RED LETTER DAZE
Just a few short weeks ago the very idea of catching a six pound Tench seemed pretty remote. If I'd been fixated on catching such fish, I'd probably have resorted to long waits guarding a pair of carp rods while my pellets lay soaking on the bottom over a bed of bait. What I wouldn't have done was fish two maggots on a sixteen and yet not only has it worked, it continues to do so proving that catching big fish is not hard if you fish where the fish are big.
8 lbs 5 oz
Speaking as one of those anglers who can rarely catapult his loose feed anywhere near the float or cast in the same place twice it can only be the presence of numbers of 6lbs plus Tench that has enabled me to catch them; it certainly isn't down to skill, special rigs or secret baits. Having the latest rod and reel is hardly important either as I'm still using a split cane Sealey Rover bearing an old Match Aerial and at no time have I felt the slightest disadvantage in doing so.
The Rover is a lovely rod, 11 feet long and with an action that, in vintage terms, I would describe as being light avon; stronger than a float rod, not as steely as a mk IV Avon. Like all rods from the Sealey stable the cane is of really high quality; better in my opinion than that of more valued makers such as Alcock's or Aspindale's. It is well suited to float fishing where bigger fish may well put in an appearance and today unbelievably they did again.
We always try to get the wind behind us if we can and that meant fishing the opposite bank from where Pete had caught his eight pounder two weeks ago. Our tactics such as they are remained unchanged; floatfished double maggot with half a dozen loose examples flicked in the general direction of away every few minutes. The idea being that a steady trickle of bait, visible from a distance, to any passing fish is falling through the swim nearly all the time. Maggots are ideal for this as they don't form large visible patch on the bottom disappearing within seconds into the silt, but once located by the fish can keep them in the area grubbing about for as long as possible.
The Rover is a lovely rod, 11 feet long and with an action that, in vintage terms, I would describe as being light avon; stronger than a float rod, not as steely as a mk IV Avon. Like all rods from the Sealey stable the cane is of really high quality; better in my opinion than that of more valued makers such as Alcock's or Aspindale's. It is well suited to float fishing where bigger fish may well put in an appearance and today unbelievably they did again.
We always try to get the wind behind us if we can and that meant fishing the opposite bank from where Pete had caught his eight pounder two weeks ago. Our tactics such as they are remained unchanged; floatfished double maggot with half a dozen loose examples flicked in the general direction of away every few minutes. The idea being that a steady trickle of bait, visible from a distance, to any passing fish is falling through the swim nearly all the time. Maggots are ideal for this as they don't form large visible patch on the bottom disappearing within seconds into the silt, but once located by the fish can keep them in the area grubbing about for as long as possible.
7 lbs 8 oz
6 lbs 4 oz
Well it worked just fine because my first fish appeared to be Pete's eight at exactly the same weight, 8lbs 5oz; a new personal best after 50 years! I'm no great fan of repeat captures so my second fish had an extra element of satisfaction and would also have beaten that pb of half a century before; it weighed 7lbs 8oz. When the third fish weighed in at 6lb plus and my tally for the morning hit three fish for a whisker over 22lbs, my morning was complete. Just to prove that this was entirely down to luck, Pete, fishing in identical fashion from the very next peg, lost two and then landed one at 3lbs 13oz. Three weeks ago that would have been one of our better catches and such is our track record that within the next week or so it probably will be so again. We shall see about that but what really eludes us are the fish that we set out to catch here, Crucians. Where are they? There should still be many times as many Crucians in here than there are Tench but still they elude us. They are the real enigma.
3 lbs 13 oz
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