Big Tench - Attempt No 4 (Lymmvale)

Back to Lymmvale but another part of the lake this time.

The Car Park swim which was taken on all previous visits was vacant when I arrived so only a short lug of the gear from car to peg. The plan today is method feeder again on one heavier rod and a lighter straight in-line lead bolt rig set up on a lighter rod. I'm going to thread the hooklength on this rod through a pva mesh stick and I've gone for a banana flavoured frozen boilie on the hair - smells fab to me anyway.

It's another early start and I do wince as the 3oz method feeder crashes into the flat calm swim. The rods are in at 6.30am and apart from seemingly half of the lake's carp population having a good sunbathe four swims to my right it's disappointingly quiet until lunchtime... 12.30 and the method rod roars off - I'm into a decent tench, which fights all the way to the net and just as I'm about to break my Lymmvale duck the hook pulls...you couldn't make this up - 2.5 days on the lake without a proper bite and then one falls off at the net. Some serious swearing later and I'm a bit more philosophical - it was 4-5 lbs so probably not a PB and at least one rig works. 3oz method feeeder (Expo and Sensas mix; short link of 9lbs fluoro hooklink and three hair rigged rubber casters) fooled the little red eyed monster.

Then............jack diddly until packing up at 9.30pm. Air pressure has fallen a bit from 1005 to 1002 over the day but the weather's been mild and I'm sure fish are going through the swim judging by the regular liners I've been getting on both rods. I can get here again this week and the plan must be to fish match style to see just whats in there. In the meantime, an impressive third blank on the bounce. Magic.

Mr Fish