🎣 Perseverance pays off with my biggest tench of the year 📻 My twice weekly radio slot and the flying of time
🎣 One of the advantages of being a daily blogger, is that the content you publish acts as a reference point when looking back.
The fact that I struggled with March and April tench on a particular lake, is no real surprise, as that follows a regular annual pattern.
To be in the same position in the second-half of May though, is extremely puzzling.
As I walked to the swim for an early start, invariably the surface of the water would usually be littered with numerous patches of tinca feeding bubbles.
However, there was nothing at all on this occasion. It’s been like that every time I’ve visited so far this spring.
In addition, there would usually be a decent number of tench anglers on the lake by the time I left. Again, none. Word gets around quickly.
I fished at 25 metres with a grain of sweetcorn over brown crumb and corn.
Good things come to those who persevere though and, right at the end of the 3.5 hour session, I hooked, played and netted a nice fish.
To continue with the verbs, I also weighed it as well. At 6-3-12 it’s my biggest tench of the year to date.
Tackle: Fox Barbel Special 1.5 test curve rod and an Okuma Zeon reel. 6lb Maxima Chameleon, with a six-inch hook-length created by a small shot and an 5mm bead. Above that was a 1/2 ounce bomb. Size 10 Drennan Super Specialist hook.
Nature notes: Two sightings of single ring-necked parakeet in flight. Female mallard with five well-developed ducklings. Swifts (c.12) feeding over lake. Great crested grebe.
📻 After the fishing, I did my twice a week radio slot with Jeff Pearson. Well, actually it’s only once a week, but it feels like it.
The older you get, time seems to fly by even more, which is good reason to make the most of it.
This week’s chat for Bayside Radio featured the holiday angling at Trearddur Bay.
I can’t believe that just three days ago, I was fishing off the rocks on Anglesey. It seems such a distant memory.