Traditionally April has never really been kind to me fishing wise. I'm afraid to say it has been poor again this year. I'm not going to bore with details of sessions ranging from uneventful to disastrous though, oh no, you deserve far more than that. I have a veritable smorgasbord of talent just queueing up to keep you entertained. So from Tench to Scorpion fish there will be something to whet your appetite. Enjoy.......
Time for Tench
One of my friends Dave Owen reminded me of an old adage recently- When you see the first Swallow it is time for Tench. Now Dave has caught a few tench this month but I promised you something special so first we go to Kent to see how young superstar Nate Green has been faring. Now Nate has a PB list that would be the envy of many an angler let alone one of such a tender age. Here he is with his magnificent Tench PB of 11lb 11oz.......
Now Nate is nothing if not persistent and it's highly unusual to consistently catch big fish without putting in a good deal of time and effort. So, undeterred by a blank two night session Nate returned the following week to finally get among some fish topped by this beauty of 8lb 5oz. You can tell he'd been there a while by the state of his facial hair........
So what is his secret? Well here are five of them, take it away Nate.........
2) Use leads as method feeders, I haven't used a method feeder for years, a small 1-2oz inline lead offers several advantages to my mind. The ball of bait becomes more compact and aerodynamic and once the groundbait has broken down the lead is still of sufficient density to provide a bolt effect. I also feel that in clear water a small coated or textured lead is less visibly obtrusive to a feeding fish than a large multi-finned method feeder.
3) Hi-attract baits, I'm a big fan of highly flavoured and fluro coloured boilies in my method fishing for Tench, with a dark mix moulded around the lead a highly flavoured bait of a bright colour is surely likely to stand out to the fishes' senses.
4) Use the right tool for the job, there's a lot of airy fairy nonsense written about angling and Tench in particular seem to become subject of the traditionalist brigade. Using a centrepin reel and a float rod to catch tench is a lovely way of fishing, but its only any good if the fish are feeding within float range. If fish are rolling a long distance from the bank you need to be able to get a baited rig to them. I use 2lb tc rods for most of my Tenching which allow me to fish efficiently for them in most situations, but I have stepped up to full carp style setups in the past in order to achieve long range casts to reach fish. My personal best tench was caught at approximately 110 yards range utilising a carp rod.
5) Watch the water, Tench will show themselves off regularly at dawn and dusk by rolling and sending feeding bubbles to the surface, watching for these signs and understanding when and how to react to them is instrumental in anyone's ability to regularly catch big tench.
Thanks Nate, something for us to think about there, top tips. In other Tench news and moving to the Midlands two of my other friends have achieved PB's in the last few weeks. First up is all round nice guy Craig Palmer. Now by his own admission Craig isn't a specimen hunter but he just loves fishing and was made up with this Tench of 5lb 9oz caught on an insert waggler and a size 18 hook baited with a single red maggot..........
Next up is Eel aficionado and mankini fan Barry Fisher. He doesn't often target the humble Tench but with his recent exploits maybe he should. A multiple fish catch last week was topped by his new best of 6lb. Barry took most on maggot feeder with a couple falling to mini Maple nut boilies........
South Leicestershire now and we meet up with Andy Wilson and his much maligned fishing buddy Dave Owen. Andy details their adventures this month-
Lately I'm finding myself drawn to having a go for some saltwater species, perhaps it was the fishing I did in Belize last year that lit this fire. I desperately want to catch a wrasse or two as I have never caught one before, they look fantastic and the lure fishing for them appeals enormously. I am by nature impulsive, Dave is extremely cautious. So one day as we sat having a brew and Dave ate the burger he'd just fetched, I said "let's go to Wales wrassing" expecting him to go all quiet, as he does when concerned. To my surprise and joy he gave an emphatic "YES". So it came to pass that, the very next Thursday saw us taking an early morning soiree into deepest Pembrokeshire. I'm reasonably familiar with the area form a holiday makers perspective, having been many time over the years. My fishing experience there however extends to feathering for mackerel and pollack and casting plugs for bass.
Neil Bradley had been very helpful with information on lures
and rigs for the wrasse, but I was still well out of my comfort zone. The day we
chose was glorious, clear blue sky and sunny with the sea reasonably calm
although again the breeze was cool and so was the water. I opted for a variety
of Senko worms fished weedless on Texas rigs. Dave did his own thing and tried
most of what he had in his lure box, he even managed to get some of them back!
