The Tench (tinca tinca)

The Tench was recently voted the nations favourite species in a poll taken by The Angling Times and anyone who has caught one will understand why. The Tench is found in stillwaters and lowland rivers, it is a hard fighting fish that is a favourite spring and summer target for many specialist anglers.

Twenty years ago an 8lb Tench would have been a real specimen that would have graced the pages of any of the weekly angling papers but now you would need to catch a 10lb+ Tench to feature in those. It is hard to say why Tench have grown bigger in recent years. One theory is the warmer climate and better habitat. Another is farming chemicals entering the water system. But what ever the reason Tench have never been bigger!

The current British record stands at a staggering 15lb 3oz caught by Darren Ward in 2001 from the Sheepwalk Lake complex in Shepperton, middlesex.

The image that comes to mind when thinking of fishing for Tench for most of us is that of a warm hazy day sat by a Lilly covered estate lake watching the tip of a float surrounded by tiny fizzing bubbles. This is not surprising as float fishing is probably the most enjoyable method of fishing for Tench, The Tench loves cover and weed as this is where it finds it's natural food of larvae,bloodworm and aquatic insects. This means they are often found in the marginal areas which allows for accurate plumbing and casting which is why the Lift Method is such a fantastic method of float fishing for Tench.

The Lift Method

The Lift Method is really very simple and gives fantastic bite indication. It is really only for fishing close in say up to a 2 rod lenghs out ideally in a swim with a level bottom. You Use a piece of silicone tube to fix the float to the line (Bottom end only) a peacock waggler is the perfect float for this method. You then plumb the chosen spot of your swim ,say next to a Lilly patch or next to marginal reeds. When you have found the exact depth move your float up 4 inches and the attach your shot 4 inches from the hook. This will allow your bait to lie on the bottom and when it is picked up by the Tench the weight will be lifted making your float lift up giving a clear indication of the bite.

Specimen Tench

For many specialist anglers their spring campaign would not be complete without netting a big specimen Tench. From the end of April thoughts turn to the vast gravel pits that are home to some of the biggest Tench in the country. Gravel pits such as Wilstone reservoir, Sywell reservoir and Horseshoe Lake in Gloustershire. It's waters like these that hold the really big Tench! Fish that go into double figures and it's the vast size and rich environment of these gravel pits that allow Certain Tench to grow to record proportions!

One of the best ways to target Tench in these pits is by using scaled down carp tactics such as in-line leads with  a boilie on a hair-rig fished in conjunction with a small PVA bag of free offerings fished over an area where you have spodded out a mix of particles such as Hemp,casters and corn.

Another great method is the Method feeder using a couple of fake casters super glued to the hair rig and placed into the method ball. Casters are a real favourite of Tench and should be used in spod mixes and groundbait. using fake casters means that you can be sure that small nuisance fish have not destroyed your bait and give confidence as you wait for that run!

Hot areas to look out for on gravelpits when targeting Tench are ledges and weedbeds, gravel bars and marginal shelves. These are all areas where Tench would find an abundance of natural food so they are great places to target.

Tench are renowned for being morning feeders so it pays to be on the lake at first light, this is also a good time to be watching the lake as Tench often show their position as they roll over the spot in which they are feeding. Also look out for the tiny pinprick bubbles that appear on the service as Tench root around on the bottom looking for food.

Top waters for specimen Tench are Wilstone Reservoir, Sywell Reservoir, Cemex Burghfield Lake,  Cemex Wraysbury 1 and Horseshoe Lake to name just a few. Check out http://www.tenchfishers.com/index.html for loads more information on top venues and Tench fishing tips.




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Dace

Dace are well distributed throughout the rivers of England and Wales but they are not found in Scotland or Ireland except where they were accidentally introduced.

The dace is a slim silvery fish that loves swift flowing water. If you live near a fast flowing river the chances are you have vast shoals of Dace at you disposal. Dace do not grow large, infact the British record is only 1lb 5oz. If you are lucky enough to catch a dace of 1lb then you have caught a very good specimen indeed. Small chub are often confused with Dace but an easy way to identify then is to check the fins. Chub have 'Concave' fins and Dace have 'Convex' fins. A simple way to remember the difference is by using this rhyme "Dented for Dace,Curved for Chub."

Dace feed on water insects. Worms, Flies and Snails are a favourite but they will also feed on silkweed and aquatic plants. A great bait to teapt Dace with are maggots although worms and Bread can work very well too.

