Tinca tinca, Tench : fisheries, aquaculture, gamefish, aquarium Tinca tinca Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes ( gen. , sp. ) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Tincinae Etymology: Tinca: Latin, timica; realted to a predatory fish = timi, but the etymology of tench does not conform with this meaning (Ref. 45335 ); tinca: tinca which is the latin name for tench (Ref. 1998 ). Environment / Climate / Range Ecology Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243 ); depth range 1 - ? m (Ref. 26368 ). Temperate; 4°C - 24°C (Ref.

13614 ), preferred ?; 64°N - 36°N, 10°W - 104°E Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri Eurasia: hypothesized as native in most Europe, naturally absent only in Ireland, Scandinavia north of 61°30'N, eastern Adriatic basin and western and southern Greece where it is now introduced. In Asia, native eastward to western Yenisei drainage south of 60° N. Introduced elsewhere. Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age Maturity: Lm ? , range 20 - ? cm Max length : 70.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44894 ); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 556 ); max. published weight: 7.5 kg (Ref.

556 ) Short description Morphology | Morphometrics Dorsal spines (total): 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-9; Anal spines : 3-4; Anal soft rays : 6 - 8; Vertebrae : 39 - 41. Body thickset, heavy, and laterally compressed, the caudal peduncle characteristically deep and short. Skin thickened, slimy; the scales small, embedded. Overall coloration olive-green, at times dark green or almost black, with golden reflections on ventral surface. Head triangular, eye orange-red, small; snout relatively long; interorbital broad; mouth terminal, small in size with thick lips and a pair of well-developed barbels, one at each corner of the mouth. Caudal fin with 19 rays (Ref. 2196 ).

Diagnosed from other cyprinid species in Europe by the following characters: body golden greenish brown; one pair of barbel (maxillary); lateral line with 96-115 scales, small and deeply embedded; dorsal fin with 8-9½ branched rays; and anal fin with 6-9½ branched rays (Ref. 59043 ). Biology Glossary (e.g. epibenthic) Typically found in shallow, densely vegetated lakes and backwaters. Often overwinters buried in mud. Larvae and juveniles confined to dense vegetation (Ref. 59043 ). Adults inhabit warm lakes and pools with weed and mud bottom. Tolerates low oxygen saturations (Ref. 30578 , 44894 ). Feeds on detritus, benthic animals and plant materials. Adult often prey mainly on molluscs. Spawns among dense vegetation in still water (Ref. 59043 ). Used as a fodder fish for bass (Ref. 7248 ). Utilized fresh and frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked (Ref. 9988 ).

Popular with amateur sport fishers. Its flesh is highly esteemed (Ref. 30578 ). Locally under threat due to river engineering (Ref. 59043 ). Reported to reach a maximum length of 84 cm TL (Ref. 5723 ). Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae Males reproduce at 2-3 years and females at 3-7 years. Spawning happens, depending on latitude, between May and September, at temperatures of 19 20°C. Lays numerous sticky green eggs on plants or on the botton every 1 5 days for 2 months. Incubation at 20°C lasts 3 days. Larvae remain attached to the plants for several days until the vitellus is used up. Egg size 0.8-1.0 mm, larval length at hatching 4-5 mm. Kottelat, M. and J. Freyhof, 2007. Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol and Freyhof, Berlin. 646 pp.

(Ref. 59043 ) IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396 ) Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos Internet sources Estimates of some properties based on models Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805 ): PD50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00753 - 0.01525), b=3.03 (2.94 - 3.12), based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245 ). Trophic Level (Ref. 69278 ): 3.7 ±0.0 se; Based on diet studies. Resilience (Ref. 69278 ): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2; tmax=10; Fec=120,000-800,000).

Prior r = 0.41, 2 SD range = 0.18 - 0.90, log(r) = -0.89, SD log(r) = 0.4, Based on: 2 K, 7 tgen, 15 Fec records Vulnerability (Ref. 59153 ): High vulnerability (65 of 100) . Tench | Define Tench at Dictionary.com tench noun, plural tenches (especially collectively) tench. 1. a freshwater food fish, Tinca tinca, of Europe and Asia that can survive short periods out of water. Origin of tench 1350-1400; Middle English tenche < Middle French, Old French < Late Latin tinca Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for tench Expand Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine Raphaell Holinshed When of a good size, as in Holland, they are a remarkably fine fresh-water fish, though not so delicate as carp or tench. Patience Wins George Manville Fenn tench are common, but are not often caught with a rod and line.

