Fools, Poles and Tench

I thought it would be fun to catch a tench on the pole. This normally wouldn't be a big deal but I had two problems.

Firstly the elastic in my pole is no 7, "perfect for roach and skimmers" so I was told.

Secondly the swims are very snaggy, full of lillies and reeds and the canal is only about twenty feet wide. Obviously you need something with the power to prevent the fish reaching the snags.

Taking both these things into consideration you may think only an idiot would continue down the path of pole-with-roach-elastic. 

And you'd be right.

I baited a couple of swims, left it half an hour and then armed with my 5m pole with bristle tipped float, lowered the rig in between the lillies. The float slid away immediately, a decent sized bream. Next two chucks, bream. Easily handled on the pole.

Forth drop in and I hooked something that was definitely not a snotty. The elastic stretched and stretched and kept on stretching. In the end I was walking down the canal with about fifteen feet of elastic out,  hanging on the the very end of the butt. It was a ludicrous display of cretinous incompetence that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Eventually a decent sized tench ended up in the net, more by luck than judgement.

You will not be surprised when I tell you I had another slightly bigger fish on the same totally unsuitable set up. 

I did come to my senses after that though and had a couple more tench on more appropriate gear, the legendary Drennan IM8 Specimen Float rod, 4lb maxima, size 12 hook and a bit of bottom and only peacock quill.

This part of the Monty really is full of fish. I also had lots of rudd and bream, a few roach, perch and a rogue pike. Last session this evening before I move on I reckon.