Nuisance Fish

Is it too much to ask for a chap to have a decent evenings tenching??

This week I have done rather well for pass outs and last night I decided to continue my quest for a monster tench. Also, long overdue, I have finally bought a unhooking mat that I needed to commission but was nervous about the karma created by the presumption that I was going to put something on it. The size of the thing was also rather embarrassing I was worried about actually getting it on the peg. It was about 1930 when I arrived at the pond and it looked in great nick. I had decided to fish with the feeder on the swingtip, I method that was reasonably successful a couple of weeks back. Soon after starting I had a chat with another chap from the DRAC forum who was also just about to commence.
Soon afterwards I had a great bite and in the excitement of my sweeping strike rolled straight off the back of my basket, good job no-one saw that one. This was followed by the perch below that I used to christen the mat so that was the monkey off my back.
Like a big chump I then swapped my feeder for a plain lead and cast it straight into the far bank trees. By now it ws 2100 and I debated packing up but in the end persevering and was all fingers and thumbs quickly tackling up again in the dusk. It was now the last few casts as fishing ends on DRAC waters at 2130 in August. A good indication on the tip met with something very solid that took some playing on my avon rod with the fish initially taking line so needed careful guiding to keep out of the many snags at Triangle. This was clearly a good fish and if it was a tench then this was the monster I had been searching for. It was difficult to tell when it surfaced but as I drew it over the rim of the net all was revealed. A bloody great carp! The fish weighed 9lb 4oz and well and truly broke in my new mat. A great way to end the evening and left me with a tired arm. The bigger brothers must pull hard.

But oh if it was a tench.......