The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

With tench they can respond positively to the disturbance once they're used to the idea that there will be food waiting, both natural and introduced. When I used to rake the swim, because the rake was there to be used there was no worry about disturbance as it was used every day. The weed has gone now there and so has the rake but I reckon the tench would still respond to raking.

Julian wrote:Its something I should do more often. I have done it in the past with some success for tench.
But I do need to get a good rake. I currently have a single head metal garden rake attached to some strong cord , but really need a double headed one to be effective.
I found this website recently:

http://www.carletonhillfishery.com/nov_2010_009.htm

Julian, I have one of those very same rakes. They were selling some on ebay a few years ago. Not bad, in fact quite good, but I have managed to bend it a few times and figured that if I didn't reinforce it somewhat it would end up breaking. It tends to bend across the width of the rake rather than the fingers them selves and I ended up screwing a piece of 2 12" X 1" oak batten on the back of the rake. Seems to have sorted the problem out, but if you want to be hauling real heavy stuff then I'd go and get one made up by a blacksmith. My brother did just that and what he's got is much better. Imagine a triangle of heavy thick steel, like a snooker framing triangle with a dozen 1/2" steel bars welded onto one side. it's got proper weight and is pretty much un-breakable.

Haydn Clarke wrote:

Julian wrote:Its something I should do more often. I have done it in the past with some success for tench.
But I do need to get a good rake. I currently have a single head metal garden rake attached to some strong cord , but really need a double headed one to be effective.
I found this website recently:

http://www.carletonhillfishery.com/nov_2010_009.htm

Julian, I have one of those very same rakes. They were selling some on ebay a few years ago. Not bad, in fact quite good, but I have managed to bend it a few times and figured that if I didn't reinforce it somewhat it would end up breaking. It tends to bend across the width of the rake rather than the fingers them selves and I ended up screwing a piece of 2 12" X 1" oak batten on the back of the rake. Seems to have sorted the problem out, but if you want to be hauling real heavy stuff then I'd go and get one made up by a blacksmith. My brother did just that and what he's got is much better. Imagine a triangle of heavy thick steel, like a snooker framing triangle with a dozen 1/2" steel bars welded onto one side. it's got proper weight and is pretty much un-breakable.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be giving it more of a go this summer.
This rake is like my one which I also bought from ebay. The alternative is I guess to wire 2 rake heads together back to back and attach a rope.

Another tip, Snape. Take some gloves. Some of the silt your hands will end up covered in will make the lunch time sarnies taste somewhat less delicious.

I have worked my way through several rake head based weed rakes over the years, lost in lillies or just broken and a few years at I bought a heavy duty one which has backwards pointing prongs that can actually spear through waterlily tubers and drag them out with enough effort on the end of the rope. I have opened up several completely over grown swims with it on a couple of lakes as well as fit raking open areas before tenching. The gloves are a must as wet rope and silt are not kind to hands, apart from the stink. After raking I usually spread a few handfuls of corn around the area and fish worm and corn almost straight away and if I'm there for a few days I will often re-rake a few times over the session. I raked up a telescopic spinning rod and reel last year, complete with spoon. Only a cheap set and probably dumped by one of the many Eastern Europeans which have been caught a few times illegally fishing the lake.

One tip, make sure there's not too much weed. I once raked for over half an hour but still couldn't get a swan shot to reach bottom. Another 30-40 minutes of sweat and toil and I was just about there, then my mate turned up and asked why I hadn't raked his swim for him My reply was brief but succinct.

I only caught one tench.

I made a weed rake some years ago by bolting two cheap rake heads back to back. It worked a treat. I'll have to dig it out of hibernation for the Spring tench season.

I use a single rake-head with lagging foam wired to the back, so it always lands teeth-down, and a metre of heavy chain to keep the angle of pull low. No use for serious gardening, but OK for "scratching their backs".

A very interesting thread, thanks everyone Has anyone ever tried specifically 'raking for carp'? I imagine on a weedy or silty lake the effect would be similar for all species?

Callum Harris wrote:A very interesting thread, thanks everyone Has anyone ever tried specifically 'raking for carp'? I imagine on a weedy or silty lake the effect would be similar for all species?

Hi Callum,

.....although I've never purposely "raked for Carp", it does work as I've had a fair few "encounters" with them whilst "Tenching".
The best of them was a beautiful coppery Common that weighed 21lbs 14oz and that really was fun on a 1.5lb TC, 8lb main with a 6lb hooklink in a heathland pond full of lillies!