Tench – Basic Knowledge

The tench has got to be one of the most satisfying fish to catch in fresh water. It offers everything, from a really hard scrap to beautiful colours, and even comes in gold! The tench is a really muscular fish, very sturdily built, and has really tiny scales which are embedded in its skin to give the fish a smooth finish. The colour of a tench is a lovely olive green colour along the back, which fades to a golden flank with a yellow and sometimes orange belly. The fins of the tench are purely for power, and consist of large rounded paddles that are very dark in colour. Either side of the thick lipped mouth is a single barbel which is used to root around for food with. A key feature of a tench is the eyes, which are tiny perfectly rounded and orange/red in colour. Tench which live is clear weedy waters appear very dark in colour, almost black, whereas those in coloured weed less water are much paler.

The tench also has a separate colour altogether, seen as a separate ornamental species, and appears in a golden colour, arrange, sometimes with black spots along the back and head. This species are commonly kept in ornamental ponds, although waters do hold them.

The tench is distributed throughout Europe, with the exception of the north tips of Scotland, Scandinavia and Denmark. The tench can grow to large sizes, into double figures, but the average size around the UK is between 1lb and 4lb. Tench are one of the only fish that can clearly be sexed out of breeding. The male fish have distinctly larger and thicker ventral and pectoral fins, and its anal muscles appear much larger and almost stick out.

The tench can be caught in virtually every kind of water in the UK. They can be caught in small village ponds, to commercial fisheries, canals, and even in the countries large rivers. Naturally, the tench tolerates thick, dense weed-beds, and can survive in thick algey and almost stagnant water! The natural diet consists of any bottom dwelling organisms, bloodworms, daphnia etc. Tench have very similar taste to carp however, and will hoover up just about anything, especially in the summer months. Bread flake, sweet corn and worms are old classics, but pellets and boilies have taken over, and many of the specimens are being taken on these baits.

Spawning takes place in May and June, similar to carp, in thick week and shallow water, but the tench eggs need a warm climate to develop and hatch. In some eastern European countries the tench is kept for eating, especially places such as Germany and Serbia!!!

In terms of match fishing, tench are usually good bonus fish, especially on natural venues. They have also formed a large part of many commercial catches, and are now high-up on a fisheries stocking lists. Although they feed more vigorously in the warmer months, they still get caught all year round. As mentioned before, these are really powerful fish, so don’t be scared to use heavy gear to get them out. Tactics wise, a pellet approach can be effective, using expanders or even paste on the hook, and loose feeding smaller free offerings, and a chopped worm and caster approach is also renowned for catching tench on all venues. In large natural venues, the larger tench tend to feed at dawn and dusk, and a stalking approach, with a small dumpy waggler on the bottom (John Wilson Peacock float lift style) should work. Don’t miss out on catching the tench, get on the banks and have a go for some!!!

Ryan Roberts

I`ve only ever netted 2 tench, one was only a baby so it was a fairly easy catch but the other one (caught the day after) was a beast and put up a hell of a fight. but when I eventually got him it was so satisfying. Nice size and colour. and gave me a great edition to my photo collection.
paul singleton

i was fishing yesterday in a local lake in liverpool and i caught a nice 5 pound tench followed by a 4 pounder,so today am after a 7 or 8 pounder fingers crossed!!!!!
wayne

what a fish i am only 16 and i had a nice tench from me local lake it was 5 6 onz what a fish took me for a right mission when i hoocked it wantend go straght for the reeds thanks 4 reading plz do reply what ur biggest fish
pip mccann

I only started fishing in march and I LOVE it…the best evening’s fishing I ever had so far was on Vulcan Reservoir in Newton Le Willows where I finished the session off with 5 Tench in a row within 30 minutes…I have now installed MUCH stronger elastic in all my pole ends
jack rothwell

this will be my 5th week of fishing tom midweek knockup at carterhall
and have realy started to want to get into match fishng
dean stanley

hi my name is Dean Stanley. i fish on a warter near my house it called carr mill dam. i have nealy caught every fish on the dam but i realy want to catch a tench . have u got any tip on catching tench. please right back!
Jason

