Where is the tench shop?

Well can anyone help me please as I now need to go and buy a tench. After getting my spring tench campaign off to a great start at Findern a couple of weeks back it has distinctly faltered but hey I suppose that is fishing. Yesterday evening I set off for a sortie to Triangle and when I arrived there were a few cars in the car park. My favourite swim was taken by a carp angler who had been in it since 5.30am so I guess he had sort of earnt it!
Consequently I set off for some swims that I had spent the day discussing with Rob from the DRAC forum. There was to be no messing about so I set up two rods. I fished a feeder at about 20 yrds out and a float in the margins on my Bruce and Walker. Initial interest was all on the feeder rod with some bream getting their heads down on some corn.

This was the best and the biggest bream I have caught at 6lb 9oz. It even put up a bit of a struggle and didn't come straight to the top and flap about like the smaller ones do, most un-bream like. There were little signs on any interest in my offerings on the float though.

It was getting on for 8.30pm when my float finally sailed away and the strike was met with firm resistance. Great I thought until I realised that this was no tench as it then lapped my swim at great speed putting a good bend in the float rod. Soon it was ready for the net but I think the antics effectively killed the swim as the initial margin was very clear and quite shallow at the edge for Triangle. This is I suspect one of the new stock of mirrors that have gone in this spring and weighed in bang on 5lb. So I've usually been able to wincle a tench from Triangle but have never had a bream or a carp from there before. That is definitely fishing!!

Robin Wood

This afternoon we headed up to Robin Wood between Ticknall and Ingelby as it is a great quiet spot where Barney can have a good run around, usually without bothering other people and dogs.

The picture below is looking out over Knowle, a Landmark Trust property, towards Derby in the distance. I always think this would be a great place to rent as it is absolutely in the middle of nowhere and has some real character and interesting features. I can just see myself getting the barby going on that lawn whilst taking some refreshments.

The pond is just north of Seven Sprouts Farm, now some rather attractive developments rather than a working establishment. I'm not sure what has happened to this pond over the last 5 years or so but it has doubled in size. It looks a deliberate enlarging and is now starting to blend in. It was a delightful spot of less than half an acre that just screamed tench and carp although I have nver fished it. There is a commercial fishery that you should just make out before the rape field in the above picture but I do hope this pond does not go the same way. As you would have to walk more than 10 yards to get to your peg this should put the knockers on that.

A glorious day to be out in South Derbyshire, the team below are collecting pond weed for the tadpoles that the kids have kidnapped.

Findern Reclaimed

There has been alot of discussion on the DRAC forum about this pond and last autumn I questioned whether it should be kept on the ticket as it has been badly affected by poaching and anti social behaviour. Whatever was I thinking. That thread generated a huge positive response and now the club members are getting amongst the tench again. Phil Harrison has kindly tidied up some of the swims and there is now a DRAC sign displayed proudly. All my formative tenching was done here in my early teens and the pond was incredibly popular then. So this morning I set out a little late but thought I would get a couple of hours in. There have been reports of good catched this week and I couldn't wait to see what the pond would produce. There was another angler already fishing and I was delighted to discover that he was another member although he had not caught. I dropped my basket into my favourite swim from the seventies and second cast renewed my aquiantance with Findern tench after more than 25 years.

This was soon followed by another fish and a couple of missed bites but after an hour or so my swim died. Not to worry as it was cracking morning and fantastically bright in fact I would not have been surprised by a blank. There will be a few more session for me here this spring and the last hour of light always used to be the best of the fishing. A great return for me and many memories of fishing with my Dad.

The other angler had done slightly better than me, his brace were a bit larger, both being 4.5 to 5lb. I will look forward to a return for some of the big lads and lasses. Unfortunately back to reality though as I spent the last 5 minutes picking up a dozen or so empty 'Fosters' cans. Some of the looks I got as I carried them back to the marina car park were quite amusing though!

Findern though is very definitely back on my list of regular haunts.

Barrow Tanks

One of the things on my 'to do' list of fishing experiences was to do some buzzer fishing on one of the Bristol Water fisheries. Some enquiries had been made and it was suggested that some of the best bank fishing is at the Barrow Lakes, a string of 3 reservoirs just south of the city. These are known locally as the 'tanks'. I arrived just before 1830 on Monday eveing and purchased my ticket from the quirky money in the envelope self service booth. Entirely fit for purpose in my opinion. A brief conversation with the chap coming to empty the box suggested lake no.2 was my best bet and sure enough after I crossed the road the only three other anglers I saw were all fishing no.2. The east bank opposite the A38 was giving a nice left to right wind, a little strong but ideal for drifting a team of buzzers for the right handed caster.

