More Tench tribulations!
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2023 1:53 pm
It's been a funny old week on the Tincas. Last Friday blanking on the Daw End Canal, my banker water really? Monday early, five Tench from the little pit at Brownhills, a water that hadn't previously given me much sport with them. Not wanting to overdo it, I switched venues again on Wednesday evening, choosing the Anglesey Branch Canal at Chasewater. I've had some nice Tench here but none this Summer, albeit only two visits so far.
The evening was rather cool with a strong Westerly breeze in the face on my pitch at the wharf end. This area screams Tench with lush weed beds, lily pads and reeds. Four hours, zilch, not even a Rudd?.
So this morning I had to go back to the little pit and with the dawn warmer than Mondays I felt reasonably confident of catching. I arrived a little later today, just after 5.00am and with the extra few degrees of warmth, the Tenchy mist was absent. I started again in my first choice swim and it quickly became apparent that there were fish present. Slight bubbling, reed stems twitching and end tackle being disturbed from below. Twice I retrieved a empty hook but failed to get anything to strike at.
I fed the other two swims again and fished all three in rotation but the only one with any signs was the first choice one and even there all activity ceased around 7.00am, coinciding with the rain starting; light at first but gradually worsening as the morning wore on. I stayed until almost 10.00am when I conceded defeat and packed up.
Obviously I had plenty of time to think and theorise but all I could come up with was this; I'm beginning to wonder if the Tench have a feeding cycle that doesn't correspond to the twenty four hour clock? Something along the lines of the Pike but not so extreme? I can't understand how they can be feeding enthusiastically at dawn one morning in so so conditions but then obviously not really hungry a few mornings later in more suitable circumstances? It just doesn't add up.
A weekend off but where to go on Monday?
The evening was rather cool with a strong Westerly breeze in the face on my pitch at the wharf end. This area screams Tench with lush weed beds, lily pads and reeds. Four hours, zilch, not even a Rudd?.
So this morning I had to go back to the little pit and with the dawn warmer than Mondays I felt reasonably confident of catching. I arrived a little later today, just after 5.00am and with the extra few degrees of warmth, the Tenchy mist was absent. I started again in my first choice swim and it quickly became apparent that there were fish present. Slight bubbling, reed stems twitching and end tackle being disturbed from below. Twice I retrieved a empty hook but failed to get anything to strike at.
I fed the other two swims again and fished all three in rotation but the only one with any signs was the first choice one and even there all activity ceased around 7.00am, coinciding with the rain starting; light at first but gradually worsening as the morning wore on. I stayed until almost 10.00am when I conceded defeat and packed up.
Obviously I had plenty of time to think and theorise but all I could come up with was this; I'm beginning to wonder if the Tench have a feeding cycle that doesn't correspond to the twenty four hour clock? Something along the lines of the Pike but not so extreme? I can't understand how they can be feeding enthusiastically at dawn one morning in so so conditions but then obviously not really hungry a few mornings later in more suitable circumstances? It just doesn't add up.
A weekend off but where to go on Monday?