Dace can be found in very large shoals especially in the winter months. They can provide great sport on light float tackle with a fish a cast throughout a session. Large Dace are harder to locate. There are a few rivers that are renowned for holding big Dace the Hampshire Avon and the river Kennet have both produced some very good Dace but there are many more that are capable of producing specimens. The River Wye holds vast shoals of Dace and has thrown up some huge match weights in recent years. It is also worth looking at some of the countries smaller rivers as they very often hold shoals of large Dace in their fast flowing gravel glides.

The River Kennet holds some good Dace.

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Dace can be caught on many methods but my favourite is to fish with a stickfloat on a light set-up. Once you have found a suitable swim, steady loose feeding will attract the shoal in very close and using a light balsa float with the shot evenly spaced to let the bait drop slowly through the layers of the water will often produce the goods. A single or double maggot on a size 18 hook and 2lb line is perfect. Dace bites can be lightning fast so you have to be alert and ready to strike at the slightest touch.

I sourced this image from the excellent Discover Fishing website. It shows exactly how to place your tackle when fishing for Dace.



A great time to fish for Dace is in the weeks running up to the close of the season. Dace spawn early and it is during this time that they gather in huge shoals in the shallower glides will they will spawn. The Dace are at their most hardy and heaviest at this time so you could catch a real specimen.

For Tackle suitable for Dace try the
UKCoarseFishingReviews tackle store

Chub

I thought it is time I gave some basic information on each of the Coarse species that anglers are likely to catch here in the UK.

I am starting with the Chub which is one of the most common species found in our rivers here in the UK. There are also Chub in some of the countries lakes. Infact the record Chub came from a southern stillwater at 9lb 5oz in 2007 . It is believed to have got in from a local river during the winter floods and to have grown extra big on Carpers Pellets and Boilies. It was infact caught by a Carp fisherman after picking up a bait intended for one of the lakes larger inhabitants.

The record chub pictured her with captor Andy Maker is one of many huge chub believed to inhabit the Southern stillwater.


Chub are predominately a river fish and that is where most anglers go to pursue them. Chub in most rivers can grow to 7lb although in some areas a Chub of 5lb would be seen as a very good specimen. Small Chub or Chublets as some anglers call them can be easily mixed up with dace. Many an angler has thought they had just caught a specimen Dace when it was infact a small Chub. The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to look at the fins. The Chub has rounded or 'convex' fins whereas the dace has fins that are indented or 'concave' fins. A simple way of remembering the difference is to think of this rhyme "curved for Chub, dented for dace."

Here are a couple of drawings in which you can see the difference between the fins of the Chub and a Dace.

ChubDace

Chub are renowned as being very greedy fish and they can be caught on a wide variety of baits. There are to many to name but Maggots, Corn, Pellets, Bread are probably the most popular baits used. I have also had some success with Boilies fished on a hair rig. Infact Boilies and large Pellets seem to attract the larger specimens.

Natural baits are always worth a try too. a freelined lobworm or slug can work really well in the summer time as can floating crust.

You will find Chub in all sorts of swims along a river but a good place to start looking is under overhanging trees and bushes. Chub love cover. Weed rafts and undercut banks are also good hotspots. Chub seem to like steadier water so look for steady glides although I have often found good Chub in shallower runs amongst the weeds in the summer and also in weirpools.

Chub are very rarely solitary fish and can be found in small shoals especially the smaller year classes. You can catch Chub on almost any method. They can be very predatory so small spinners can work well in the summer as can free lining natural baits such as Slugs or Crayfish. float fishing can work very well in the summer or winter in conjunction with lots of freebies to attract them. You simply simply tailor your float to the conditions and the swim.

One of my favourite methods for chub is a simple link ledger. I like to fish crease swims such as you may find on a river bend. The crease is where the faster water meets slower water and it is a natural larder as any food is washed into the slack. Chub love crease swims and a link ledger is a great way to fish it. All you need is two swan shot 'SSG" tied to a link of line. You attach this to your main line by a swivel and let it run free. I use a 2 foot hooklink and almost always fish with Bread flake on a size 10 hook. You then simply cast into the flow and let it settle in the slack exactly where any natural food would come to rest.

Here is a picture I found on the excellent TackleBargains.co.uk website. All three of the rigs work well for Chub but I favour the top link ledger rig.

Chub can be caught during the summer months and it can be great fun stalking them along the banks of small rivers but it is during the winter months that most anglers pursue them. The Chub is a very hardy fish and it will feed in the coldest of weathers providing great sport for the nations anglers. One word of advice is forget Chub when the rivers are high and dirty during or after a flood. Chub don't feed much in those conditions. But if the river is clear or has a slight tinge of colour they are well worth seeking out and can provide you with great sport.