Two black buzzers on the leader and out went my line, no trouble punching an 8 weight out with my Daiwa Lochmor across the wind. Well, only second cast and I got that electric buzz when everything went tight. The fish in the top picture put up a great fight, as good as any I've had from the powerful rainbow. Before 2000 I took four fish and probably missed another two or three takes, absolutely splendid fishing and all fell to Basil's Buzzer my favourite chromonoid pattern. The fish were generally in great condition just look at the tail on the one below, if this was a stockie then it was in great nick. The wind was quite strong setting up a large bow in the line and I got the feeling I was missing a few just counting on feel. Sure enough when I added a strike indicator for the last twenty minutes or so takes were much easier to see accounting for the last two fish in quick succession. Not nearly as exciting thouigh as straight lining and wating for the pull. By 2000 it had got quite cold and I retired for a well earned Chicken Vindaloo.

REF @ Foremark

Yesterday morning I headed over to Foremark for a few hours to try a tempt an early season rainbow and also to have a chin wag with the River Erewash Foundation chaps who were having a bank social. I soon spotted Mick in Flamingo Bay helping one of the REF youngsters with his casting which paid off as we were pleased to see him land a fish later in the morning. Sunblest Bay was my first target and I dropped in next to another angler who I soon realised was Alan Booth who is a master barbel angler. He is clearly no mug with the fly rod either having already had a brace of fish. Sport was decidedly slow and I fished an intermediate for the first hour without a pull before swapping to a floater. It was about this time Mick joined us and slotted in between Alan and I. Alan had another fish and soon after I managed to winkle one out on a bloodworm. Foremark fish are renowned for their fighting qualities and this one went like stink. Mick offered me some helpful advice during the fight like "Are you still playing that fish Dave" as I missed it with the net. After more jovial banter which is guaranteed with these lads I retired around lunch time. I dropped the fish off at my pal Martin's on the way home who was looking for a good test of his new hot smoker. The text I received later confirmed that Foremark fish have also retained their good eating qualities.

A Common Bond

This week I was working in Bristol for a couple of days and have been fortunate enough to find a hotel that has a pond in the ground that is stocked with carp. Although a club have the fishing here it is free to guests and I enjoyed a few evenings here last year also. To be honest it is a bit overstocked and if it was a day ticket fishery it would be absolutely hammered but the fish remain free biting to a number of baits. However, as beggars can't be choosers it is just the ticket to unwind after work for the last hour or so.
On Tuesday evening I was the only angler there and fished my usual set up of avon rod, fixed spool reel, and a simple waggler. Bait was luncheon meat as I had some in the freezer but bread is equally effective. It was not long before a young chap who was also a guest walked round to see me and soon revealed his dilemma. He was stopping for the week but had no tackle with him. Soon I played a nice carp but the hook pulled and then I had to take a phone call from work. I handed him my rod and he fished on managing to winkle out one of the fish.
I suggested we take it in turns and he was over the moon with a chance to try for a fish. For me there was as much pleasure in sharing the rod and watching the other chap catch. It left me thinking what a wonderful sport we have in that two strangers could instantly strike up a rapport. The angling gods clearly thought so as well as I was lucky enough to land the delightful common below. We fished until the float could no longer be seen and despite it being a warm day the temperature soon started to drop.
My usual routine when working away is to frequent a curry house with some reading matter, this week I had How to Fish by Chris Yates. The wife has found it highly amusing that after all these years I am reading a book of that title but it is more about philosophy than technique. So later that evening I enjoyed a chicken vindaloo and a few chapters and it then occurred to me that the evenings session was what angling is all about. Not really about the fish but more about enjoying the outdoors and being close to nature. Fish as ever are the bonus.

Last Knockings

I thought I had missed my last chance of finishing the coarse season on a river today. Thursday and Friday were spent working away and consequently there was quite a list of jobs to be attended to this morning. Fortunately I escaped for the last couple of hours and as I didn't have much time plumped for the River Trent at Ingelby. The Trent is what I would call a big river and I don't have a deal of confidence on it preferring the Dove or the Derwent. As it is less than 10 minutes from home though it had to be today.
Hoping that my quest for a back end barbel would be satisfied my optimism was soon raised when on the second cast the rod nodded over nicely. Alas it was the chub below which had grabbed my meat but it was a good fish using the current to make me work it to the net and as per every chub I seem to catch it weighed 4lb dead.

Well at least that was my new rod christened what a shame it was not a barbel. Rather a fat chub I thought. That is it now for coarse fish on the rivers as I will not be on the banks again before Monday when the season finishes. So now my thoughts will turn to trout and tench until 16th June.