How's the Tench fishing been?

[the indifferent crucian]

By pure coincidence I spoke to several friends yesterday and they all had the same thing to say ....there's been no tench around this Summer.


We were talking about usually prolific waters in Devon, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, and all came to the conclusion that they just aren't around much...at least not in our landing nets!


So, .... how has your Tench fishing been this year, gentlemen?

 

[S-Kippy]

Pretty good actually....having finally found a couple of waters where I can fish for tench without being pestered too much by carp [they follow me around] AND without having to resort to bolt rigs fished half a mile out . Nothing huge but consistent sport and I've always been perfectly content simply catching a few tench on my own terms ie on a float.

 

[dezza]

My tench fishing has been most enjoyable, although with no boilie gutted and spawned up monsters like you get in the South.

But superbly fit fish that have fought like tigers up to just short of 7lbs.

---------- Post added at 03:08 ---------- Previous post was at 03:07 ----------

Oh and I might just get my 7 pounder this year, as they feed really well if we get a bit of warm weather in October.

 

[barbelboi]

I've had an enjoyable few months fishing for one of my favourite species (a bad 6 hour session was four or five fish) and, as Skippy says, not far out and not using bolt rigs. Come on Ron, don't stereotype, not all southern tincas are "boilie gutted and spawned up monsters". Although there are a few bigger ones a 7lb+ tinca from the water I do most of my tench fishing is a good conditioned solid fish.

 

[Fishing Gimp]

Dear Sainted IDC, the Tench may not be biting at the Marsh but are fine in my neck of the woods and putting in many appearances to my rods....even to the nymph. Hopefully if it stays warm there will be more to come?

Even the roach are making a splendid reappearance on the stillwaters, with many a fine plump young specimen showing. Too early to say about the rivers as I don't usually start after them until the weed has been 'flushed' in October. I 'm looking forward to a stroll round some of my old haunts as my local club have let me back in, after 20 years, to see if they are still in the usual places?

Maybe you are just talking to the 'wrong' anglers!!!

 

[noknot]

although with no boilie gutted and spawned up monsters like you get in the South.

Nice little dig there Rod (must try harder)mg:

 

[cg74]

Nice little dig there Rod (must try harder)mg:

He never misses an opportunity eh?

Gotta feel for him, a specimen angler through and through, who loves fishing for tench, yet never had a double. That despite following all the other 'fish chasers' to Linears back in the day.... Guess belittling others catches in this way gives him a sense of superiority, that the merit of his catches doesn't!?!


In answer to the question; many of us in Oxfordshire have been struggling for big catches (both numbers and size) this year, and last. The common concensus of opinion is they are going through a cyclical change, where the biggies of 3-4 years ago have died off, leaving a bit of a void but going on the condition and numbers of 6-8lbers coming through, that void should be (hopefully) short lived?!?

 

[the indifferent crucian]

Thanks fellers...well it's nice to know there's been some good tench fishing in some places at least.


I have been lucky enough to have been given the key to a lovely lake not 7 miles from my home and I have fished it rather exclusively of late. It is supposed to have a lot of big tench in and I've only had the one, myself.

The owner 'phoned me yesterday and told me he was a little woried at how few he had heard of being caught this year. Then in the afternoon I met some pals I fished in Devon with in May, and they too had had little luck with tench this Summer from various locations around the South...it just got me thinking a little.

After a real Winter, even here down South, Ron, it might well be that some fish have died and others are yet to fill the niche, but it's a comfort to know others have seen plenty.


There's something about Tench Fishing in Summer, and this time of year when you feel the first chills of Autumn in the morning I feel a sense of urgency...it's time to make that extra effort before it's too late and Winter is here..............

Mr. Gimp, I haven't actually fished at Marsh Farm, apart from the infamous Gudgeon Match and a few testing sessions on Hill Pond there, since March. They won't let me drive my kit to my peg anymore and I'm too old to carry it now. Bit annoying to say the least.... particularly since so many able-bodied anglers and matchmen get away with it. I wish I hadn't bothered re-joining this season. Indeed I'm unhappy with the whole ethos of the place right now, not my cup of tea at all. Nothing but matches, matches, matches........


I'm glad you have been welcomed back into the W***** bosom. Try not to remind them why they tore your ticket up last time

And can you stop feeding boilies to the tench please...they're getting too fat, apparently

 

[Fishing Gimp]

Sainted IDC may I suggest a reduction in gear or invest in one of those Powawalker kit carriers....ideal for the more 'senior angler' and somewhere flat like the Marsh.

