Coventry’s legendary specimen hunter Phil Smith with a quite magnificient Tench from a Colne Valley gravel pit caught during May, which weighed 10lb 5oz!

Phil found a nice clear gravel area amongst Canadian Pond Weed with a marker rod, approximately 40 yards out, which he baited with a method mix based groundbait including pellets, sweetcorn, casters and 10mm Dynamite Source boilies.  This carpet of bait was delivered accurately & tidily with the aid of a Spomb.

Using two Drennan Distance Specialist Tench & Bream 12ft 2lb rods, Phil used an inline Bolt Rig Feeder on one, and a running swim feeder on the other with a piece of artificial corn trapping some real maggots on a tiny hook (see illustration – the artificial maggots are too illustrate real ones on the actual rig!), see Phil’s rig photo.

After seeing several fish show and roll, and spombing more hemp and maggot to the spot, Phil connected with a very dark 7lb 5oz Tench on the artificial corn rig.  At dusk later that day, the indicator rose again and Phil hit into a slow moving but heavy fish!  After the usual anxiety about the security of the hook hold, this fit and well proportioned specimen slid into the net!

The Drennan Distance Specialist Tench & Bream rods are perfect for the role they were designed for, and have accounted for numerous specimen Tench to date this Spring, from various parts of England!  And we’ve still more to come…. Click here for full details.

You can follow Phil’s weekly specimen fishing exploits via this excellent blog.