My alarm goes off. It’s 4am and still dark outside. Bleary eyed I get myself up, have a bite or two from last night’s pizza and get my tackle together.
I grab the maggots from the fridge, then some (Expo) ground bait, frenzied hempseed and some (Scopex) sweet corn from my stash in the shed out back. It’s tinca tinca time.
Now here’s a species that has eluded this part-time coarse fisherman and a trip to Bury Hill has been on the cards as Tench have been on my bucket list for some time. What’s more, the idea of spending a balmy day in early summer watching my float bob up and down beside the water lilies is one that I have been looking forward to escaping to for a couple of weeks. Bubbles, I’ve been told, is what to look out for.
At that moment, Jim wakes me from my thoughts. It’s time to go. We pack my gear into the back of his car and head towards Dorking. Before I know it, we are outside the Fishery and have met up with Stew and Phil. Two solid coarse fishermen, who, I hope, will show me the ropes.
After signing in and purchasing our day ticket, we quickly find our pegs of choice and Stew gets down to showing me how to rig up.
It’s not long before we are into fish. Various species come to the net, but not my prized Tench. Phil and Stew are doing well, reeling fish in.
Eventually though both Jim and I catch our prizes, namely a PB Rudd and a lovely slimy green flanked Tench for me.
As always with fishing a pond, action comes and goes at the flick of a switch. The day itself is no different, as the appearance of bubbles ebbs and flows throughout it, seemingly reflecting my concentration levels.
Bubbles… just what the doctor ordered…