I done it again!

[Andrew Burgess]

Just come back from our first session trip from the private syndicate water - the tench's have finally woken up and on a feeding frenzy. There been a few reports of a couple of nine pounders coming out but was after any sort of sizes and fish.

The first day was really slow and have to wait for the second late afternoon for catch my first tench of the new year which was a 5lb 10 ozs.

As I said things was really slow throughout the session as I was starting to catch some decent size and on the 2nd Day mid afternoon when a 5lb came and was slightly happy with that. On the 2nd night a couple of fish of 6lb 12oz and 6lb 10 ozs. By the 3rd morning a 7lb 2oz and 7lb 10oz in the afternoon, but it wasn't until the 3rd night where things started.

Around 9pm, I broke my personal best tench from 7lb 12oz to 8lb 13oz (1lb 1oz) and then half an hour later broke it again with this stunner.



A new personal best at 9lb 2oz

In total I had 10 tench from 5lb to 9lb 2oz

[Carpy]

Fantastic Andrew
what a brilliant fishing session, too catch so many lovely tench.
Nice ONE MATE.

[Andrew Burgess]

Just come back from another few night session there.

I went for a 3 night session in the beginning of the week of 6th/9th June. I decide to have a change from the usual peg and opted to a swim called the right logs. The conditions weren't in favourably but I managed to catch 4 tench - in the region of 8lb plus - and 1 in the 6lb here are the details of the breakdown - 5 Tench - 8lb-10oz, 8lb-8oz, 8lb 4oz, 6lb 4oz, 8lb 3oz all on the flat method feeder

Here the 8lb 10oz tench



There was a full moon on the 8th/9th which didn't really help but I managed to catch three of them in one early morning (9th June) when it was a slight full moon was still showing in the sky. The tench were mostly caught from distance (30 - 35 yards) where there a long gravel running horizontally from me.

Then on the weekend of 12th-14th for another two night session on the same lake but back in the same peg where I broke my previous best tench, the conditions was really ideally for catching the big tench, very warm throughout the day - with a gentle breeze in the northerly direction, I really struggle to catch any of the bigger sizes but quite a few in the 7 pounders using a different leger tactic by using a large open end feeder. The 7 pounders tench are nearly ready in the spawning process but I am waiting for the phone call (from the bailiff) sometime this weekend or after where it be my last chance to catch the exclusive 10lb as there be quite a few coming out in the last few weeks. I reckoning the lake record will go again very soon!

[Andrew Burgess]

Just come back from another session on the private syndicate water and this time it was a real killer in the weather wise - had 18mm rain fell in 24hours and wind going up to 45mph despite all that I was still warm and dry in the bivvy ;D

Things started to go wrong on the first day where I stayed overnight at my brother house, I loaded up the fishing trailer ready for the next morning. Saturday Morning I couldn't get out of the driveway because some idiot block the driveway so I couldn't get out for the day

It wasn't until very late in the evening that a couple came back from the Badminton's Horse trails , so we swapped car places which enable me to take the trailer out first thing on Sunday morning. When I arrived at the coarse lake the wind was so strong as it took me ages to try and get proper shelter from the strong winds.

My tackle was 4 Wychwood Barbel Specimen rods at 12ft, and 1lb and ¾ test curve, with the shimano baitrunner aero gte 5000b
with 20lb wychwood sinking braid. My end tackle is a modified version of a free running rig/bolt rig whichhave a clip to take alarge bomb or feeder - in this case I had a large open end feeder. Also there is five inch korda natural sinking braid hoolenght with a Gardner mugga hook size 8

The 4 rods was cast out into the water after carefully plumbing the depth in front of me - where I found a gravel bar around 45 yards and 5½foot of water. I have been expermenting with the groundbait for quite a while and I added a few hailbuit pettet , sweetcorn and 10mm boilies.

The 1st run occured just after 8pm which resulted a 7lb Tench



No further action until next morning as the weather got worse especially with the wind. It wasn't until recasted the feeder into the carefully chosen area and I didn't have to wait long for this one at 7lb 8ozs



and again at 10am with this one at 8lb



and this one at 12pm the biggest of all of the session at 8lb 13ozs



Then the rain and wind got worse - so I decided to call it a day.

