Wingham Fish-In 2008

[Anderoo]

Just to whet your appetites a little, I've just come back from 4 fantastic days at Wingham and the tench are already on the feed. What's more, they're very light for their size at the moment so in a few weeks they'll weigh a fair bit more. I very kindly left the bream alone so one of you can catch the record at the fish-in

 

I spent the first day deciding where to fish and only got the rods out at dusk. One rattled off almost straight away, which was a male of just under 6lb. The next morning I had another two on that rod of 7lb 13oz and 7lb 8oz. It's difficult to tell from the photos, but these fish had huge frames and were completely empty. In a few weeks I'm sure they'll be 9lb+.

 

 

 

Then, despite perfect tench conditions, nothing happened at all, so with 22 hours left before I had to leave I walked round and found rolling tench in another part of the lake, so moved over there. Well, I'm so glad I did - this area is a little shallower and with the sun I think they were moving into warmer water. Over the next 22 hours I caught a further 11 tench to 7lb 2oz. I lost one good fish when it tangled in another line

 

All the fish came between dawn and dusk on either maggot or sweetcorn. In total I only used 3 small tins of corn, 1 pint of maggots, 2 bags of brown crumb, one bag of groundbait and 2 pints of hemp, and that's for 3 rods in two different swims. There was no missing the bites either, and my god did they fight!

 

Oh yes, in addition to the tench I caught 1 eel, and at just past midnight on the first night I had a screaming run and struck into a really powerful fish which led me a merry dance in the darkness. I was sure I had finally hooked one of the really big tench, but as I drew it over the net it turned into a 15lb 6oz pike Bait? Fake sweetcorn...

 

I can't wait to be back in a few weeks, plus this time there'll be BBQs

[Guest tigger]

Well done Anderoo, all in all sounds like a a worthwhile trip. I just hope we get some propper warm weather to heat up the water and get those Tench feeding hard. I know you did well but if we'd had a decent spell of high temp's I reckon you'd have done much better, well that's how it usually works round here anyway.

[Anderoo]

Well done Anderoo, all in all sounds like a a worthwhile trip. I just hope we get some propper warm weather to heat up the water and get those Tench feeding hard. I know you did well but if we'd had a decent spell of high temp's I reckon you'd have done much better, well that's how it usually works round here anyway.

 

Thanks Tigger I kept putting the trip off until the wind changed to a SW and the temperatures rose a bit but I agree, if I'd been a couple of days later I think it would have been even better (I couldn't though, I had to get back for something). The conditions were definitely in my favour though, after all those weeks of cold easterlies.

 

Let's hope it's favourable in 3 weeks' time.

 

Besides the fish it was a joy to be there anyway. It has a very special feeling that's pretty hard to find these days.

Edited April 28, 2008 by Anderoo

[dant]

Just to whet your appetites a little, I've just come back from 4 fantastic days at Wingham and the tench are already on the feed. What's more, they're very light for their size at the moment so in a few weeks they'll weigh a fair bit more. I very kindly left the bream alone so one of you can catch the record at the fish-in

 

I spent the first day deciding where to fish and only got the rods out at dusk. One rattled off almost straight away, which was a male of just under 6lb. The next morning I had another two on that rod of 7lb 13oz and 7lb 8oz. It's difficult to tell from the photos, but these fish had huge frames and were completely empty. In a few weeks I'm sure they'll be 9lb+.

 

 

 

Then, despite perfect tench conditions, nothing happened at all, so with 22 hours left before I had to leave I walked round and found rolling tench in another part of the lake, so moved over there. Well, I'm so glad I did - this area is a little shallower and with the sun I think they were moving into warmer water. Over the next 22 hours I caught a further 11 tench to 7lb 2oz. I lost one good fish when it tangled in another line

 

All the fish came between dawn and dusk on either maggot or sweetcorn. In total I only used 3 small tins of corn, 1 pint of maggots, 2 bags of brown crumb, one bag of groundbait and 2 pints of hemp, and that's for 3 rods in two different swims. There was no missing the bites either, and my god did they fight!

 

Oh yes, in addition to the tench I caught 1 eel, and at just past midnight on the first night I had a screaming run and struck into a really powerful fish which led me a merry dance in the darkness. I was sure I had finally hooked one of the really big tench, but as I drew it over the net it turned into a 15lb 6oz pike Bait? Fake sweetcorn...

 

I can't wait to be back in a few weeks, plus this time there'll be BBQs

 

Good show man!!

 

Thats an excellent haul of early season Tench.

 

I've decided that as I'm hopefully going to break my close season duck on the fish-in it's only fair that I give myself a gravel pit warm up. There's a small pit near me that I've started walking in the last week or so, once I've started the 'walking' a rod and line is never far away.

[Andrew Burgess]

Anderoo, How did Steve got on the other day?

[Steve Burke]

I had just 1 tench plus eels.

 

BTW, I've just posted that I'm taking bookings for the Fish-In. Go to http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/Wingham-Fish-t117276.html