British Dictionary definitions for tench Expand noun 1. a European freshwater cyprinid game fish, Tinca tinca, having a thickset dark greenish body with a barbel at each side of the mouth Word Origin C14: from Old French tenche, from Late Latin tinca Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Tench - Fishing for Tench - description, baits and methods for catching Tench TENCH (Tinca tinca) 15lb 3oz 6dr - 2001 - D Ward Description and habitat of Tench: Tench are easily identified by their thick set, well rounded, dark olive green coloured body. The scales are very tiny which give them the appearance of actually being scale-less. The fins are rounded and the caudal fin is large almost unforked.

The sexes can be distinguish by the shape of the pelvic fins on the underside of the body. Male tench have very large round shaped fins and those of the female are more triangular in shape and longer. An average fish will be 12 - 16ins. Grows to 15+lb and a fish over 5lb considered a good fish. There are also golden, yellow and orange tench but these are mainly found in ornamental ponds. The tench used to be called the 'doctor fish' because other fish would deliberately rub against them and be cured of their ailments with the slime from the tench which was thought to have healing properties. Found in lakes, ponds, slow running rivers and canals but more often found in still waters. Fishing for Tench: The first thing to consider when going tench fishing is where you are going to fish. Most lakes, ponds and canals have tench in them but choosing a water known to hold a good head of tench puts the odds of you catching one in your favour. Make enquiries with local anglers, fishery owner or bailiff as to which is the favoured peg, best method and baits for catching tench from your chosen water.

If you haven't got any information for whatever reason have a walk round and look for signs of tench or a likely place to fish for them, Tench are known to feed in the margins, among reeds, lily beds and other features. The best time to catch tench is either early dawn or at dusk and through the night. Tench feed almost exclusively on the bottom and like to root about in the mud and weeds looking for snails, grubs and anything else they can eat. You can spot tench feeding by the stream of tiny bubbles that can be seen bubbling on the waters surface and / or the muddy area of water discoloured by the tench rooting in the mud for food. Tip: Raking. ask the fishery owner first and if you are allowed to; Take a rake with you and before you set up you rods or do anything else rake around the bottom of your swim.

Tench are attracted to this and they love searching the murky water of a freshly raked swim for unearth snails, worms and other food Fishing methods for catching Tench: Tench respond very well to groundbaiting so if you can pre-bait the area you are going to fish beforehand you will have a better chance of catching. Start by laying down a bed of groundbait using brown crumb or continental groundbait with sweetcorn, casters, chopped up worms and some of your hook bait mixed in. Other combinations can also be used for groundbait and hemp and particles are a good choice. Tench seem to prefer a sweet bait and some anglers add molasses, a sweet syrup, to their groundbait or other sweet tasting additives. This is not a hard and fast rule though; if you want to try savoury or spicy baits there is nothing stopping you. Tip: If using maggots mixed in with your groundbait try adding some dead ones as well. These will not bury themselves in the mud. Once I have laid a bed of groundbait, adding more feed into the water depends on if I am float fishing or feeder fishing.

If I am float fishing I prefer to loose feed little and often depending how often I am getting bites. If bites are few I slow down or hold back on loose feeding. If I am using a feeder I rarely add loose feed. Tench can be caught using any method of fishing. Some anglers prefer using a maggot feeder or method feeder and sit waiting for that slow pull round of the rod tip to say there is a fish in. Other anglers prefer to float fish with either a rod or pole. As mentioned, Tench love patrolling the margins and around lily beds and reeds so float fishing with a waggler, set slightly over depth, close to reeds is a good proven tactic. Tench bites are usually a couple of knocks or small lifts on the float then it slides away slowly under the water. Don't strike too soon, wait for the bite to develop properly. Wait for the float to disappear completely before striking. Tench are hard-fighting fish and strong tackle is advised.

