Although he’s caught over 60 double-figure tench, a fish over the 10lb mark from Staffordshire’s Copmere had eluded Dai Gribble until a recent session, when he landed this immaculate 11lb 13oz specimen.
The fish is, to Dai, worth the same as a 13lb gravel pit fish, and is one he’s been after since he started fishing the water in 1981. Dai kick-started his session by raking the weed, clearing spots around 35 yards out where he baited with a mixture of 2mm Sonubaits pellets, hemp, maggots, and chopped worm. Over the top, he fished a mixture of maggot and worm kebab hookbaits on heli-rigs.
The next morning, he had a take from what he knew instantly was a good fish. It gave a steady, plodding fight, weeding him up a few times, but as soon as it surfaced, Dai knew he’d hooked the one he was after. Despite catching much larger fish, Dai says this one is up there with the best he’s caught. Amazingly, he had his second ‘double’ from the venue just two days later, this time weighing 10lb 6oz!
Well done Dai!