I got to my local estate lake, Himley Hall in Dudley for my usual time of 7am this morning. I was a bit sceptical to be fair and not the most excited I had been for a session after having a 'frustrating' day there a couple of days ago where I had 3 Tench in the morning before my swim died on me. It was a bit cooler overnight last night so I wasn't expecting too much. I had in my head that peg selection on this big (but not massive) lake was going to be key.
As above, I plumped for peg 24. This is a peg about halfway between the shallows at 4' and the deeps at 8', so about 6' deep. I almost gambled going on the shallows but figured the deeps would be a gamble too after yesterday, so this was a happy medium was my thinking.
No signs of fish there when I arrived, but as I was setting up there was a load of fizzing on the 25m line. They fizz a lot when feeding at this place and always give themselves away like that by disturbing the weed, so that raised my hopes slightly.
Having been fishing from 7.30am I had my first bite at 8.23am. A nice Tench I had to weigh, it was 6lb 10oz.
1) 8.23am (6lb 10oz)
A few more Tench followed as below.
2) 8.54am
3) 9.20am
4) 9.48am
5) 9.56am
So a decent start but would the peg die on me like it did yesterday? It was around the time I had the lovely Golden Tench above that the bailiff came round shouting to me, "did you see it?".
"No I've been busy catching Tench, had 5 already" I replied.
"That angler to your left has just had a 36lb Grass Carp and a 26lb Common" he said.
Now fair enough, that's something I would have liked to have seen, one of the lakes big Grass Carp that are reported to come out over 40lb.
Anyway, I was soon back to my own fishing after paying the £6.60 for a day ticket.
Among the next few fish was another nice Tench I had to weigh, this time it was 6lb 12oz. That was the last fish I'd weigh today and I think the biggest.
But to cut a long story short, the Tench didn't stop feeding as feared, and were actually ravenous all day as pictured below.
6) 10.12am
7) 10.53am
8) 11.35am
9) 11.55am
10) 12.38pm
11) 12.47am
12) 13.00pm
13) 13.07pm
14) 13.19pm
15) 13.56pm
16) 14.08pm
17) 14.20pm
18) 14.46pm
19) 14.56pm
20) 15.32pm
21) 15.40pm
22) 15.51pm
23) 16.02pm
24) 16.20pm
25) 16.52pm
26) 17.21pm
27) 17.34pm
So that was 10 hours fishing for 27 Tincas in total with only a smattering of Perch that I don't really count on a day like today.
Now I want to apologise for the gratuitous amount of pics above, but after a day today I think it's a good way to document the session. My previous best from here was 13 Tench and I thought that was good, but the fish were also a good stamp, well conditioned fish, today with most being 4s, a good share of 5s and few 6s with only a couple of 3s. So by my estimate that's easily a 'Ton of Tench'.
I don't always document the tackle I use but might as well for posterity today. Greys 1.25lb TXL Twin Tip Rod, 6lb Maxima to 0.18 Stroft on a maggot feeder helicopter rig with a 40g Black Cap Feeder.
Other than that, I guess I am lost for words... easily my best Tench session and a proper red letter day!