Absolutely love tench fishing. I prefer it to anything else. Must have caught literally hundreds of 2lb, 3lb and even 4lb fish. Only ever broke 5lb once though. It was 5lb 3oz from Newsham Park in Liverpool.
dean stanley

yer but have u got eney tips on catching them
Scott Stacey

I have caught some nice Tench on Lobworm with a size 12 hook on the Waggler at my local water Spade Oak, near Marlow, Bucks. Tench love the margins and seem also to like red. Try different baits such as red maggot, caster, sweet corn, and put down a bed of hemp which is a good attractor for Tench. The last one I caught was 8lb 2oz.
iain

i went fishing today and caught 2 tench on sweet corn (first time a went tench fishing)
martyn elliott

I go fishing on our local park pond its not very big as ponds go but its got maybe 30-40 pegs at a push I keep getting very good results fishing out the tench there . I normaly get from 3-8 tench in a session I have taken some good pictures of these catches from time to time. If anyone wants to see some pictures email me on m1dnvmartyn@aol.co.uk.
I will gladly post you a few back to you I live in Leeds but don’t drive at all. If anyone wants to go fishing at this pond contact me its free to fish (local council maintain it)
lamby

i have caught sizable tench using cockles on the lift method , if this is any help to anyone ? if you have used this method or can add to it let me know pls .
tim roberts

in my local pond in Hull i caught 3.5 tench at the end of october that was a buzz. the biggest tench in pond is only 4, its also been known for someone to a catch 3.5 black tench never seen or heard of one before but there is photo proof of it as anybody else ever seen or caught one?
callum bickle

i have only been fishing for a month and all i have been catching is rudd and skimmers but the otherday i had 3 tench bites i only landed 1 because i forgot my landing net i didnt land a 4lb beauty my hook riped out and i nearly cryed and the other 1 snaped my 10lb line. But the fight was amazing and i am going back to catch them again. E-mail me if you want to know what bait i was using.
martyn elliott

I find catching Tench to be among the most satisfying fish to catch May I suggest that you take your time with bringing them in tire them out somewhat before you bully them at all. Of course its has to be done at times to avoid them from getting into all the snags but in general do try Patience as with all the larger fish, I have not been out at all yet this year unfortuneately but hope to remedy this when my health improves
hope you all keep getting tight lines and good results. I now live in the village of Kingsbury thats 5 miles South of Tamworth if anyone wants to get out for a fish together sometime email me
dave

i live in hull where is your local pond dave
Callum Bickle (Tench pirate)

another day another 3.8 0z tench ha does any one know where i can buy seperate pole sections because i only have two top sections and i need some more please e-mail me with answers thanx
Tom

try ebay 4 top sections,some1 might have spares
Tom

only ever caught 1 tench ,about 5 pound.was on double maggot while targeting big roach with waggler.anyone got any tips as i know my local lake holds tench to 12 lb.cheers………p.s good luck
mike king

you on about noddle hill pond if so i had 51/2 pond last year (black),and this year i have had a 5
tom

yes mike noddle hill pond. i have been pulling out 4.5 tench just of late on scopex mussel.
dane appleby

i have never caught a tench and have been fishing for about 6 months, any tips?
TenchMan

Well i am 15 and i have caught alot of tench. i only fish for tench and bream and on the odd occasion catch carp. my biggest tench is 11lb 13oz. you should use a feeder set up with pop-up corn on the hair. i have had most of my tench on this set-up. hope that helps
dane appleby

thanks alot for the advice, i will try it out the next time i fish =D
Centerpin

Re – Photo on article ,DO NOT lay Tench/Fish on grass to unhook /photo etc unhooking mats are cheap
karl devlin

that iz one big tench ive cought hundreds of them but my biggest is 3 nd a half pound tho but not many gud fisheries in newcastle this is wy im going to the woodlands and i hope t beet some personal bests this season
geoff dunwell

you should try mussels and king prawns i have caught several big tench 8lb plus on both baits , lots of ponds that i have fished dont produce anything on sweetcorn/worms/maggots/bread/meat boillies, but as soon as you put mussele/king prawns on get ready for a fight they love them and sometimes you get the unexpected carp when they find your bait lots of luck to all who trys the baits.
Richard Moore

i love fishing for tench, to me they symbolise everything good about summer fishing. i am off to fish a lovely little estete pond near to me here in dorset. i will post the news of my catch on my blog http://ukcoarsefishingreviews.blogspot.com if anyones interested
Peter

