Bentley Pool - June 1st

Decided to head for Bentley Pool for an evening session after hearing tales of the quality tench lurking in the deeps. I arrived at about 3.30pm to find the car park empty on a very sunny afternoon.

When I got down to the pool I found a lot of carp cruising on the top, so I quickly rigged up a controller float but I failed to tempt them into feeding.

Whilst I was stalking Sean Downs turned up so we had a chat and ended up fishing on the right hand side of the pool, I was facing the island.

My Swim - Close in to the Island

I started on the tip, with and inline lead wrapped in scalded Robin Red pellets and with a fake corn bait hair rigged to a S14 Q1 hook and 10lb braid. This was cast about 4' short of the island.

I decided to prepare a pole line close to the island and was just plumbing up when the tip flew round.....the fish headed off round the right side of the island.....eventually I got it under control and finally landed a beautiful 5lb 6oz female Tench. I had no further Bites on the feeder.

5lb 6oz Female Tench

Switching to the pole I fished close to an overhanging bush on the Island and had two further female Tench, 5-00 & 4-12 on corn. The rig was 5.5lb main line with a 4.6lb hooklength & a size 14 Gamma Power hook set about 4" over depth. I had problems with the elastic in the pole, Diawa grey hydro elastic with a pulla bung, as it was too slack and secondly the pulla bung slipped up into the pole and left a slack elastic. Both Tench headed for the tree roots to the left of the island and with a slack elastic I was struggling to keep them out of it.

Whilst not catching I was kept entertained by the resident geese, on family of Greylag Geese with 10 chicks being looked after by a barren couple of Canada Geese and another Barnacle Goose with 4 chick. All was fine except when the Greylag chicks took a liking to my pole float, which ended up in the overhanging bush!

Family of Greylag Geese

Barnacle Goose & 4 Chicks

Sean fished a couple of pegs to my left, close to some Lilly pads, he had three tench capped by a 7lber at last knockings.

Packed up at 10.00pm after a very enjoyable session, 3 lovely Tench in beautiful surrounding, will definitely back in search of that elusive 6lber!!!