Bubbles but no Tench.
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2023 9:55 am
Yesterday evening I went back to the Dawe End Canal with no great expectation of success. The weather, dominated as it has been for most of Spring, by a N/E wind; the day had been cool and gloomy. Cold nights had precluded a dawn session so my main hope was that the Tench would want to feed sometime and dusk might be their preferred option.
As I walked the half mile or so to the swim I could see that the surface gunge would still be a nuisance, drifting to and fro on the breeze. I settled in to my chosen spot using an eleven foot hollow glass float rod from Sunday's boot fair haul coupled with my Elite and six pound line. I began to get some diffident indications quite quickly then the float dived away and a good fish was hooked. It felt like a Tench briefly but then gave up and a four pound Bream came sluggishly to the net.
Well I haven't blanked anyway I thought. There followed a period of twitchy Roach bites with eventually one being hooked ans lost. When the Roach departed, a long quiet spell ensued and I began to have thoughts of baiting up another spot, thoughts I eventually dismissed reasoning that the fish should in time find the mash I had fed. Just after nine 'o' clock they did turn up, little clusters of bubbles occasionally peppering the surface and the float curtsying and dipping slightly. This went on right up to darkness when I could no longer see float or bubbles! Two lively little red worms were completely ignored along with flake, paste and a small piece of crust popped up two inches. I've been here before, frequently and the futility of the situation no longer frustrates me as it did in the past. I know it will pass and the Tench will take confidently one morning soon.
As I walked the half mile or so to the swim I could see that the surface gunge would still be a nuisance, drifting to and fro on the breeze. I settled in to my chosen spot using an eleven foot hollow glass float rod from Sunday's boot fair haul coupled with my Elite and six pound line. I began to get some diffident indications quite quickly then the float dived away and a good fish was hooked. It felt like a Tench briefly but then gave up and a four pound Bream came sluggishly to the net.
Well I haven't blanked anyway I thought. There followed a period of twitchy Roach bites with eventually one being hooked ans lost. When the Roach departed, a long quiet spell ensued and I began to have thoughts of baiting up another spot, thoughts I eventually dismissed reasoning that the fish should in time find the mash I had fed. Just after nine 'o' clock they did turn up, little clusters of bubbles occasionally peppering the surface and the float curtsying and dipping slightly. This went on right up to darkness when I could no longer see float or bubbles! Two lively little red worms were completely ignored along with flake, paste and a small piece of crust popped up two inches. I've been here before, frequently and the futility of the situation no longer frustrates me as it did in the past. I know it will pass and the Tench will take confidently one morning soon.