15/08/2024 - A Summers Day Tench Fishing
Crabtree Pool
It was around 0530 hrs I was up, then in the shower, at the same time thinking of where to fish today, the weather forecast was good, sunny intervals with a fresh breeze. While having breakfast, I thought about, fishing for roach and rudd, from one water, perch from the river, then suddenly I said to myself “Its time I tried to catch some tench” I didn’t need to think twice “Tench it was” In the fridge I had some lobs, prawns and bread, in the garage I had sweetcorn and hemp, that’s the bait selection sorted. I had a selection of rods to choose, today it would be an Edgar Sealey Rover, already this season, I’ve used it for catching wild carp, so it would handle any tench I might hook, I matched this with a Richard Carter Classic Avon, that carried 4lb bs line. I had a selection of excellent slider floats, made by Sussex Micky, my reason for using a slider float, “Crabtree” is quite deep in some places, the slider makes fishing a lot easier.At around 0930 hrs I arrived at the venue to find it deserted, I had the choice of swims, my only problem is some spots have a platform, after walking around the pool, I found a spot were fish were rooting in the bottom creating foot square areas of bubbles. Sadly this spot had a platform, so I had no choice as fish were in the area. Before setting up, I threw in two handfuls of hemp and corn, hoping this would keep the fish in the area. A pair of moorhens were quietly going about there business, while several wood pigeons were cooing, in the trees ,I find the low-pitched cooing of wood pigeon's very soothing.
I soon had my tackle sorted.
A Sealey Rover rod, with Richard Carter centre pin with 4lb bs line, after putting on a stop knot, I threaded the line through one of Micky Erends sliding quill floats taking 4BB shot, then tied on a size 8 barbless hook, with a small plummet I checked the depth, I used a small plummet, not my usual heavy one, as there was a lot of silt built up over many years. I then added a few inches of line between hook and float, I wanted some line on the bottom, then lightly pinched on 3BB shot four feet up the line from the hook, with a BB about four inches from the hook, baited with two grains of corn. Imade my first cast gently dropping the baited hook into the bubbles.As the sun rose over the big oak trees, the clouds slowly disappeared, I could feel the warmth, it was an ideal tench fishers morning, as the sun rose higher and the temperature increased, darter and hawkers started to appear, no doubt hunting for food. But both are different in their hunting technique All dragonflies are predators, their prey are other insects. The dragonfly is a most beautiful insect, one which causes delight, to see the sunlight catch the dragonfly's delicate, graceful wings and colourful body. The damselflies are very delicate, often settling on ones float. Within half an hour the damsel flies were all around me, some mated together.
First FISH
Within thirty forty minutes of casting out, the float rose up out of the water, then settled down, a minute later it was at about forty degrees slowly submerging, as it moved across the water, as the tip disappeared, I set the hook in to my first fish of the session, immediately I am forced to give some line, thankfully the fish moved towards the centre of the pool, not the reed or lilies. As with all tench, this one gave a good display in its bid for freedom, but the combination of balanced tackle was winning this fight providing I didn’t make a mistake. A few minutes later I had my first lovely looking tench coming towards the submerged net, then it was mine, a fish estimated around 3lbs. it was neatly hooked in the top lip so it was easy to slip the hook out. I then lowered the net allowing the fish to swim free.
Rebating with a lobworm then a grain of corn, I made another cast towards some lilies, if I should hook a fish I would have to immediately draw the fish away, out into the open water, I the next forty or so minutes, I had three excellent bites where the float disappeared, but all missed. Each time I missed a bite I made a small adjustment to the tackle, but it was the same result, a missed bite.Suddenly lots of bubblesSeeing what can only be described as a foaming mass of bubbles, I gently dropped the baited hook in the centre of them, soon the float was gone striking, I set the hook into a powerful fish which surged straight through some lilies, there was nothing I could do except pull as much as possible, it didn’t make any difference, this fish was boss, eventually breaking the line. The bubbles were slowly spreading further out into the pool, I put in more corn and hemp with a dozen or more of chopped lobworms. Then cast out, ten minutes later I had another hook up, a few minutes later another tench was in the net, quickly followed by three more fish of similar size all females, I find they don’t fight like the males, which go berserk and fight for every inch of the way.Over the next three or so hours I kept the feed going in, the fish responded, I had several more fish, also missing several bites, which I still cannot understand as the float was going away quite quickly, but the bait was usually gone. All to soon it was 1600 hrs time for home.
My tench swim
Fish on
One of many tench
There were two pairs of moorhens on the pool
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