Steve's relaxing break!

Thanks to Steve Margett for the photos & write -up, see you again!

I recently spent 3 nights targeting tench on the arches lake over at lonsdale park over the years ive had some very good tench hauls from all the lakes including several 9lb plus fish but this time with tench fishing very patchy here in scotland i just wanted to bank a few and thats exactly what happened, fishing at very short range to reed lines and coupled with a consistant baiting approach with maggots, pellet, bread crumb, hemp and wheat also with a few broken and crumbed boilies in the mix was my tactics for the session , im a big fan of using small mesh pva bags boosted with liquids on top of the free offerings, i used trimmed down lonsdale snail and frankfurter boilies with a 6mm bright topper on the hair for my hookbaits , i did try maggots but the constant eel takes convinced me to stay on cut down boilie, it took a while for me to get my first take which was about 8pm on the first evening, but once they started i was kept up all night by the tench coming thick and fast, my first was the best of the trip coming in at just over 7lbs at 7lbs 4 oz but the next few nights produced over 40 4lb plus tench with a good few smaller males as well!! also a brace of carp, the biggest was bang on 25lbs a very well put together fish!! Some large roach also played ball the best just a tab under the 2lb barrier. when the tench switched on i had some great sport even if the weather was not that good with prolonged heavy rain at times and gusty winds coming and going with the showers but it didnt put them off infact i 3 fish in the net once during a heavy wet spell whilst i readied my camera, when they are feeding here big hauls are possible in a very short time thats why i always have plenty of pva bags made up and waiting so i can get straight back on the baited spots and get the fish in ive always used 2 landing nets at lonsdale whilst targeting the tench and carp because they often turn up in bunches!! And when theres big tench and carp to be had you don't want to leave yourself struggling!! brilliant tench sport and its always nice to bank a few big roach and chunky carp- Thanks again paul!