Last weekend - back to tench at last.

[barbelblanker]

Well it has to have been 15 years since I caught a tench at my favourite water back in Cardiff (St Y Nyll ponds, Glamorgan Anglers AC).

I was delighted to have got membership to Kinver Freeliners as they have the rights on Dudmaston Hall , near Bridgnorth and I'd heard there were a tench or three in there.

So, thursday I left my gear at home and went for a walk down the lake. The reason I did this was simple. If I took my gear then I wouldn't walk around , I'd start fishing.

So I had a lope around and spoke to a few anglers and was taken aback by just how friendly a bunch these lads were . They were smiling, enjoying their fishing and very welcoming. So far so good. Had a prolonged chat with Pete Thomas and he was only too willing to share his love of the venue and gave some really valuables pointers.

Friday after work I had to take the girls to my sister in laws in High Ercall (Telford area) before I could get to the lake . I packed in a rush and away we went. About 5 miles before the end of the rabbit run I realised I'd left my seat hanging from the rafters in the garage DOH! SO I asked my wife to ring her sister to see if she had a fold up garden chair or something I could borrow.

Arrived at the in laws and was kean to get away. Spotted the folding wooden chair she'd dug out (with the best will in the world, and no knowledge) so decided to drop in on Asda to get a cheap camping seat . Handy really as I leave it in the boot with the cans of luncheon meat now in case I do it again.

Arrived at Dudmaston flustered and in the rain. It's quite a walk down from the car park around the lake but I was like a kid again. Walked to swim just short of the house grounds and set up. Anticipating a great night I was dissapointed to blank. Before I left I moved to a different swim in amongst some rushes and baited the hell out of it in the hope it would draw fish in as the plan was an early visit the next morning.

So the plan was to get up before first light and be at the lake for a brightening start , so I was looking at 3 hours sleep. Prepared breakfast and food and sloped of with two cans of lager and fell asleep. I woke up at about 4:30 to realise that the alarm had failed to go off and I was late.

Got to the lake and was amazed to find the car park empty. First saturday of the season and I had the place to myself. Rushed round to the swim I had baited and started a mini ground bait barrage before setting up a leger/float set up. Things were quiet for a while before the float dived and , I missed. I started getting line bites and sail aways that I couldn't hit. Then I connected and the fish swam straight to the centre of the lake ? Wot? Tench don't do that do they? The fight was tench, jag jag and my heart was in my mouth as this is the first tench in ages. After a spirited fight she was in the net. I unhooked the fish as quick as my shaking hands would allow . For once I remembered the scales. My PB was about 3.5 pounds and this looked bigger.

Ten out of ten for spotting no unhooking mat by the way. Luckily I've found that tench are pretty obliging to unhook rather than flapping like them big bronze carpy things but I will take one next time.

So what did it weigh ? 5LB 6OZ, personal best blown apart. First fish from a new lake and I thought this was a big one.

So I fished on a bit more making sure I fed a lot (thanks again Pete T) and was getting driven nuts by the line bites. So I did something different on the basis that doing the same thing and expecting different results was as futile as a dalek chatting up a wheelie bin.

Out came a conventional waggler set up with the bulk of the shot round the float and two sixes low down to show a lift bite. Was three to six inches over depth and the meat held the bait still.

Next bite and it was fish on . Same deal, steamed for the centre of the lake , away from the reeds . So I let it tire itself out before patiently playing it in and netting another lovely female. 5 LB 6 OZ, not the same fish surely.



Released her and went back in to the feeding routine. A short pause and it was another repeat, except this WAS definately a different fish -



5 Pound 8 OZ, PB gone again.

Missed bites and some mucking around later and two more fish followed. Both around the five pounds mark.

Ended the day at about 1 pm and decided to get home for some kip and resupply (used a lot of bait). I planned to return and try another part of the lake. This swim was a peach though.

Went home and got a few hours sleep, resupplied the bait and the flask. Returned to try a different swim (known as the point) but this proved a non starter. Was treated to the sight of three morons who it turned out had vandalised some gates, let a load of cattle out and broken in to the boat house. Didn't know any of this at the time , though it did seem odd for them to be in the middle of a closed national trust site.

Here's the view (partly) from the peg. If that's not a classic estate lake then I don't know what is :)





So, I think I could have done a lot better (in fact some guy fished the swim later in the day and took 27 tench , so I know I could ) but I haven't caught a tench in fifteen years so to catch 5 all over five pounds was just awesome.

I will indeed be back.....

On sunday I wandered down the KFAC Hampton Loade stretch to see what was going on (not a lot as it turned out) to find a lot more anglers and a river that looked spot on. Started in a likely looking swim only to find weed everywhere so moved up to deeper clearer water below some rapids. To cut a long story short I caught one fish, a two pound chub on my desperation bait of a huge chunk of meat. Wasn't a completely wasted trip though because I spotted a great swim on the opposite bank . Drat! It's not Kinver, oh joy, it's Birmingham Anglers....well I'm not giving up that ticket, not with all the river they've got.


Tight lines.

Pete.

[Maddison_Twatter]

Well done mate, im yet to catch one buts its on this years hit list

[MRG2000]

Well done on the PB Peter , cracking spot for a bit of fishing ....

[Baz T]

Great report - and well done on the PB - some nice fat tench by the look of them. Beautiful looking lake too.

[ninja_death]

Well looking at the fish you caught and the venue, I guess it was well worth the 15 year wait to catch some tench again.
Thanks for the great report an pictures.

[Complete Tangler]

What a lovely looking lake Pete, cracking Tinca too.

[pingu]

nice session there well done

dave