We were fishing from a rocky headland which gave access to reasonably deep
water close in, even at low tide. We worked the lures mainly within twenty
yards right in to the deeper gullies at our feet and through the sparse kelp
encrusted boulders. It takes time to come to terms with the swell as the waves repeatedly
devour the irregular coastline, but I found myself developing a rhythm, working
the lure with the rise and fall of the water. It all looked so good, the area,
the method, everything. I've never felt so confident and was sure every cast
would produce. Mid morning Dave suddenly shouted he'd had a couple of plucks on
a little red shad and as I looked round it struck again and he was in. It was only
small but as I netted it and clambered back up the rocks I was as excited as he
was and couldn't be more pleased. A beautifully marked and coloured Ballan
Wrasse greeted us from the bottom of the net and it was the most beautiful
thing to behold, with better teeth than Matt Hayes. But sadly that was it, we
fished on, had a nice pub lunch, but nine hours has never gone so fast and we
headed for home all too soon. Mercifully I am back for a weeks' holiday at the
start of July when hopefully warmer sea temperatures will provide me with my
coveted wrasse.
With the month progressing Dave was itching to get after his
beloved tench, but I just wasn't feeling it. Sometimes you have to go with your
gut and mine was telling me it was still too cold for tinca. Dave's gut was
telling him to find the nearest burger van, but that's par for the course. To make matters worse Dave then saw a swallow
one morning. According to Dave every swallow arriving from Africa brings a
tench with it that it drops into one of our lakes. So there was no stopping him
now, and off he went for a few afternoons when, to his credit, he did manage a
few when the sun came out and a warm
spring threatened.........
And so, just last week, I finally succumbed (that's not rude
is it?) and gave in to Dave and tench, dug the tinca gear out and we headed
south for a couple of days. Target for us both is a double figure Tench,
neither having had one, although I did come within a thrice a year or two back.
But end of the day its' just a number and we enjoy catching them all
regardless. After a grand tour of the
southern half of Britain and several waters, circumstances, not to mention a
heap of carp anglers, lead us to a large sixty acre gravel pit in the
Cotswolds. It was a delight, only about half a dozen other anglers present and
the place was looking lovely. After a good walk, twice as far for Dave with his
little legs, we plotted up in a large shallow bay that received the sun from
first thing in the morning which might encourage a couple of tincas to visit. A
lead about in my swim revealed a clear area at thirty five yards about the size
of a brolly, this was surrounded by sparse weed. Some assorted ground bait and
dead maggots were deposited on said spot and two inline maggot feeders winged
their way out to sit amongst it, being refilled and recast on a regular basis.
The feeders were taped up to slow down the exodus of gentles within. Late evening
as we dined alfresco, I saw a definite tench roll just off my spot, which was
nice. Sometime into darkness I had a couple of bleeps on the right hand rod, I
immediately thought liner and peered from under the duvet to see the bobbin on
that rod jammed between the rod and bite alarm with the reel squealing and line
ripping out. I'm not slow in assessing a situation and almost immediately I
realised I had a bite! A few hours later, as dawn broke, i was up and re baiting
when the same rod burst into life again as bait was crashing in above. Later in
the day I added my third and final fish of the trip. Dave had been slow getting
going but his spot 'ripened' nicely late in the piece as they found his bait
and he had five nice Tench in a relatively short space of time. Remarkably the
first three we landed between us reads like Tom Daley's score in a diving
contest, 6.02, 6.02, 6.02, The other
fish we landed all went five plus and made for a splendid session. We were told
that to catch eight and not have a much better one was very unlucky, but it
keeps the enthusiasm going for next time, in hopefully much warmer conditions. Dave with a 6 2.....
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Andy then recounts a fabulous story about a Bream session. Alas we don't have room for it as we still have a lot to get through this month. I wont begrudge you the picture though. 10lb 4oz......
The Imitator......
'All very well Phil but has he caught anything this month?" I hear you ask. Well yes he has. A trip to a local canal yielded plenty of Perch and Zander. Nothing big but the action was hectic.......
It's was an opportunist session that Carl had while working away that captured his imagination the most though. Finding himself at the edge of a saltwater marina he lowered what he thought might be a suitable lure into the depths. Not really expecting to catch anything Carl's first fish was a bit of a shock but also a very welcome surprise. A small Coalfish of around 8oz was swiftly returned and he was quickly into something else. This was real mystery fishing at its best and Carl was made up to fool a bristling little Scorpion fish........
Carl's lure fishing tips-
1) It's helpful to know how your lure is reacting to different retrieves so test them out in a clear marginal spot if possible. You'll get to see what works best for which lure and you can also experiment with different rigging styles.
