Tench

[topcat]

Hi. Jenny, It was a long time ago, about late 70 s when those big rat things were about. We saw several in the martham area also the men who were catching them, they had dead ones strung up a pole. however back to tench, 4 seasons ago while at the new inn ( horning ) an angler in a rowing boat opposite us cau ght  a really good one he estimated well over 6lb. a couple of years before that at dilham dyke a local angler showed us his catch it contained 6 tench amongs other fish. Now i know horning and tench dont go together but i saw it as plain as day. Sorry if you think i am getting boring now. i,m just getting excited about being there again on the 16th june, Forgot the name of those animals think it began with M.

i,ll shut up now  Cheers

 

 

[JennyMorgan]

Thanks, TC, maybe I'd best head for Horning! We have them on my local Broad, seemingly all my angling friends have caught one, just not me. Still, I did once catch a burbot, more than 60 years ago! As for those large rats, the fur was nutria, the rats themselves were copu.

[Londonlad1985]

Just googled a burbot. I'd never heard of them. It's considered extinct in the UK now according to Wiki. We can always live in hope for more. I'm looking forward having a dangle later in the year and see what I can find. 

[Timbo]

Ah! Will you be after a nice brace of these varmints Topcat?


Then forget Horning and head for the River Ant between Wayford and the Stalham turn. Beautiful fish...went off like a couple of bullets. Both to lobworm fished over a bed of dark crumb with a glug of molasses in the mix.

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Just googled a burbot. I'd never heard of them. It's considered extinct in the UK now according to Wiki. We can always live in hope for more. I'm looking forward having a dangle later in the year and see what I can find. 

I often wonder if I was the last burbot catcher in England? I was fishing the Waveney with my father back in the 50's. He'd caught burbot with his father. Only time I ever saw one, what caused their demise I don't know, I would have returned it.

[JennyMorgan]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33410217

[MauriceMynah]

Love the article Peter, first they say how terribly rare the fish is, then go on to say how marvellous it is to eat. 

[Bound2Please]

Yes agreed a good article about a fish that 99.9999% of the population will never see, and will become completly forgotten any time soon.

[rightsaidfred]

9 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

I often wonder if I was the last burbot catcher in England? I was fishing the Waveney with my father back in the 50's. He'd caught burbot with his father. Only time I ever saw one, what caused their demise I don't know, I would have returned it.

There were 1 or 2 caught in the Great Ouse up till the late 60s never heard of any after that I think if I remember rightly the reason given for their demise was that our waters had become to warm, as for Tench they come out every year between Swan corner and the Ferry Inn usually of a good size although not in any great number, also the top end of the Thurne and around Wroxham particularly around Bridge Broad not prolific but more Tench than Carp.

Fred

[Guest]

About twenty years or so ago, I knew an old boy who fished the small pits at the bottom of 'Ferrygate Lane', Martham during the summer. He insisted on releasing (illegally, of course) any tench he caught from the pits, into the River Thurne. His reason being, after the 'angling club' had introduced carp to the pits, the tench would have a better life in the river and adjacent broads. Indeed, those that survived the pike and cormorants, appear to have prospered and there are a number of them around the boat dyke, 'Dungeon Corner' and  Martham/Somerton Broad.