Baits for catching Tench: Worms, lob worms, redworms sweetcorn, bread (either punch, flake or paste), maggots (Red seems best), pinkies, casters, mini-boilies, pellets, prawns, cockles and mussels, fresh not frozen or pickled in vinegar). As with all fishing, if you are not catching using one method or bait try another. Do not be afraid to try something different. Note: When you have caught a tench, as with all fish, handle it carefully. DO NOT use a towel, cloth or anything similar to hold it in. Doing this will remove the protective mucus from the fishes body and can seriously harm it. Also I have seen pictures on the internet, especially facebook, of tench laid on hard and stony ground where they can be harmed. DO NOT do this. We all like to see a good photo of a fish but if you haven't got a mat to lay it on then hold the tench or any other fish off the ground in a landing net to take photo's. Doing either of the above will get you a lifetime ban from most fisheries.

| The Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts Jack Perks About Tench are medium-sized, heavy, deep-bodied fish. They can be found in soft-bottomed lakes and in slow-flowing rivers with plenty of vegetation. They are quite shy fish, hiding amongst dense weed. Tench feed on invertebrates including pond snails and small pea mussels. Spawning in summer, males chase females, fertilising the eggs as soon as she has laid them in shallow beds of algae or vegetation. How to identify Dark greeny-bronze in colour with blackish, rounded fins and sometimes with a golden-orange throat and belly. Where to find it Found throughout the lowlands, widespread in England but rarer in Wales and Scotland. When to find it specimen tench, irish tench, tench fishing, tinca tinca The trip After last month’s “near miss” with the Plaice specimen, I needed an ego boost and decided on the relative safety of a coarse angling species. I say safety, but in reality, no specimens are a certainty! June heralds the arrival of the Tench season in the North, lagging behind the warmer climate of Southern Ireland and border lakes.

Personally speaking, as this is my favourite fresh water species, there is no better fish to target at this time of year. The large, spoon like fins, bulky body and powerful tail allow Tench to put up one hell of a fight on balanced tackle. Fish of five pounds plus will keep going until you have them safely in the landing net. After a battle of five to ten minutes with a sizeable specimen, an aching arm is testimony to the strength of these beautiful, olive coloured creatures. My favourite hotspot has the potential of turning up very large fish, but they are extremely few and far between. To complicate matters, it is full of tiny Roach and Perch that “snaffle” most bait intended for larger fish. For best results, a long, pre-baiting regime is most effective. I believe this serves two purposes. Firstly, it obviously attracts any nearby Tench to “home” in for a free meal, allowing them to build up confidence in both the area and the food particles, but there is also the added bonus in “feeding off” the smaller, nuisance fish.

With this in mind, I set about the business of mixing a full bowl of ground bait, equivalent to approximately eighty, orange sized balls, laced with sweet corn, castors, maggots, trout pellets and boiled hempseed. Beginning on Sunday night, this process was repeated over five nights in the same area of the lake. The main reason for starting Sunday evening, and continuing until Thursday was to be able to fish the water on Friday morning. There is nothing worse than pre-baiting an area all week to find a stranger sitting on the mark when you arrive Sunday morning! Also, baiting a swim last thing at night is usually a time when there are no prying eyes. This all sounds a bit drastic, but unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary when targeting large fish. Groundbait, coloured with liquid mollasses and laced with corn, maggots and casters After five nights of heavy bombardment, the weather report for Friday looked favourable, fingers crossed! Gentle southerly winds and overcast skies would keep the temperature at a high constant. It is also advantageous to get an early night. 4am starts are difficult to achieve, especially the older I get!

However, it’s a sad but honest fact that anticipation rarely allows me a night’s sleep prior to a Tench session, and this occasion was no different. Having sat through late night television and too many cups of coffee, I headed out to the venue and settled in by first light. This particular mark is unlike most typical shallow Tench waters. In fact, it is extremely deep and requires a slider float and careful adjustment in depth to allow two number four shot to sit on the lakebed, three inches from the hook. Not the easiest of tasks in over thirty feet of water, but worth the time and effort to get it spot on. A swan-shot pinched on the hook, for accurate and quiet plumbing of depth With everything ready, I fished over the baited area, catapulting small amounts of boiled hemp and fresh castors as loose feed around the float every few minutes. It wasn’t long before the small Roach and Perch appeared; so much for the “feeding off” theory on this occasion! Stepping up the hook size from a twelve to a large-gaped ten and adding a grain of sweet corn to the four maggots kept the Roach at bay, but greedy Perch persisted in attacking the bait.