2) Always try and used a balanced set up. Carefully consider your lure size and jig weight. Sometimes the fish will be voracious and chase the lure a good distance but mostly you are trying to encourage a feeding trigger so using a good balanced set up helps when you need to impart the subtlest of movements.
3) If like me you get too attached to your lure collection you may want to use Texas rigs. Seriously though this type of rigging is great in weedy or snaggy waters.
4)Don't be too afraid to experiment. Fish don't adhere to rules so you never know what is going to work on the day.
5) Confidence is key. With lure fishing perseverance is sometimes necessary and it is a lot easier when you have a high confidence level. 1) and 2) help with this.
Gentle ribbing......
Back in Leicestershire we join all rounders Phil Kenny and Leo Heathcote. Now there is always a bit of friendly rivalry between these two with all the associated banter. Leo struck first on a trip to a local canal, bagging a Zander while Phil struggled for a bite. The next time out they went after some early season Carp with Phil getting the upper hand this time bagging a few specimens topped by this 20lb 4oz beauty.......
Phil was doing so well I asked him for his a few tips on short session Carping.....
1) Local knowledge/do your homework and speak to other anglers. When time is tight a head start can be invaluable.
2) Watercraft and a good pair of eyes (probably a friendly dig at glasses wearer Leo). Not being afraid to swap and change or even move.
3) At this time of year I prefer to feed a large area rather than fishing over a tight bed of bait.
4)Use a good quality bait (matched to water temps, e.g Its too cold for fishmeal baits at the moment). Recently the Carp have all fallen to versions of the cell or hybrid (nut based baits) and a super sweet birdfood. I've also been glugging them in a yeast based glug which has worked really well for me.
5)Slack lines or back leads coupled with small leads (2oz or lighter) have also been very effective in the last few weeks.
Now I don't know whether Leo had been delving into Phil's bait bag or his luck simply changed because right at the end of the month he came good. A fine looking Common Carp of 22lb 8oz............
My exploits
I hope you have enjoyed meeting my buddies but what of my fishing this month? Well it hasn't been great to be honest. I took our old friend Andrew from work Carp fishing and I did get a couple off the top before being violently ill. Then I had an unsuccessful trip to the forgotten lakes, the Crucians just seem to have disappeared. I did have a few small Perch on lures but proceeded to drop my camera in the lake while trying to photograph one of them. In short I was thoroughly fed up. Even a visit to the bottomless lake failed to ignite my enthusiasm.
It took a trip back to Loughborough to relight my fire (as Lulu would say). The venue was my old haunt Nanpantan Reservoir. A few of the boys were due to visit me so I was there fairly early to get settled. Typically it was blowing a gale so I opted to fish on the back of the wind at the top end of the lake. At least I would be warm I thought as the sun came out. I set two tip rods up and as I was expecting company decided to give them matching tips. I've been fishing with one glass and one carbon tip all winter for no other reason than I am a lazy sod. Anyway I belted out twenty odd big feeder fulls of groudbait about forty yards out and then fished over the top with corn. To cut a long story short I had some initial success on the tip before it went quiet. When Leo arrived he encouraged me to set up a float rod which I did.
I threw a ball of feed in about a rod length out and saw the tow drag it sideways as it sank. This called for a slider as I could fish a heavy bulk down the line to try and counteract it. It worked enough to get me a bite almost every cast. Roach upto about a twelve ounces came winging in as the rest of the crew arrived- Andy, Dave, Phil and Carl. On a couple of occasions I had to hand a rod over with a fish on while I got another one in. At times it was hectic and at times I wasn't upto the task. 'Do one thing well,' Dave whispered in my ear as I juggled feeder and float rods. However when there are fish in front of me I have to catch them, just the way I am I suppose. With keepnets being banned the Roach going back soon unsettled the shoal and I ventured a little further out where luckily a gang of hard-fighting hybrids were hanging out. The feeder rods produced sporadically throughout the day with Bream upto around three pounds.
When my brother and a old friend arrived I took a break and offered my float rod around. Andy reluctantly took hold and got into position. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw him struggling. Now you might have garnered this already but Andy is the type of guy you can imagine saying to himself- fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Indeed that day he looked as if he was kitted out to comfortably hike the Appalachian Trail. In contrast I had turned up for a days Bream fishing in some super absorbent tracksuit bottoms and trainers with the laces undone. Anyway it suddenly occurred to me that not only had I been using one of my super quirky reels it was coupled with a rod that cost me £4 off a car boot sale, not only that but one of the rings had fallen off earlier when I had taken it out of the bag. In fact he only thing that endears me to it is that it cost £4. Andy wrestled with my set up for a few minutes before I returned to put him out of his misery.
