SPRING IS SPRUNG

     Scraping the ice off the car this morning didn't exactly fill me with confidence but it did suggest that my choice of bait and tactics might be a good one. I had half a pint of maggots growing old in the garage and one or two of those under a sensitive insert waggler might save the day; at least I hoped they would.

 
     Being so early in the season and so cold at night, I decided that a scratching approach would be the best option. It is a technique that has caught me a number of pound plus perch at Jubilee in the depths of winter and with temperatures set to rise during the morning I felt it would give me a chance at least. Normally I'd be using a 20 to a 1.3lb hooklength but with Tench an ever increasing possibility over the next few weeks, an 18 to 2lbs might be a slightly safer option. It was a good choice. A fine insert loaded waggler with 2 no 8s and 2 no 10s down the line seemed sensitive enough so I stuck with it.

 

     Truth be told, I was hoping for a roach or three and expecting to have to settle for one if I was lucky, so when the float slid away after a blank half hour, the dramatic curve assumed by my old Poolson Lightning Strike and the wildly spinning reel were something of a surprise. In fact it turned out to be just the first of five Tench. Three of which were over three pounds. Of course, as usual Pete would catch the biggest, but I ended up with certainly the most varied bag, adding 4 Roach, a chub and a skimmer to the haul.

     I would have been pretty happy with a catch like that at any time of the year but even back in my younger days, I knew that we were missing the best of the Tench fishing due to the old closed season rules. Back then, as teenagers. We used to have an occasional week in April on a fenland pool fishing for 'any method' Rainbow Trout. We caught loads of Tench of course but because Tench were traditionally the June 16th quarry, it seemed like a miracle. Anyway rather more pleasingly, I added my first Crucian of the season to today's bag and I hope it won't be the last. They are truly beautiful to see as they slide over the net and I'm hoping that some of last year's pound and three quarter specimens will clear the two pound mark by now. Hopefully, thanks to Dave's hard work, they will begin showing at the syndicate pool this year. We're both hoping for a Crucian summer and any Tench or Roach that come along will be considered a welcome bonus.