If you are really interested in finding more out about Chub take a look at the Chub Study Group they have members all over the UK and know everything there is to know about Chub.

There are many great venues to fish for Chub. One of the best is the Dorset Stour. Anywhere from Blandford to Christchurch can produce specimen Chub but Throop and Longham are very popular. Other rivers that are great are the River Wye which has vast shoals of Chub. The Wensum, The Cherwell, The warickshire Avon and the Hampshire Avon also hold good quality fish.

Throop is one of the Chub meccas in the UK and visited by some of the countries top anglers in pursuit of its specimen Chub. The Throop fishery is run by the Ringwood and District Angling Association but you can get day tickets and information from Ringwood tackle


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Bream Record Smashed!

Britains Bream record has been smashed this week. The new record Bream weighs a mighty 22lb 9oz and was caught by Baitcraft boss Mike Mckenna during a session at the 160 acre Cambridge gravel pit Ferry Lagoon.

Mark from middlesex is the boss of bait company Baitcraft and caught the massive specimen on one of his own T1 pop-up Boilies. Mark was aiming to catch some of the venues big carp that go in excess of 40lb but instead his bait was picked up by the massive slab. The venue holds only a small head of Bream but some of those fish have grown to massive proportions and in 2005 it hit the headlines when James Rust set a new record at 19lb 10oz. It seems mark has banked the same fish at 22lb 9oz again setting a new record.

A few dedicated specimen hunters have targeted the water in hope of banking a record but due to its size and the small head of fish it is far from easy. Former Drennan cup winner Tony Gibson commented in the Angling Times this week "Ive been on the water for two seasons and not had a bite! I've seen one bream of about 8lb roll in all that time so i know numbers are incredibly low."

The massive Bream was weighed on two sets of scales and witnessed by a bailiff so getting the record excepted should be just a formality. Mark may not have caught the slab by design but it is a fantastic fish and we congratulate him with his new record.

To see an interview with Mark mckenna about his new bream record check out the Go Fishing website

You can find out more about mikes Bait at Baitcrafts main website here Baitcraft

You can follow Baitcraft on Twitter

October signals time for Pike

For many coarse anglers the start of October is when their thoughts turn from fish associated with the summer such as Tench and Carp to the winter favourite the Pike.

October 1st has long been seen as the official start to the pike fishing year. Although few will ever catch Pike like the 42lb swedish monster pictured here the chance of catching a big Pike is enough to draw us out on a winters day.

There are Pike all over the country which are there to be caught in many waters from farm ponds and Canals to Rivers like the Wye and reservoirs such as the Pike hotspot Chew valley. Pike are fantastic predators and provide great sport to anglers that pursue them. Even a modest Pike of say 8-12lb will give you a great fight and fish of that size are prolific in most waters.

A word of advice to the novice is 'go equipped' I learnt from a young age that removing a treble hook from a large pike is a daunting experience if you are not prepared. A set of large forceps is a must as is a specimen sized landing net. The last thing you want when you have connected with a specimen is to not be able to land it. You should also ensure you have a strong line and reliable end tackle. As I have said, Pike can fight very hard and a wire trace is a must as their teeth will make short work of a nylon line of even 20lbs. Pike on the whole are not tackle shy so a strong line and a trace will not detur runs.

Pike can be caught on spinners,spoons and plugs or by using Live/deadbaits, Please remember that livebaiting is banned on many waters now so please check the fishery or club rules.

You can present your bait in many ways from float fishing to ledgering using a wide variety of rigs. I will not go into them now but there are many descriptions and advice on all on the web.

I will explain one of my autumn favourites which is 'Wobbling' a deadbait. This is a simple and very effectice method for Pike of all sizes. All you need is to tie a snap tackle (a wire trace with two treble hooks) to your mainline, above the trace add 3 ssg weights to help sink the bait. You then hook on your deadbait say a Roach of 4-6" the top treble goes through the top lip and out of the bottom lip with the next treble, place to of the barbs into the flank this will insure a good hold and enable distance casting. When you have cast out you retreive the bait much like you would a spinner but slower, giving the reel three or four turns and then a short break. This will cause the bait to 'Wobble' and then stop which will make the deadbait appear like an injured fish. Bites can be very savage so be prepared and have your clutch set.

