Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Freshwater › Tench

Freshwater

Tench

Tinca tinca · doctor fish, green tench, golden tench

Water temp
64–79°F
Peak season
May–Jul
Best light
Dawn · Dusk
IGFA record
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Tench (RO BH Tinca new church 1.jpg)

Photo: Utilizator:Țetcu Mircea Rareș at ro.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Tench are thick-set, slimy-skinned fish with tiny scales, rounded fins and a distinctive red eye, native across Europe and western Asia and stocked in many lakes worldwide. They root through silt and weed for bloodworm, snails and shrimp, betraying themselves with patches of pin-prick bubbles at first light. They go nearly dormant in cold water and feed hardest in late spring and early summer. Anglers rate them for their strong, dogged fight and for the way a 6 lb (2.7 kg) fish tests light tackle around weed.

Typical size2–5 lb (0.9–2.3 kg); 14–20 in
Trophy8 lb+ in the UK; 10 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareFair — edible but muddy; catch and release in practice

Where & when

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Tench wake up as water passes 50°F (10°C) in April and peak in May–June before and around spawning, then taper off through late summer.

Sywell Reservoir, United KingdomNorthamptonshire reservoir famous for double-figure tenchWraysbury Lakes, United KingdomThames Valley gravel pits with big specimen tenchGrand Canal, IrelandClassic Irish tench canal, especially around Edenderry

How to catch

Lift-method float fishingFish a waggler with a single shot set a few inches from the hook so it rests on the bottom; when a tench picks up the bait the float lifts and lays flat. Fish at dawn over a bed of hemp, corn and groundbait at the edge of weed.
Method or maggot feederCast a small Method feeder or maggot feeder with a short hooklength to a clear spot among weed and recast every 15–20 minutes to build a feeding area. Bites are savage drop-backs or pulls on a tight line.

Gear

Rod12' 1.25–1.75 lb test-curve specimen rod or 13' float rod
Reel3000–4000 spinning
Line6–8 lb mono; 10 lb in heavy weed

Lures

small soft plastics (rarely effective)bloodworm-pattern fliesmicro jigs

Baits

sweetcornmaggotslobwormsbread flakeboilies

Regulations

A rod license and fishery permit are required in the UK and most of Europe, and England's river closed season (mid-March to mid-June) covers the peak tench period on flowing water. Stillwaters set their own rules.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

What time of day is best for tench?

The first two hours after dawn are prime, when tench move onto shallow silt and weed margins to feed and give themselves away with bubbles. Dusk is a strong second window on warm, still evenings. Midday is slow except in colored water or after overnight rain.

Bite forecast — Tench

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Tench.

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