I’ve caught by a huge margin. Mistake number three was realised as I reached for the landing net, it wasn’t extended and I really really could have done with an extra 4 foot. Not because of bankside obstructions but because I didn’t want the tench in the water for longer than necessary. Eventually the surges subsided and became intermittent powerful jabs catching me by surprise, these were soaked up by the rod and as they became less frequent I began to think that I might actually land the fish. Thoughts which were confirmed as finally a head popped out of the water and a red eye looked at me with disgust as the net was gently slid under a tired tench. A 5lb 7oz tired tench in perfect condition;

 

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Elation took over, a quick celebratory dance and a phone call to Steve was followed by the need to think about the end tackle. The problem was that the hair rig was being used with a running ledger, there was nothing to provide a ‘stop’ such that the hook pricked the fish. The bobbin was too light, I could’ve tightened the baitrunner and used a shorter bobbin drop but that would defeat the object of using the reel. A better way I thought was to attach a swan shot four inches above the weight. This would provide the stop but would slide off the line if I was broken, the bomb was just about heavy enough to do the job.

 

The rig alterations worked well, bite indication changed after that. Either the fish would feel the bomb and drop the bait (putting an end to lots of up & down indications) or the hook would prick and the fish would bolt. It was good fun watching the bobbin move those four inches and stop, then it was case of hoping it went the right way.

 

Next to lead me a merry dance around the lake was a 9lb common carp about an hour later. There was no mistaking this bite and for a while I had visions of landing an even bigger tench as it bored away with me as a passenger. A glint in the sun didn’t seem quite right for a tench though and quick trip to the surface confirmed that it wasn’t. Nevertheless there was no way that he was coming in without a good struggle and this was to be the longest fight of the day and the largest fish I’ve ever landed using the Harrison rod;

 

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It then went quite for a while, a chap I spoke to last weekend reckoned that midday to 2:00pm was prime feeding time for the tench. My first tench had been caught earlier than that but bite activity did pick up around the middle of the day. It was while putting the rod in the rests after re-casting that my second tench came along, I was attaching the bobbin when the line started to pay out and it took me a few seconds to realise what was going on. Not as large as the first fish but a spirited struggle worthy of something much bigger, this one weighed 4lb dead on;

 

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Steve’s arrival for a chat and recce co-incided with a lull in activity and after discussing the relative merits of the different types of particle accelerators Steve went for a walk to find Matt (Viney) who was fishing another lake. Meanwhile back at my swim nothing was happening. Steve returned after a while having declared it “a fair old hike” and I was just expressing disappointment at not having had another bite when the bobbin leapt. I wasn’t sure what this was, the fight was just as enthusiastic as the other fish but it was only when it came closer that we could see it was another tench. I was amazed at how much smaller it looked, I’d never had guessed. Steve landed it and estimated three and a bit, the scales confirmed 3lb 8oz;

 

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Steve left after that and I fished on until about 5:30 losing two fish in that time. Both were hooked but not well enough so after a quick scrap the line went slack. Not to worry, I’d achieved what I’d set out to do and in the process discovered what great fighters tench are, easy to see why when you get a close look at the massive tail. The one thing that put a slight downer on the day was the condition of the second & third tench, both had quite badly mutilated mouths which I didn’t expect given that this is a club water, maybe I’m being naive.

 

Next time I’ll be trying for them on the float.

4 Comments


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Great to meet up Chris and good to see the lakes for the first time ,I shall be heading back soon to try my luck Steve

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Well done Chris, a great result! The Carp you caught is a fine specimen, exactly the shape and colour you want all Carp to be! Nick

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