Target species.

Saturday, an early session at Ryton with a Tench in mind. I was fishing with my normal Carp set-up, one rod cast to the island as a sleeper the second having scaled down end tackle and an alternative to boilies as bait with the intentions of catching a Tench, I had a take on the first chuck with this rod, shame I missed it. The rod was freshly baited and back out onto the same spot, after about twenty minutes I had a couple of unusual slow lifts on the bobbin, this continued for a while so I decided to hit it, it was a fish but it's fight wasn't the same as a Tench, when It came to the net it wasn't my target species at all but a Bream, rare for Ryton but they are in there.

Unusual for Ryton.

It wasn't what I'd set out to catch but it was more than welcome at 4lb 6ozs.

Immaculate condition

A few hours later the sleeper rod that was on the island margins sprang into life with a screamer of a run, I was sure it was a Carp the way that it took off. The fish gave a good account for itself and I was convinced it was a Carp until I saw the paintbrush tail of a Tench and a good one at that. It rolled into the net and when weighed, pulled the scales round to a very satisfying five pound and eight ounces, with my fishing time so short, if this is the only Tench I catch this year, I'll be very happy.

Things went quiet mid morning, I had a few dropped takes with one smaller Tench failing to drop the bait quick enough, I lost another good fish on the sleeper rod which felt like a Carp, I was gutted as I haven't had a Ryton Carp this year.

Barry was in the swim next door float fishing with maggots and having a great time. He'd had a huge bag of Perch, Roach, Rudd and a couple of Golden Orfe, 

Goldfish anyone!

I've not seen these in here before, possibly a new addition from someones pond?

 

I was talking to Barry about upping my two ounce Perch weight for the challenge and he handed me his float rod and told me to catch one. I gave it a go and ended up with three Perch to nine ounces and a small Roach.

Nine ounces has got to be better than two!

I had such a good time I thought I'd go out and get some maggot's and return on Sunday.