The thing I like about Pike fishing is that you never know how big your next fish will be? It could be a small 'Jack'Pike of 3lb or a monster of the deep of 20lb+. I will be preparing my Pike gear for a few trips from the 1st October. I am thinking of a stretch of the Dorset Stour which is rumoured to hold a mammoth pike. It may just be a myth but for me that is part of the joy of Pike Fishing. Winter is soon upon us and pike fishing is a great way to drive away the winter blues.

For more information on Pike fishing try the Pike Anglers club of Great Britain at this link Pike anglers club

Roach revival

Reports in the angling press this week suggest that the countries rivers are seeing a Roach revival with match and pleasure catches being the best for 20 years.

The angling times reports that a match on the River Yare in Norfolk was won with a winning weight of 58lb of Roach with three other 40lb nets of Roach and an average of 18lb of Roach per angler for the rest of the field. Match organiser Keith Ford said it was the best match he has seen in over 20 years and that every peg was now producing good weights of silverfish. This is excellent news after it seemed silverfish sport on our rivers was in a continual decline. And its not just on the River Yare that things are improving. Rivers such as the Thames,Trent and Wye are all showing much improved silverfish form as are many others country wide.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly why there are so many silverfish in our Rivers this year. Many Roach experts talk of good year classes. This is when the conditions allow for a large percentage of the fry to survive and to go on to grow to be adult fish. The fact that we have not had the terrible summer floods of recent years could have a lot to do with the upturn in Sport and the huge numbers of silverfish that now seem to be in our rivers. Whatever the cause it would seem the fish are there this year just waiting to be caught.

Roach fishing can be terrific fun. Although many anglers think of the Roach as a winter target they can also provide great autumn sport August and September being great months to target them with a light float outfit. All you need is a match rod and a waggler set up with a pint of maggots and you too could put together a 50lb bag of pristine Redfins.

For all the tackle you would need to fish for Roach this Autumn click on this link

Autumn Glory

I think any fisherman will agree that the autumn is probably the most beautiful time to be out on the bank. As the days turn colder and the nights grow longer the leaves on the trees change to a multitude of colours as nature paints an awesome water colour that lifts the heart to be out in and to be a part of.

It is as autumn approaches that I begin to think of where to go along the river to reaquaint myself with one of our most beautiful coarse fish the Perch.

Most anglers have caught a Perch. Infact the Perch is usually one of the first fish we catch as children as we first try are arm at the sport, The Perch is so greedy that the small ones can prove to be an utter nuicence as they snaffle the baits intended for largr pray. But anyone who has caught a larger Perch can only agree that they are indeed a beautiful fish that always give a good account of themselves in the fight.

I am lucky enough to live in a village alongside the Dorset Stour, Like all of the uk's waterways the Stour was badly affected by the deasease that all but wiped out our larger Perch. Thankfully in recent years they have recovered and it is once again posible to set out in pursuit of a specimen Perch and i believe that there is no better time than early autumn in which to do that. It is then that their fantastic colours are most vibrant and when they are at their fighting best.

I find the most enjoyable way to fish for these autumn treasures is with a float set-up carrying only minimal gear so that I can walk the banks unhindered as I look for my prey in their favourite pools. I am not alone in that as I found out when I read the Book ""How To Fish" by Chris yates.

Chris is a Perch fanatic, he too fishes along the same stretches of the River Stour, I had'nt known this before i read his book but he desribes the river in such a way that i could almost see the pools he writes about fishing. Infact in one chapter he described a bend in the River in such a way hat I felt sure I knew where he had been and on a day that suited Perch fishing I paid that bend a visit, It may or may not have been the same bend but it proved to be a real Perch hotspot! In the hour before dusk that I fished, I caught 8 specimen Perch all of which were over 2lb with the three biggest weighing 3lb 4oz, 3lb 6oz and a new PB for me 3lb 10 0z. It was without doubt one of the best hours fishing I have ever had, the fish were in fantastic condititon and it is hard to describe how impressive a Perch of that size is. I must of coarse give thanks and credit to Chris Yates because I never would have fished the swim if it had'nt been for his book.

"How to Fish" is a great read, it describes the joy of fishing for Perch and with his usual skill Chris brings the scene to life through his descriptive narratives. If you have never fished for Perch then give it a read as I am sure it will ignite an interest, If like me do enjoy hunting autumn Perch on our rivers then reading "How to fish" will help prepare your mind for the coming year and you never know may even prompt you too find the Perch hole of a lifetime!

if you want to read "How to fish" by Chris Yates you can order now by simply clicking this link