Failing to catch Tench (again!)

[Catfish.017]

Yep, here we go again! I did go back to the 'New to Me Water' a nice little pool for the time being. That was on Wednesday evening as planned. I did get a Tench too, around two and a half pounds and in lovely condition. The trouble was there was no bite, not even the merest shiver or dip of the float, I just lifted and there it was, hooked fairly and squarely in the top lip. It's not quite the same is it when you see no bite?
That was the only action in more than three hours although those pesky Carp were quite active on the surface. So for my "crack of dawn" session this morning I switched back to the canal near Chasewater. I knew the S/W breeze would get going quite early and I also knew it would blow into the favoured swim.
I was awake at 3.45am and at the waterside by 4.30am. A pleasant morning with small fish topping frequently and the occasional Bream rolling. But of Tench there was no sign and after an hour and a half, doubts began to creep in. These circumstances always bring to mind that wonderful chapter in one of Howard Marshalls books where he writes about failing to catch Tench in France and the phlegmatic demeanour of his native companion in accepting fate as it comes.
Unfortunately I couldn't summon the required level of patience (or indolence) and was soon back in the car en route for a little pit a few miles distant. I had wondered if spawning had anything to do with the disinterest the Tench had shown so my reasoning was this little pit I was heading for is quite deep and maybe the water temperature there would be lower and by extension, the Tench would not be in an amorous mood?
In short I was wrong, or at least if they weren't spawning there was something else amiss. Now I failed to catch Tench here several times last Summer (a seven hour session once!) but each time there was copious bubbling to indicate their presence. This morning nothing, not a sign. Eventually I scaled down my tackle to save the blank with a few little 'Silvers'. I couldn't even do that despite them being around. I had several bobs, twitches and fast dips but nothing hung on. So there it was, water licked for the first time in ages!
Not to worry. All the usual compensations for rising early were present, the dawn chorus, the cool fresh air and at the Pit, a complete absence of road noise and just one brief appearance of another human being leading two horses from the adjacent paddocks which they share with'Wilded' Roe Deer. Wonderful.

[Dave Burr]

I also failed to catch tench or anything else this morning despite a stupidly early rise. I look forward to some evening chub fishing.

[Catfish.017]

I also failed to catch tench or anything else this morning despite a stupidly early rise. I look forward to some evening chub fishing.

DaveI wonder if it's to do with the weather which can't seem to settle at all. Would you have ordinarily expected to catch on your chosen venue this morning? Paul.

[Dave Burr]

I also failed to catch tench or anything else this morning despite a stupidly early rise. I look forward to some evening chub fishing.

DaveI wonder if it's to do with the weather which can't seem to settle at all. Would you have ordinarily expected to catch on your chosen venue this morning? Paul.

I'm still coming to terms with this particular water Paul, to be honest, it's making my head hurt as it has fish regularly showing yet they feed like overgrown crucians. I've had one in four sessions and speaking to some of the regulars, that's about average. Of course, some spawny so and so's (and I'm not going to mention Old Wulf by name), have had a few... to seven pounds

I'll get there but, I'll never get used to falling out of bed at 5am.

[Grumpy]

Re Tench feeding times,last year and this year I found getting out of bed at silly o'clock a waste of time.The Tench in the waters I fish tend to come on the feed mid morning and feed on and off throughout the day.As you say Dave "they feed like overgrown crucians". They sure are capricious little blighters.Last summer I was catching them in bright sunlight on a scorchingly hot day.Tench,youv'e got to love them!

[GameKeeper]

I will be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for my 1st tench outing of the new season,so fingers crossed they on the feed !!!!!!!!

[EricW]

I'm not sure if bubbling tench are always that easy to catch. I was fishing a swim yesterday on a quiet pool and the tench were bubbling on and off all day in my swim. I caught two, but the rest of the time, they were clearly brushing the line. Maybe they were preoccupied on bloodworm or something. They can certainly be challenging at times.

[SooperClooper]

Too hot to fish for me I'm afraid, did have a look at a section of river that does throw up the odd tench, had to fight my way through nettles shoulder high though!!!!

[Catfish.017]

An update on those Canal Tench. Today I discovered that a casual acquaintance, an angler, caught six of these Tench last week in the middle of a bright afternoon, pole fishing single caster in the gin clear water! Food for thought?

[Goose]

I fished a new to me club lake today, I was after tench but when I arrived early this morning they were all in a spawning frenzy, but managed to wrinkle two out plus 4 perch. Happy days.