I refuse to use boilies for tench on principle and will only fish for them with a float and traditional baits or flyfish.

I realise this will possibly limit the size and places where I can fish for them...well so be it! For me personally, I think there is something objectionable about tenching with carp gear.

Sorry not for me, as I have seen too many 'parrot mouthed' tench, because they have been skull dragged through a series of weed beds by some 'angler' using a 3lb+ tc rod and 'big pit' cranking machines...I suppose I like tench too much to do that to them deliberately!

If the water I'm fishing gets too weedy, I just stop fishing for them until the weed beds die back a little or move onto a less weedy water!

I'm not preaching here because that is ojectionable too. I'm just writing about my tenching....what other anglers do is between them and their conscience?

 

[Harvey]

..........

 

[little oik]

I have not had a good season for them either .the winter over here was harsh to say the least and when March came around and the signs of spring was in the air we were all champing at the bit .However they didn't materialise in great numbers as we had awful weather in the May and June .Some people had a really good season A guy I know topped the 500 mark for the year the other day.Just wished it was me the Barsteward .I only caught 2 6s this year (they are the dark greenies to black ones ) although I lost a "huge" one because of dodgy hooklink material .The record is just over 8lb just like the good old days in the early seventies in the UK
And thats in the south Ron :wh

 

[stu_the_blank]

Tench fishing on our lake have been very patchy this year. Like a lot of places, we had a massive Diatom bloom in April/May which, when it died off, sank to the bottom and left a gooey mess. I think that this has been the problem. August, usually a relatively poor month for tench has been pretty good and the fish look in good nick, the bottom is cleaner. Back to normal next year? Depends on the weather I think.

 

[sagalout]

I have done well, most early morning sessions (first light to 9ish) have produced at least 2 tench to 6.5lb, except thursday, when I had a singleton but it was 6lb so I was happy.

I have had them on the pellet waggler, feeder and pole.

 

[cozzaa]

I had my first tench of the year only 20 minutes into a day trip i took a few weeks back...only small, 2.5lb ish.

That day went on and i saw another 8 tench on the bank ranging between about 1/2lb and 5lb. I was a happy boy.

 

[dezza]

And thats in the south Ron
__________________

But I'll bet it wasn't spawned up and boilie gutted!

 

[little oik]

But I'll bet it wasn't spawned up and boilie gutted!

Boilies what are they :wh.
There are a lot of ex pats over here that just fish for Tench in the summer and Roach in the winter .If you actually got them to knuckle down and own up to the fact ,it would be one of the main reasons for moving here. Fairly unspoilt waters and proper " greenies "abound in nearly every lake round here .
Funnily though ,I would hazzard a guess to say that 90% of all tench caught by design here are on the float .Although a lot of the locals are now realising the great sport to had them ,and they are getting a lot more popular as the years go by .Shame to some degree as some of the lakes only have a couple of fishable swims on them so space will soon get to be a premium.
The Irish record is probably beaten at least once a year but no one wants to start a circus at there favourite Lake now do they .

 

[red creel]

Hit and miss really in my neck of the woods the two waters i usually frequent for my tench fix have both suffered from water quality issues this season.They are coming out to other anglers but quantity wise catches are well down with one or two fish being the norm.

However the barbel have been on the munch big time on the Kennet and having a blinding season for them so far.So i guess you could say i am not to upset as regards to the lack of tench in my net.

 

[flightliner]

Sorry not for me, as I have seen too many 'parrot mouthed' tench, because they have been skull dragged through a series of weed beds by some 'angler' using a 3lb+ tc rod and 'big pit' cranking machines...I suppose I like tench too much to do that to them deliberately

I have,nt fished for tench with any degree of purpose but have had several from a water where I was trying for rudd with wag and mag, all but one of the six I caught on the two days I fished there were over five pounds, and all, without exception had badly damaged mouthes, no doubt caused by guys overnighting with tackle far in excess of what was sufficiant to land them. In the days before "carp tackle" such sights as these were seldom if ever seen.

 

[alfie]

i been trying all season for a tench and aint had a sniff....have settled for nets full of bream and roach now

 

[flightliner]

i been trying all season for a tench and aint had a sniff....have settled for nets full of bream and roach now

We must swop venues Alfie!