[Andrew Burgess]

Just got from another trip on my syndicate water in Canterbury. This time i did a six days event instead of the ten days as i originally planned.

The weather was very warm but it slowly turn overcast toward the evening which meant the fishing conditions was perfect.



I went in the usual peg called the left plantation swim as I was getting more and more information from other members who have fish in the plantation peg in the last few weeks (this is a beautiful set up as we are all helping other members in the information) .

There was a gentle breeze going from right to left so putting up the bivvy was a bit awkward because of the area being well used from previous members fishing in it!

The left plantation peg



My tackle set up!

4 x wychwood barbel rods - 12ft, 1¾lb T.C. (Test curve)
4 x Shimano 5000B baitrunner reels with Wychwood 20lb B.S. (breaking strain) sinking braid.
4 x Fox 56 grams Mesh Finned Feeders.
4 x Gardner Margin Masters (Blue) and 3 x 3 ssg spilt shot (as counterbalance from the wind to stop it swaying about)

I was using two different set up in the rig presentation in both of a fixed (bolt method) and sliding method. The fixed method is where the swivel is push into the rubber tubbing -



The sliding method - where the rubber fixing is removed -



Both of the rig were rig up with an with 1½ metre of leadcore and another 30ft of Amnesia line to combat the sharp gravel bars.

Well after careful planning on where to put the banksticks into positions so I could see it from the bivvy.......... ;D



Then I started doing the important groundbait mixing - this consist of a 2:1 fish meal groundbait and pure brown crumb. Also thrown in was 250grams of 10mm boilies, another 250 grams of crushed boilies, another 250 grams of halibut 4mm pellets and a few of the 8mm as well. The hookbait was a standard 15mm boilie.

After the 4 rods was casted out into careful positions it wasn't long when I started getting twitches and tug from the bite alarms as I knew it wasn't long to wait for the first catch.

Well, it was a long wait indeed it wasn't until 02:45am - I was rewarded my first tench weighing in at 6lb 10oz - it was a very long lean female fish with hardly any spawn carrying on her. It also mean some of the fish at this time of the year should have quite a bit of spawn in them - it also got me thinking if they have already spawn? I hope not! ;D

Nothing happen for the rest of the night and I had to make an a few decision on what to do next. First of all was the thrown in quite a bit of groundbait food to keep the fish in the area. Also the wind have changed directions which also made it even better as it was blowing into the peg!

On the second day throughout the day I was constant recasting the feeder into the swims to build up a carpet of food but couldn't get anymore bites!

It wasn't until 10pm on the 2nd night things really hotted up - I landed 7 seven tench in an hour as in my opinion non stop fishing, setting the indicators and bite alarms, hitting, unhooking and releasing! This is the break down I did have that hour!

At 22.00 the 2nd fish was 8lb 5oz Tench



Then at 22.10 another tench at 6lb 5ozs

Then at 22.23 another tench at 8lb 1oz



Then at 22.34 another tench at 7lb 3ozs

Then at 22.43 another tench at 7lb 7ozs

Then at 22.47 another tench at 8lb 1oz



Then at 22.54 another tench at 7lb 4ozs - by that time my right arm was aching a bit and was also getting bitten by the mossies as well. I well kinda of glad getting back to the bivvy and a bit of sleep as well, but the action didn't stop!

At 02:57am I hit another good bite and I knew it was a good tench but wasn't sure on the size of it until once in the net! This tench really fought quite hard right up to the landing net.

This one weigh in at 9lb 1oz - 1oz less of my personal best!



By the time I got back to bed - the rain came pouring down - It killed the action off - I was getting frustrated in two days without any actions despite fish moving around on top of surface- bottom indicate from the line bite and even fish rolling on the surface!

It wasn't until yesterday morning as the sunshine came out again and it started the feeding pattern again - Spent most of the time recasting the feeders into poistions and finally was rewarded another tench at 8am weighing in at 7lb 4oz

Also had another tench at 09:40am with another tench at 8lb 3ozs



While I was there - there was a few other members was catching tench but in the smaller sizes up to 6lbs on boilies and red maggots/fake maggots set up.

I am also thinking of taking some maggotts with me nextime in two weeks time. And also trying something new in the prebaiting programme - will keep you all posted on that!