Underwater tench reacting to rigs

[@Emielio1]

Good to know this! I usually go on sessions of about 7-8 hours (mostly from around 3 or 4 in the afternoon until about 11 or 12 at night, although I occasionally spend a night sitting beside my rods), and I usually catch a maximum of 3 tench (not too many tench on my venue, although no one ever targets them there, so that's a positive). This summer I fish a trail in between two huge beds of weeds, and that's where all of my tench of this year came from, but I think the weeds help a lot in hiding the line. However, I never manage to catch them in the spring or autumn. This has given me something to think about :) I will definitely make sure that my line sinks like a brick in those seasons.

[@PaulScowen]

Emiel Vrolijk line management will certainly help but if you’re not catching them at all in the spring or autumn they may be elsewhere. Try shallow areas of the lake which warm quicker, gravel bars that are easy to effectively present your rig over and don’t neglect corners and bays, especially in the spring. You may also want to try starting before dawn and finishing at lunchtime as well. Dawn is often better than dusk. Good luck

[@tonycamplin8607]

Very interesting and informative. You said that it was in the beginning of the season, how could that be, surely it doesn't start 'till June.

[@PaulScowen]

Hi stony, The river season starts June 16th but most still waters are open year round. I don’t recall what I said but assume I would’ve been referring to the tench season

[@tonycamplin8607]

@@PaulScowen Thanks for the explanation, yes I was referring to the tench. I'm old fashioned and old 80+ therefore not used to being able to fish any time of year. I live in the heart of the Cambridgeshire fens and all my tench fishing is on the local drains that have the traditional close season.

[@markhepworth4804]

Very informative,thanks Paul,this definitely confirms for me I need to be pinned down on the pits I'm fishing!

[@jangojango4823]

Having packed away the river year for another year I’ve just revisited this video for some inspiration for the upcoming tench and bream.😊 It’s certainly interesting to see tench react to line in clear water. Several years back when fishing Wilstone I assumed it was the hook links the fish shied away from and tended to used 5 to 6 pound bs hi tech links to small (14 or 16) hooks mounted on power gum helicopter rigs. However subsequent trips to pits in recent seasons and the advent of underwater footage indicates, as you have shown, that the line management may indeed be the problem, especially when fishing bowstring tight to the indicators. My own observations are that lead core leaders don’t seem to spook the fish in the way mono does - I’ve no idea why but the tench appear to disregard the stuff? Maybe it looks more like weed or perhaps it’s the fact it’s so obvious as to not aero use suspicion and panic?. - I’m not sure but it does seem to work. Another edge I’ve found it to cut the number of lines in the swim. I used to use 3 or 4 rods on some of the larger waters but now rarely use more than two and even then I’ll fish each rod on different spots or at least on the edges of a larger baited area.. I can’t say I sussed this myself but having spoken to a very good carp angler who fishes on the Lea Valley he told me his catch rates had gone up massively just by not having lines in the water. His advice was to forget the size of the water and just prepare the spots correctly and then present the rig to arouse as least panic as possible. This proved sound advice indeed and my catches have not decrease despite supposedly reducing my odds of a bite by having less baited hooks in the water - might be rubbish but food for thought🤔. Anyway good luck for the “new” season. All the best JJ

[@PaulScowen]

Couldn’t disagree with any of that. Solid advice 👍

[@destobin4425]

Great footage Paul..Thought provoking 👍

[@stupidmike11]

This gives some food for thought. I think I will be giving flouro mainline a go after watching this. Great footage mate.

[@PaulScowen]

Mike Davies it’s certainly made me less blasé when targeting tench

[@mightymaggot9202]

Need to change my approach I reckon...great stuff

[@gee3883]

Nice filming again and a very interesting discovery you made Paul,,,, food for thought. I will be tying some of your rigs up this week. If anyone is looking for a Tench rig check out this fellas other vids well worth a look.

[@PaulScowen]

Thanks Graham

[@gee3883]

Your welcome @@PaulScowen

[@colinw8899]

Very interesting video, food for thought 🎣

[@PaulScowen]

Colin W this footage made me add a section of tungsten tubing, free running on the main line, when fishing clear areas to my tench rigs.

[@kevinshaw7638]

Hell what camera do you use

[@PaulScowen]

This was captured on a Waterwolf 1.1 but they aren’t available anymore. The nearest camera available now is the gofish cam. It has some additional features to the Waterwolf

[@jst1261]

🎣👌👌👌🎣

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

I wonder if a fluorocarbon leader would help.. I fish braid through to the feeder & a fluoro paternoster hooklink... Nice vid footage 😎👍☘

[@PaulScowen]

Peter Fitzpatrick yes, I’m sure it would. I’ll be adding flying back leads next time I fish in a similar situation