I think I was about 7 years of age and all I can remember was sitting under my fathers 45" umbrella that was wrapped with a clear plastic cover and held down by a couple of home made pegs. A pair of 1.25 rods complete with mitchell 300's on a set of old heron type buzzers. Bait was par boiled spuds fished with a scattering of jolly green giant!! We were sat between a pair of tree/bushes on a small sand pit in the heart of Bedfordshire and the rain was coming down when one of the old fellas home made bobbins (I say home made as they were in fact fairy liquid bottle tops) hit the rod butt. After a small amount of commotion and dad saying "get the net lad" there in the bottom was a smooth green fish with red eyes.
"It's a Tench mate, get the little scales and the bag from the bottom of my seat box while I unhook her". This particular catch was 4lb 8oz and I can remember dad getting an old rag from one of his well used tackle bags and holding and returning it to the water with the use of a wet rag and not allowing his dry hands to touch his prize. In those days we used to sit up most of the night with huge expectation sipping tea from a flask and waiting for day break as the best time for a Tench (according to the books) is dawn. Still mornings, allow the best viewing for fizzing,bubbling and occasional Tench rolling!
Moving on in time and it's now February 2010, the weather has been cold, wet and horrid since I don't know when and my thoughts are already thinking about chasing "old red eye" for the first time in many a year come the spring. Thoughts of un-caught doubles are lighting the fires and have set my mind ticking on how to outwit such fish!
Tackle has changed but thankfully not too much, the basics are still the same as they ever were and I for one can't wait to be sitting under my brolly on a damp and misty spring morning waiting to rekindle those same thoughts from 1977 when as a boy, my eyes first set sight on a red eyed Tinca!!
"It's a Tench mate, get the little scales and the bag from the bottom of my seat box while I unhook her". This particular catch was 4lb 8oz and I can remember dad getting an old rag from one of his well used tackle bags and holding and returning it to the water with the use of a wet rag and not allowing his dry hands to touch his prize. In those days we used to sit up most of the night with huge expectation sipping tea from a flask and waiting for day break as the best time for a Tench (according to the books) is dawn. Still mornings, allow the best viewing for fizzing,bubbling and occasional Tench rolling!
Moving on in time and it's now February 2010, the weather has been cold, wet and horrid since I don't know when and my thoughts are already thinking about chasing "old red eye" for the first time in many a year come the spring. Thoughts of un-caught doubles are lighting the fires and have set my mind ticking on how to outwit such fish!
Tackle has changed but thankfully not too much, the basics are still the same as they ever were and I for one can't wait to be sitting under my brolly on a damp and misty spring morning waiting to rekindle those same thoughts from 1977 when as a boy, my eyes first set sight on a red eyed Tinca!!
love it
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