Tench bonanza!
Mega-hauls prove there’s never been a better time to land your personal best
Discover the rig that is taking the bigger catches right now
JUNE is generally regarded as the very best month of the year for monster tench.
And judging by this week’s captures, it would be hard to argue – the sheer number of doublefigure fish reported to Angling Times this week was staggering!
In fact, specimen-sized fish have been showing in numbers over the past couple of weeks, suggesting that there is simply no better time than now to catch one.
One angler who has already enjoyed phenomenal success this season is specialist Chris Taylor, who has taken no fewer than four double-figure fish – topped by his biggest of the season so far at 11lb 8oz.
It was caught from a southern gravel pit, and was one half of a pair of doubles, the other of which weighed in at 10lb 9oz. Both fell to a worm hookbait presented on homemade block-end feeders. His rig consisted of 12lb E-S-P mainline, a 10lb Fox Illusion hook-link and size 11 Drennan Barbel hook.
Chris had to put in extra effort though, hiking to a swim over a mile away: “I was reluctant to fish it due to the distance involved, but with other lakes being closed I went for it. I was exhausted after two trips lugging my gear, but I soon prepared my swim with a castable weed rake.”
The Hampshire rod then woke at the crack of dawn to continue the pursuit: “I was up at first light
to put five Spombs of fresh bait over each of my three spots. I then caught tench steadily until noon, when I latched on to something that fought much harder. After a few hairy moments of battling the fish in the weed, there could be only one winner – I couldn’t believe my luck when the dials registered 11lb 8oz.”
Chris isn’t the only angler to bag a double – several other anglers have also taken some impressive tench…