This single episode made me swear to myself I'd be more organised. I have loads of gear and usually end up using some rubbish or other. I always have a feeling I've forgotten something when I go fishing. I resign myself to the fact that it'll be too far to turn back when I realise what I've left behind or worse still be playing a fish or something and look around for my landing net before it dawns on me that it is still in the garage.
Andy, Carl and I rounded off a great day with some luring. Carl had a lovely example while Andy had a couple of little ones. I had a few plucks but learnt a great deal. They didn't realise I was watching them but watch I did.
A week later and I'm out again, refreshed and ready for something new and challenging. Inspired by the guys sea fishing escapades I decided on a spot of Bass fishing in a local estuary. I took the dogs and had a lovely afternoon. While I didn't catch anything (I'd caught the tide wrong) I thoughroughly enjoyed it and I'll be back for another go.
With only a few days of the month left and limited time I headed to Chapel Boating Lake with Perch and Roach the targets. Imagine my glee when searching around for a groundbait bowl (I have three) or maggot box (I have hundreds) to no avail and ending up mixing it up in an old reel case. So much for being more organised.......
Did you have any Phil? I hear you cry. Yes, yes I did and some good ones too. Perch that is, all on the lure........
The thing is with busy places they are all the more special when you go at a quiet time and have it all to yourself. Just look at those old stanchions sticking out, perfect for a spot of luring of an evening............
Tackle Talk
Now you probably all know I've been using a cheap but very capable Shakespeare 6ft 6in GX2 Ugly Stik light lure rod for my lure fishing. While I really like it and have had Perch to 3lb 10oz on it I wanted a slightly longer version for some almost vertical jigging in the margins. With this in mind I headed to the expansive rod room at Big Catch Tackle located on the Chapel Boating Lake site. What a great place it is too. I picked up the 7ft version of the GX2 and wasn't impressed. The recovery speed of the tip section was woeful, certainly nothing like its smaller sibling. Luckily they had just taken a delivery which included the Agility range of lure rods. After a few speculative waggles I opted for the LRF 7ft 5-15g model and what a beauty it is. Problem was it had no price on it. I'll pay upto £40 for this I thought as the ever helpful Steve leafed through the price guide. "£27," he declared to my surprise. Forget the fact it is badged as a light reef rod, its going to be ideal for my fishing. I can't wait to try it............
It wouldn't be tackle talk without a few obscure reels now would it? Not one to disappoint I added a lovely little ABU Cardinal C3 to my collection. The smallest of the range it may be twenty odd years old but I've already spooled it up with some Savage Gear braid ready for some light lure work..........
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I like to think I know a few things about reels but I came across something this month I have never seen or even heard about. At first glance the Ryobi 3000 looks fairly normal. Upon closer inspection it really is rather odd. The drag is on the handle and the clutch is in the spool rotor. So if a fish wants to take line the reel gives it by the rotor turning anti-clockwise. If you didn't follow that then I'm not surprised, it is remarkably strange. The bumf on the box declares it as the first ever reel with no line twist, not sure if that is true but it even has a adjustment for the strength of bail arm return. Bizarre. Had to be worth £10 mint in box though didn't it?.......
Last but not least this month is a tip from me. The number one Perch lure for me over the last year has been the 7cm Fox Rage Mini Fry in Hot Olive colour. They now come ready mounted on 5g jig hooks. If I have one gripe it is that the hooks are ever so slightly heavy in the gauge. You can swap them for Mustad Ultra Points which are finer. With a lighter hook that has a bit of flex you can actually bend it out of most snags even with lightish braid. I only say this because a) I'm tight and b) I do worry about losing lures and a fish picking them up. This has been proved to be a problem in the US with Bass that have undigested rubber lures in their stomachs. Maybe something for the manufacturers to think about. Anyway Hot Olives, my go to lure of choice, devastating.........
Photographs
As ever I'll leave you with a few photo's from this months escapades. We have a lovely old black lab from the Carp lake that pestered me for biscuits, my own labs on our Bass fishing trip and a stunning sunset over the Forgotten Lakes.........
Afterword
I couldn't go back to my old haunts without paying my old mate and fishing mentor a visit. You can read all about him here- https://daisydo100.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/the-waggler/
R.I.P buddy........
Till next time.............
