ADTV Amandas Angling - Gravel Pit Tench Fishing

I arrived at the lake very hopeful, with the rods out and the weather slightly overcast. It was a bit colder than we had hoped but the conditions were pretty much ideal for the tench as they can often be put off by the bright spring sunshine. I hadn’t even finished setting the scene for the camera before my first rod ripped off!

The first bite came on the method feeder rod fished tight up to the far margin, and sure enough, a lovely dark tench popped up in the clear water. Just over 5lb, and my first ever tench caught on purpose. Result! I was buzzing to get that first fish, and more importantly, I had a plan that was clearly working.

I started the session fishing two rods with different tactics: A method feeder cast tight to the margin, this is the one that produced that first bite, and an inline Maggot feeder rig carefully presented on a small clear spot 11 wraps out in open water. 

I took an active approach and I baited both areas regularly with a mix of hemp, sweetcorn, krill pellets, maggots and a few 12mm boilies, recasting every 30 minutes to keep things fresh. That constant trickle of bait proved really important.

It wasn’t long before tench number two made an appearance.  Another bite on the method feeder. At this point, I genuinely couldn’t believe how well things were going.

With both of the early bites coming on the method feeder rod, I had a quick rethink and swapped out the maggot feeder. Both rods were now set up with 45g Advanta method feeders, braided hooklinks and a Dynamite yellow-orange wafter on the hair, a simple but effective combo. I used 12ft Advanta Specimen rods paired with Sonik 5000 size, baitrunner reels. One of the nicest things about fishing for the tench specifically is that I got to use the lighter setup. It makes it really fun to battle these angry tench. 

Once both rods were on the method approach, the session went from fairly steady action to absolutely hectic. I had fish coming in faster than I could net them. They were mostly around the 5–6lb mark which is roughly average for the venue but they were beautiful, and I couldn’t keep a rod in the water.

The chicken I was cooking for dinner did end up a little over-done in all the chaos but it was a small price to pay for all this amazing action. By the time the sun was starting to set I had caught nine or ten good-sized tench and I barely had a chance to sit down. 

It’s a natural thing for anglers, even when a session is going as well as this, to want to catch something a little bigger. And while one of the late evening fish fought like a monster, it turned out to just be particularly angry rather than particularly massive. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I’ve had sessions at Billingford where I’ve blanked completely but this was one of those rare red letter days. Active fishing, constant bites, and crucially, it was all on purpose!

I had the night and the morning ahead of me and with the tactics working so well there was definitely time left for one of the bigger ones to make an appearance... 

After a quiet night with just one fish lost at the net, I was up at first light. Seeing the purple sunrise over the misty lake while the rest of the world was still asleep was  stunning. It's one of the reasons I love fishing.  There’s something magical about spring mornings by the water. It's calm, it's peaceful, and nothing else matters. 

With only a few hours left before the sun got too bright, I stuck with the spot that had worked so well and I was rewarded with another tench. By mid-morning, though, the lake started to slow down as the sun broke through, typical tench behaviour. It was time to call it a day.

So, did I catch a tench by design? Absolutely, and I loved every second of it. I hope this episode gives you the inspiration you need and hopefully a few top tips to get out there and try catching tench by design. 

If you enjoyed the first episode of Amanda’s Angling, don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow me as I continue my angling adventures. I’ve got loads more planned, and I can’t wait to take you with me.

See you on the bank!