Terry’s Travels

A last chance hunt for Specimen Tench this season

In early Spring of this year, I made a concerted effort to target Specimen Tench, and was lucky enough to land one. This temporarily satiated my appetite for most of the year, whilst I ran about Ireland hunting other species with varying degrees of success.

However, the old Tinca passion is never far away. I had to have one more crack at these beautiful creatures before the temperature drops below ideal feeding conditions, and the rods are put away until next year. By this stage, the Tench are not quite as obliging as earlier in the year, but I'm always up for a challenge, especially if there's another chance of tussling with my favourite freshwater species.

As usual, some pre-baiting tactics were applied over a period of a few evenings, coinciding with settled weather. No point in going to all this trouble if a sharp drop in temperature is on the horizon. It will kill a temperamental water stone dead. I also didn't wish to over-feed the venue, so a dozen balls of fine crumb, loaded with corn, casters, hempseed and a few handfuls of frozen maggots each evening should hopefully suffice.

Plenty of boiled hempseed, killer bait

Frozen Caster and corrn from a previous adventure

On my previous Tench excursion, I opted for the Greys "Toreon" 13' Float rod, a fabulous piece of kit for balance of power that has enjoyable use-ability. On this occasion, I decided to use a pair of JRC "Specialist" float rods that I have cherished for some years now. These are matched with super smooth Mitchell Mag-Pro Extreme fixed-spool reels, making a wonderfully balanced combination. I guess I could fish ledger tactics and bite alarms with this kit, but Tench and float-fishing, in my opinion, go hand in hand. Simply nothing beats watching a float lift and bury below the surface as you are able to "read" into and imagine exactly what is going on below the surface.

JRC "Specialist" rods and Mitchell Mag-Pro reels

Bulk the split shot, especially when feeding hempseed

Waggler locked in position with float stops

Starting with double corn, a bait that proved its worth earlier in the year, it soon became apparent that any Tench in the swim were not going to be easily fooled on this occasion. It was a case of "once bitten, twice shy" I'm afraid. Small Carp and Skimmer Bream were quite happy to step up to the mark, but not my target species, and my focus was concentrated. A switch to maggots, casters, or a combination of both tempted Perch and Rudd, lovely to see, but again, simply a distraction today.

From previous experience, worm bait, chopped or otherwise brings Eels into the feeding zone, again, a species I wished to avoid, notwithstanding the fact that it is currently illegal to target them in Ireland! So, what to do? Bubble bursts in the area was a giveaway that Tench were feeding, but ignoring anything I put in front of them thus far. I mentioned in my previous article that Tench have a tendency to become frustratingly "finicky" as the year rolls on, and this seemed to be the case now. My good friend Bill Brazier advised that sometimes during these circumstances, lifting the hook-bait an inch or two off the lake bed can produce results, which I tried, but to no avail.

I had been heavily feeding some tiny 2mm Bloodworm pellets, catapulting around the float. Maybe they were preoccupied on these?  Schoolboy error, I had nothing similar to use as a hook-bait. Thinking cap on, I boiled up a small drop of water, and dissolved a handful of Bloodworm pellets, mixing into a stiff paste.

I soon discovered that it didn't remain on the hook for long, dissolving within a few minutes. Possibly try a beaten egg with it next time. Something I will have to ask the Carp lads. Folding it on th ehook shank around maggots or casters helped the problem somewhat, and I dropped the float amongst some bursts of bubbles. A lift, then slip away and I was in. Finally, I had found a way to fool them for now. Only a small fish of around three pounds, but the target species none-the-less, and I now had something to work at.

Persevering throughout the afternoon, I tempted another. These late summer Tench are as a fit as a flea, their fight certainly belies their size. Larger this time, around five pounds, but short of the six pound mark or 54 cms for an Irish Specimen. Still, when fish of this quality are making an appearance, it doesn't really matter does it.

Not quite 54cms, but a fine fish all the same

Finally, persistence pays off. Lifting into another typical Tench bite, the water exploded, and I was now into a truly powerful fish. The " JRC Specialist" using all of its back-bone to keep the fish out of lilies and bring under some sort of control. An adrenaline pumping scuffle saw my prize slip over the lip of the landing net and into safe hands. I didn't bother weighing this fish, and doubt it broke six pounds, although perhaps close. It did however hit 56 cms, over the length based Irish Specimen and enough to put a smile on my miserable mush for the rest of the evening.

Is there anything to learn from this Tench trip? Well, persevere until all options are eliminated I guess, that Tench are awesome quarry in looks and battle, and the JRC-Mitchell combo are amazing pieces of kit, but I already knew all that! Keep fishing, practice catch, photo, release, and enjoy life.

Thanks for reading

Tight Lines