On previous occasions, I have tried using pellets or boilies. They work in keeping the smaller fish away, but just don’t seem to appeal to Tench on this particular water, obviously because they are not used to feeding on them. However, I do not wish to go down the road of weaning them onto high protein baits at this stage. I enjoy the un-touched, natural “wild-ness” of the place to much. Plenty of loose-feed, catapulted over the float Thirty or so Perch later, and with my baited hook now consisting of a grain of sweet corn, three castors and six maggots, the float dithered and dipped twice before settling again. Resisting the urge to strike, it dipped a third time and slowly slid below the surface. The solid, “brick wall” of resistance when lifting into a large Tench has to be experienced first-hand to appreciate the power this species possess. There was no mistaking what I had hooked into, and as it powered away into the deeper water, I knew that this was a possible specimen and a guaranteed tough battle ahead. Six minutes into the fight, tantalising glimpses of gold and olive green left me praying that the hook would hold.

Another four minutes passed before the fish finally sunk into the safety of the landing net. As I gazed in admiration at this beautiful fish, and the pain in my right arm eased, I was well aware that this fish easily beat the six-pound specimen barrier. My scales are adjusted to allow for the weight of the landing net, and quickly removing the handle and clipping on the scales, showed the fish to be well over the six pound target. A truly awesome, fin and scale perfect example of my favourite fresh water species, that fought with the typical power and tenacity that has made this fish legendary amongst coarse anglers throughout Ireland. This was the only Tench to show-up that morning, from almost a week’s planning, but a solitary specimen is typical from this particular water. Quite frankly, I came away from the venue absolutely delighted, and would happily fish all week just to experience the adrenaline rush that always results from an encounter with a huge tinca, my favourite of all coarse fish. Challenge met, a pleasantly plump female specimen Bait Similar to Carp, a wide variety of baits will tempt Tench. Popular choices are small, red worms, red maggots, bread flake, castors, sweet corn, or cocktails of the above.

Pieces of fresh-water mussel, cockles, luncheon meat, and kidney beans have all produced sizeable specimens, along with standard Carp baits such as boilies and pellets. Fresh casters and boiled hempseed are readily accepted by Tench Tackle Basic, match-angling tackle is sufficient for most occasions. Although I have a purpose built Tench out-fit, I find a simple thirteen-foot float rod for waggler or slider fishing and a standard quiver tip or swing tip leger rod, teamed with six pound main line is all that is required to land any Tench in Irish waters. An exception may be with heavily weeded areas where a little bullying is required to keep large fish out of potential hazards. Tackle may need to be “beefed up” slightly to compensate in these conditions. The other exception would be long-stay sessions, where light Carp rods, pods and alarms are better suited for night fishing. Pole fishing works fine for smaller specimens but personally, I prefer to play large Tench on rod and line. Bodied Wagglers with inserts for star-lites can be extremely useful Tactics Tench will feed during the day on occasion, but generally, prime times are through the night, dawn or dusk.

They will respond well, on most Irish venues to heavy pre-baiting tactics with plenty of added particle feed such as sweet corn, boiled hempseed, castors and chopped worms. Feeding fish can be located at times, by looking for groups of small bubbles on the surface, or discoloured water where the lake-bed has been disturbed. Large baits such as sweet corn, pellets or bunches of maggots will help discourage un-wanted nuisance fish such as small Roach, Rudd and Perch. Tench are primarily bottom feeders. Make sure your bait is presented well on the lake or riverbed, with up to 10 cms of hook length on the bottom. This is known as “laying-on” and offers the best chance of locating this species. Use a swan shot attached to the hook to plumb the depth rather than a heavy plummet lead. It will give an accurate reading over silt and cause fewer disturbances in the “swim”. Avoid striking during initial float movements. Tench tend to “play with” or mouth the bait and early striking may lead to missed fish. Wait for the float to positively slide below the surface before lifting into the fish.

