Feeder fishing Glades Style!

I HAVE BECOME ADDICTED! (to feeder fishing at the Glade that is)

I got there at about 8:45am and had a survey around the lake - "That's it" I thought - "Feeder time!" - out came the Lineaeffe hi-tech feeder, for the day. It was on to the members bank for me and out came the tub of maggots! I was already clipped up at the distance I wanted and the feeding had started.

I was baiting up for a good hour or so and then at 10:30am the tip shot round and the backwind on the Magma reel was rolling like mad! - Only for me to shoot the rod tip in the air and connect with a good fighting fish. It didn’t want to surface! But in the end it eventually gave up and I was netting my first fish of the day...


A 4lbs 10oz tench

Happy days!

So I started baiting up again - and having a bit of a chinwag with a good friend of mine named Jack. He's you're typical carper, but he's a good one at that, same age as me and has many 20's to his name now, due to persistence and good knowledge of carping (yet he still didn’t catch today!!)

I walked back to my swim, re-cast and re-baited. After another 15 minutes, I was just about to pick up my rod and to cast out another feeder full of maggots, and the tip flies round again with immense force!

The fight was a lot better and the fish even ended up taking me to the swim on the right of me past a load of rushes - this fish didn’t want to come out either! But persistence paid off and I saw another orangy belly and huge pectorals, another tinca was on the way! When it finally gave itself up I swiftly got the net under it and weighed it - this tench pulled the scales down to...5lbs 2oz

My mate Jack and his guest were happy to see the fish come out - but what they really wanted were carp ( WHY!?!?!?! )

Plus, the Glade is the furthest thing from a commercial you can actually get! It's usually really hard to fish this time of year, but if you get the spot - and the method of fishing right, it can prove very productive!

I was happy that I was doing alright. But that wasn't it - I recast and after literally about 2 minutes of the feeder being in the water, I got a gentle tug on the feeder and the tip stayed there. This is a stillwater of course, so this was very unusual. So out of curiosity...I struck! What at first only felt like a roach suddenly came in to life after about 10 seconds, and put up a lively scrap yet not as much of a fight as the other two fish. But I had eventually landed another tinca of...

3lbs 6oz

Elated with my surprising success I began to bask in my own glory after a recast of a full feeder. By this time I was still the only person still who had caught out of everyone on the lake, and the two young lads on the public side opposite kept gazing at my tip also!

Jack had left and had gone to the carp swims on the public side, his friend had left so I invited the lads opposite over for a while(it's allowed) and I shared with them the method I was using. How to set up a feeder rig, the different types of feeders you can get, and various ways of setting them up etc. And a bit about the lake itself also, as they were new to it. I let them back out the gate and came back to my rod. It was almost 20 minutes now since my last recast after the 3lbs 6oz tench and once again, the ultra-sensitive 1oz tip on the lineaeffe hi-tech feeder rod, flew round and I had connected with yet another good fish.

The battle lasted around 5 minutes this time and after which yet another lovely tench had peeked his head through the surface and dived back down with a tremendous splash. After veering it out of the way of a nearby snag, I had finally netted my last fish of the day being a pretty lean and lively....

4lbs 5oz Tench

So overall...I had an EXCELLENT session with a total of 17lbs 7oz of tench. The most tench ever caught in a single session at the Glade by yours truly.

All fish were caught on a small maggot feeder, size 14 hook and triple maggot - and an exceptional weight of fish for a session in this time of year at the Glade, a very hard lake!

On another note, the feeder rod handled the powerful tench really well. The bend you get in the rod is exceptional with you being able to feel every move the fish makes yet still keep it under control.

It's taken me the best part 3 years to crack this lake and find all its secrets - and its a very unusual water also! A great day well spent - good company, nice weather and great fish!

I THINK I'M ADDICTED!

Thanks for reading all!

Tight lines!

Ash
"The Tinca Tempter"