I occasionally fish a water for tench, its big , I think pressure is telling and catches are not what they were.
I can normally get some 60/65 metres that was normally sufficient but catches now suggest a change of tack.
Not only that but One angler I know went in with three • five tc rods with big pits and braid , big method feeders too.
He let rip and almost hit midwater that is almost out of bounds to me with my kit in the main and he went on to catch well.
I dont really want to go in with such heavy rods (I do have them )which is why I ask my original question.
I'm thinking of the application of lube to mono to start with then braid with shock leader if I cant get the extra distance, big pits as a last resort.
Any other tips from long time braid/long casting anglers other than the fingerstall ?.
I've yet to see any mention of the rods you are actually using. My experience has been that a well chosen rod, matched well to the weight being cast, makes more difference to casting range than reels or line choices. This is coming from someone that is a fan of braid for certain applications.
There's little doubt that bigger reels (longer spools with greater diameters) and lower diameter lines (inc braid) can give some advantage, but not as much as the rod. Unfortunately, an individual's casting style also has a significant impact on which rod might be most suitable for them. Not all x lb TC rods are equal when it comes to casting distances. The action of the rod plays a significant part. However, you certainly don't need a 3.5lb test curve rod to achieve distances well in excess of 65 yards.
The biggest issue is that specialist long range rods for the smaller species aren't that common. There's plenty of barbel rods and Avon rods of similar TC to that which might be desireable. However, just because the TC seems right doesn't mean the action is. Some of such rods will be better than others for long range stillwater fishing. Many are a lot less than ideal.
From the mainstream manufacturers, I can think of two relatively recent rods that really fit the bill for long range fishing for the smaller species. The first is the discontinued Shimano Purist Brench. The other is the discontinued Drennan Specialist Tench & Bream. Both tend to be hard to get hold of on the second hand market. Regardless of how well they sold, or not, when current, owners don't tend to let go of them when they have them.
I bought and used the Shimano Purist Brench for a trip targeting big roach on a large stillwater. I'd previously recommended a friend, who is a venue regular, have a look at this rod. Quite a few of the regulars have ended up with them. Coupled with Shimano 4000D baitrunners and 8lb mono I was approaching the 100 yard mark. I'm sure that with mini big pit reels, or the new large spool (X-Aero) small baitrunners I could exceed 100 yards fairly easily.
I suspect that Drennan are well aware of the secondary market for their Specialist Tench & Bream rod. They've just released a
MK2 version to the market.
This
old thread might be of some interest.