08/07/2025 - My Recent Days With Tench

The danger zone, it was amazing how quick a tench would be in these reed etc

This week I’ve had four long days of tench fishing at different venues, On each occasion it was around 0930 hours when I arrived, fishing until dusk. On the first two days I had the water to myself, on the third day, I enjoyed the company of Mick who originates from Sheffield, fished the Witham and Well and in his younger days. I certainly enjoyed my match fishing days on both rivers, often seeing Freddy Foster, the angler who gave us the swing tip.

My first two days was spent at Badger farm pool, on the first session it was a cold blustery day with heavy showers of rain, it was a day for wearing a fleece, I regretted not having mine. My tackle set up was quite simple, a Kennet Perfection rod, matched with a centre pin reel, holding some fifty yards of 6lb breaking strain line. Today I was going to fish freeline cooked King prawn from Waitrose, if that didn’t, a green lipped mussel.

Lots of Fizzing In Three Areas

After pushing my way through some thick undergrowth, including nettles, then further on I had to work my way around some, blackberry bushes, I then found a found a small gap between a ling length of Reed Mace, often mistaken for bull rush, reedmace are found with a big brown furry head, often found in muddy areas, the Bull rushes completely different, being onion shaped that grow in gravel, also commonly found in rivers, its often a favourite area for perch, ten feet to my left I could see an opening. It was ideal where I could make a quiet underhand cast dropping my prawn bait among the fizzing which was still going on, tench could be seen rolling on the surface close to the far bank.

Having got my ger and bag of prawns sorted, baiting the size 8 hook, I made my first cast, the bait quietly dropping into the target area. Some fifteen minutes later the bow in the line was pulled tight, I set the hook into my first fish, a bream about 4 lbs, not what I wanted but, it was nice to see as I didn’t think there were any bream in the water. Ten minutes later I got my first tench around 3 lbs, in the next three hours I had five more tench all around the 3lb mark. As the clouds moved in, the wind increased, a few minutes later the rain was falling, thankfully I’d got my light weight camo coat. After an hour or so with no more fish, a mixture of rain and wind, I was getting quite cold, in fact I had the occasional shivering session. I called my daughter to come and collect me.

Day Three

Today I was dropped off at Crabtree pool, I could immediately see patches of pin head bubbles, it looked as if the tench were well and truly on the feed, I had the choice of swims. As I settled in on the western bank, I heard the sound of a Grasshopper Warbler, it’s a very difficult bird to see, what gives its location away is its distinct call, sounding like the check of a well machined centre pin reel, or a cricket, when its flexing one wing along the teeth at the bottom of the other wing. Grasshopper warblers feed on insects, flies, moths, beetles, aphids, and their larvae. They also consume spiders and woodlice. They feed their chicks a similar diet, especially on aphids and caterpillars. When I fish the river Beult, if often hear the Grasshopper warblers, but I’ve only seen this secretive bird on two occasion during my lifetime.

After putting together my Kennet Perfection with a centre pin reel holding6lb bs line, I added a float stop then a sliding float to take one SSG also an AA shot with a BB shot some six inches from a size 8 hook, my baits will be King prawns or green lipped mussel. Plumbing the depth I found for feet on water on the inside ledge which went out some fifteen feet, after casting further out, I had about ten feet of water. “That will be ideal” I thought. On the inside ledge to my left I scattered a dozen pieces prawns, in front of a big patch of white flowered lilies. Having cut several mussels into pieces, I used a bait dropper, to get the bait samples into a small area on the bed of the pool.

Having set the stop knot on the line at around four feet six inches, baiting with a prawn I cast out to the baited area in front of the lilies, a small patch of pin head bubbles appeared, that immediately gave me some confidence. Fifteen minutes later the float slowly moved across the surface then disappeared, striking I’d hooked my first fish of the session, a tench estimated about two pounds, after taking the barbless hook out I lowered the net back in the water so the fish could swim off.

In about an hour I had five more tench estimated around 3lbs, also a nice rudd of a pound. In the next half an hour or so, I only had one bit another rudd. I t was time to fish the mussel baited area, after adjusting the float so the mussel bait was fished on the bottom I baited the hook with a whole mussel, then cast out dropping the bait close to some lilies on my right, having put the rod in the rest, I switched on the reel check.

I was time for a brew, my Jetboiler is well worth having, in around two minutes I’d got a fresh brew. I sat back watching two parent moorhens feeding and guiding their six youngsters, who resembled balls of black fluff. Overhead several swallows were hunting flies, occasionally one would scoop a mouthful of water, what amazing birds they are, one pair of swallows were teaching the youngster to fly and hunt for insects. When not flying the youngsters were perched on a willow tree, every so often a parent bird would go and feed the youngsters, then after a short break, the youngsters would do a circuit of the pool, before going back to the willow bush.

After about an hour with no sign of action, I then noticed the float slowly move across the surface of the pool, twenty to thirty seconds later the float disappeared, as I was picking up the rod to strike, I heard the screech of the reel check. There was no need to strike, as the fish moved off fast towards a large patch of lilies to my left. It was several minutes before I started to win this contest, a couple f minutes later I was pulling the fish over the rim of the net, it was mine. On the scales I got a reading of 5 lb 2 ounces. In the next two hours I had eight more tench bringing my total so far this season to 68, I was more than happy.

Fifteen minute later I heard a rumble of thunder, five or minutes later I could see lightning followed by a crack of thunder. It was time to move. Quickly getting all my tackle together I moved off to a cabin for shelter, I then called my daughter to collect me, at least I was in a dry and safe spot until my lift arrived. Suddenly it was monsoon like conditions as torrential rain hammered the roof of the cabin. Thirty minutes later the storm passed over. The sun had come out again, causing the wet ground to look as if it was steaming, but it had been another good tench fishing session.

Mussels are a top bait for tench and chub

Moorhens were often around looking for food

My best tench so far this season 5 lb 2 ounces

Lanigans of Lytham Lancashire where I get my mussels

Back to the News List