Simon Ashton takes up the story “At the start of my year I set my targets for the season, and top of the list was a new PB tench. I had planned a session with Drennan’s media team at a gorgeous 30-acre Nene Valley gravel pit to shoot some content around their new Specimen Tench and Bream rods, but disaster struck when it closed early for spawning!Two weeks later it had reopened, and upon returning I selected a swim along the western bank, where the wind had blown for the last three days. Straight away I saw a few fish show, which boosted my confidence. A quick lead around revealed a clear gulley amongst the Canadian pondweed, running parallel to the bank. It was two feet deeper than the surrounding area and looked a perfect patrol route.

I baited with six spods of mixed micro pellets and hemp and cast three maggot feeders with worm kebab hookbaits over the top. Just 30 minutes later I had my first bite, but the fish unfortunately came off as it charged into a weedbed. After introducing in a little more chopped worm and hemp, that same rod tore off again, but this time I was bitten off by a pike. The same thing happened again a few minutes later! I was thinking about switching over to Method feeders and fake casters, but my next bite was from an 8lb tench.

To keep the swim ticking over I added another three spods of particles and soon after managed another fish, this time weighing just over 9lb. After a brace of smaller fish the cameraman left, and typically, an hour later I had the best yet at 9lb 10oz. After topping up again, another nine-pounder followed, backed up by a superb 9lb 14oz fish that evening. Exhausted, I wound the rods in for some well-earned sleep, but it rained that night, and I awoke to discover that I hadn’t put the lid on my bait bucket properly. This resulted in a maggot migration!

Only a handful remained, and these were all floating in rainwater. My worms had escaped too, but I found half a dozen hiding under the bag. I just managed to scrape enough together for a final cast whilst I packed away, and it wasn’t long before I was in again. The fish charged through my other rods, and when the mother of all tench surfaced! I wasted no time in landing it. I called the bailiff over who weighed it, and I couldn’t believe my eyes as I saw the needle of the scales resting on 12lb 4oz. A true freshwater leviathan in a session I’ll never forget.”

Well done Simon!