The Buckinghamshire angler banked the superb spring tinca alongside other heavyweight specimens scaling 10lb 5oz and 10lb 1oz from a large southern pit, making for a memorable hat-trick. Rather than using a worm kebab or maggot feeder rig, as most tench anglers do these days, he opted for something slightly different.

“I was fishing Method-style, but rather than use a feeder, I used an inline lead with groundbait moulded in a ball around it. My hookbait was two rubber casters on a long hair rig below a size 12 hook. This was tied on a six-inch braided hooklink, which I tucked inside the ball of groundbait around the lead but left the hook hanging out the side. Crucially, this creates enough drag as the ball falls to the deck to ensure it never ends hidden under the Method ball on the bottom.”

Gary cast the set-up over a mixture of casters, chopped worms, and a very small amount of hemp on a smooth 6ft-deep area between two gravel bars, which he located after a swim move.

“I’ve been fishing this pit for the first time this spring, and it’s been hard, with quite a few blanks and the tench proving difficult to locate. After blanking on the first night of this session, I moved to an area nobody had fished all spring, but one that I fancied the tench would move through.”

Gary was soon into fish, and over the following few days landed a PB male tench of 9lb 7oz, as well as a seven-pounder and the two ‘smaller’ doubles. “I’d have been more than happy to go home with what I’d already caught, but I felt I was in with a chance of a real biggun’, so I stayed an extra night.”

The decision paid off the next morning when Gary landed the biggest of his haul.
“It’s probably the best-looking big tench I’ve ever caught, with a massive frame and measuring 26 inches long.”

Well done Gary!