At 62 I have taken up fishing for the first time in more than 30 years. At Suffolk Water near Ipswich I caught my first ever Tench around 1 – 1.5 pounds. I was delighted. One week later at the same venue but different lake I caught one which weighed just over 8 pounds. That one really gave me the shakes, it took 10 minutes before coming to the net. Yesterday (25th August) I got my first ever Mirror Carp weighing 13 pounds. Excuse the pun but I am now “hooked” again after all these years.
aidan facer

i was fishing at mi local pond the othe day when i hooked my favourite fish a tench after a huge fight i landed it, it was 7lb i was very happy because im only 14
Tom Lyddon

i caught a nice 3lb golden tench at a pool that didnt even know theyhad tench i was only their looking for roach while teaching a friend

Tom
matty m

I have caught some very nice tench at noddle hill pond this year to 5 1/2 pound on method feeder with 6mm halibut pellets. Also ghost carp to 10 pound and lots of mirror carp to 17 pound all using the same method.
most coming from peg 2 fishing to the island.
gaz

best way to catch tench is princess tinned ham.And sweetcorn to bring them into your swim pva elastic keeps the ham on the hook good! Try it and let me no how many use catch best time to fish for tench late at nite or early early morning
jerry robins

there is no joy like catching a good size tench or any other species coming to think of it

mightyred

No,just Tench.

owen

i’ve just come back from a caravaning holiday at emberton county park where they have 3 or 4 fishing lakes, the lake that i stuck with is the largest lake,not sure of its name now, but the bream fishing was great, also the tench are the best quality i’ve ever seen and not landing one less than 6 pound to 7 and a half pound,the bream are reported to go up to 9 and a half pounds,with carp to 30 and pike to 25. If anyone else has had a go on this lake could they let me know, plus what month would be the best to fish this lake as i’ve only got one weeks holiday left from work. Thanks owen.
djp

bin fishing at lucky hollow caught biggest fish in there tench 8lb 4 ounce then the same day went to penni flash pond and caught 12lb 7 ounce u,d think it took me hours to bring it in but it actually came in like a paper bag the 8 lb 4 ounce 1 put up more of a fight
kieran

hi, my biggest fish is a 20lb carp and a 4 – 5 lb tench im only 14

Frouboc

oooow get her !
Clarkey_7

i just caught a 5.6 lb tench and im 13

dave

hi mate i caught a massive tench today on a local pond type system i fish and i only catch tench on either luncheon meat or fresh mussels not the pickled type nick the mussel through the hard iner foot perfect i caught a 7/8 lb tench that way. try it
Liam G

I caught a nice tench today at a local pond. It’s a tiny pond but got a good 2lb one out and plenty of bites on expanding pellets.
The problem that I had was to get them into my swim, once they were there I had plenty of knocks and nibbles. Managed to keep them taking free baits and interested in my hook bait for a good few hours by trickling in the pellets and sweetcorn 2/3 every few minutes.
callum

i have a giant pond in my back garden and we have 8 big tench,with lots of weed for them to hide.

Frouboc

Breaking news that !!!!,dear good.

http://WWW.GATELODGEANGLING.COM mal mcleod

Hi my name is mal and i live in Ireland. I am a pike fishing guide there but whenever I get a chance in the summer months I go tench fishing.They are my favoutite fish and i cant wait until april to go after them again.The Irish record is only a tad above 8lb which is dwarfed by the british record. I have a few waters to target this season and hopefully I can threaten that record.
Paulbishop

hi my name is paul and would love to know good tench lakes in ireland
Frouboc

Have you got any surplus……you know the weed your smoking………,Damn it must be good.