Tenching in the Sunshine

Thankfully I had packed the van and set up the rods the night before. A birthday party (with a free bar) at the local pub meant I over indulged and over slept and was nearly an hour late for the 7am rendezvous with Martin on the banks of an Oxfordshire gravel pit. He hadn't let me down though and had commandeered us a couple of great swims on a prominant point with an expanse of water to fish in.  

The ugly duckling should have been written about a coot not a swan!!

The previous preparation saw me fishing instantly while the big guy tackled up and before he could even wet a line I was playing one of the stunning Tench that reside in this beautiful part of the world. She had been unable to resist a worm and weighed in at 8lb on the nose in the glorious golden sunshine.

I thought this fish could be the prelude to a bumper day but instead a long period of inactivity followed until finally around lunchtime I managed to land a slightly smaller specimen.

The fish were getting smaller but at least I was catching as a little feisty male then took a liking to the worm and gave me a bit of a runaround. It took off up and down the margins taking my second line with it.

Three-nil to the northerner and the big guy was beginning to get a bit desperate, climbing trees in the vain hope of spotting a few fish. 'Can you see anything up there' I enquired. 'Yes' came the response 'water'. I kept the camera poised in case he went for an unplanned swim but his footing remained sure.

Salt was rubbed into the wound with a fourth fish before I headed off home and left him to the final hour in 'my' swim. Didn't get a text so am presuming the move wasn't successful!

Fun with Floaters

The bases were loaded and the Carp obliging. A few hours spare in the evening so I loaded the van with dog biscuits and headed to the local puddle looking for a bit of action. The lake was empty of anglers so I catapulted bait into several likely looking areas to work out where the fish were hiding. The lily pads soon sprung into life as hungry Carp pushed their way through on the way to a free meal. The competition was enough to risk a cast and within minutes one slipped up and fell for the biscuit with a hook dangling just below.

The close proximity of snags forced me to play the fish fast and hard. Thankfully  the tackle was strong enough for the task and the hook held firm so I could net a good looking Common weighing 15lb 2oz.

I do so enjoy floater fishing. Three others fell for the tactic over the next couple of hours.

All Commons but the first fish was the biggest. An extremely pleasant way to spend an all too rare evening by the waterside.