The Sixteenth Plus One

Today I had the day off work for not much more than relaxing and a picnic at lunch. My angler's mind though soon cooked up a plan to have a couple of hours to try for a tench this morning whilst Mrs Squire took the kids to school.
So by 8am in went my float to my favourite tench swim. A bite first cast but it was soon off though. This raised my spirits and I was now expecting a hatful. The sun was very bright though and the water at Triangle Pond was crystal clear, for the first time ever I could see right down to the bottom. Not the ideal conditions and so it turned out to be a slow session. There were a few bites mind but very finicky where these fish have been drawing away the float with confidence for the last six weeks or so.
I was astonished by the amount of fry and that is a good sign for the future health of the pond. I watched a pike for a while that was at least 2" long practice it's attack on them. There were also some perch I think striking through these vast shoals.
And so to the result, it was just one fish. Not the biggest I have had this year but it put up a great account of itself putting some of the bigger cousins to shame. It was a real goer. It was such a beautiful I could not resist a snap, I hope you like it. I would be grateful if any reader could please leave a comment to remind me how to tell the male from the female.