Carl Eland had a successful last weekend of the river season thanks to a hard-earned tench and bream brace. 

The Drennan Banbury Gunsmiths team man caught the valuable fish during the annual Sensas Challenge Final, which this year was contested by 27 of five teams on the River Ouse at Littleport. That was enough for 3rd place overall on Day Two on a very difficult wind-swept and hard-flowing river where big fish dominated.

On his catch, Carl commented:

“I drew the end peg in C Section on the Ten Mile Bank, but was a bit concerned because my peg and several others had actually blanked the day before! 

“I fished at 13 metres and started the match by introducing 10 balls of Sensas Lake and Gros Gardons with a handful of casters and 150ml of joker. I then potted in five richer balls containing 300ml of joker, 15 chopped lobworms and casters. I also topped up every 30 minutes with small balls of groundbait and lobworms. 

“I had my first bite after 45 minutes, which was a 4oz perch. Twenty minutes later I had a proper fish which turned out to be a 5lb bream.  I then managed to catch a 5lb tench an hour before the end. Those three fish helped me to weigh in 10lb 4oz for 2nd in section and 3rd in the match. A bream and a tench for 11lb 13oz won the day.

“For tackle, I fished a 6g flat float in 14ft of water with a 0.12mm Drennan Supplex hook to a size 16 Drennan Wide Gape hook baited with a worm-head-and-pinkie cocktail.”