Safe and careful release Interesting facts It is widely known that Tench were originally introduced to Ireland as a food source. They prefer shallow, muddy waters but manage equally well in slow moving rivers and canals. The vast majority of Tench populations are found south of the border and, in past times, anglers from Northern Ireland would travel large distances to fish hotspots such as Lanesborough and Ballyhoe. Rightly or wrongly, depending on your point of view, fish were covertly transported north resulting in many local venues containing decent Tench numbers. The theory is sound as Tench are reasonably harmless, but the possibility of spreading disease or invasive species to other areas is simply not worth the risk. It is also illegal! Tench are able to survive poorly oxygenated water where other species would perish. They feed mainly on insect larvae, crustaceans, bloodworm and invertebrates by sifting through the silt substrate. They also find food with the help of two sensitive barbules located on each corner of the mouth. Rarely exceeding ten pounds in weight under normal circumstances, Tench may live to a maximum age of fifteen years, reaching sexual maturity at three-five years.

Spawning takes place around June coinciding with a temperature of 18-20 degrees centigrade. Eggs are small, approximately 1.3 mm and are attached to dense weed in shallow water. They are laid in batches of 125,000 per kilo of body weight, but due to predation from other species, they have a poor survival rate. By the age of three, Tench will be anything between 10cms and 30cms in length, although the introduction of Carp, and the resulting competition for food, will eventually lead to stunted growth. Warmer summers and the use of high protein baits on popular venues have been instrumental in creating larger specimens. Although a member of the cyprinid family, there are no examples of Tench cross breeding with any other cyprinids. tench | Definition, meaning & more | Collins Dictionary Definitions noun a European freshwater cyprinid game fish, Tinca tinca, having a thickset dark greenish body with a barbel at each side of the mouth Collins English Dictionary.

Copyright © Harper Collins Publishers Word origin of 'tench' Tench | Definition of Tench by Merriam-Webster or tenches : a cyprinid fish (Tinca tinca) native to Eurasia but introduced in the U.S. and noted for its ability to survive in poorly oxygenated waters Origin and Etymology of tench Middle English, from Anglo-French tenche, from Late Latin tinca First Known Use: 13th century Learn More about tench See words that rhyme with tench Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tench Seen and Heard What made you want to look up tench? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Tench | DC Freshwater Fish DC Freshwater Fish Preferred Water Conditions: Will acclimatize to a wide range of conditions. pH: 6.5-8.0 Temperature: Cold water-temperate between 2-30 deg C (34-86 deg F) Care: Tench are often a shy fish, usually living at the bottom of a lake or pond. They prefer still waters, but can still be found in slow moving areas of rivers.

In the ornamental fish trade there is a golden variety of tench that is more popular because of its bright orange/yellow appearance. Generally tench feed on the bottom moving around in small shoals feeding on plants, small insects and invertebrates. They will feed from the surface in garden ponds with other fish as they become more at home in there surroundings. Price: 2-3" £3.00 each or 10 for £25.00 4-6" £5.00 each or 10 for £40.00 6-8" £7.50 each Tench (Tinca tinca) - FactSheet Tinca tinca Common name: Tench Taxonomy: available through Identification: Distinguishing characteristics were given in Berg (1949), Scott and Crossman (1973), Muus and Dahlstrom (1978), Wheeler (1978), and Page and Burr (1991). Identification keys that include this species and photographs or illustrations were provided in a few published state fish books (e.g., Whitworth et al.

1968; Woodling 1985; Bond 1994; Moyle 2002; Wydoski and Whitney 2003). A name used in some of the early literature for this species is Tinca vulgaris. Size: 84 cm. Native Range: Most of Europe, including the British Isles, and parts of western Asia (Berg 1949). Alaska Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps Nonindigenous Occurrences : States in which this species has been stocked or reported include Alabama (Baughman 1947); Arizona (Baughman 1947; Courtenay et al. 1991); Arkansas (Baughman 1947); California (Shapovalov 1944; Kimsey and Fisk 1964; Skinner 1972; Courtenay et al.

1984, 1991; Dill and Cordone 1997; Moyle 2002; Wydoski and Whitney 2003); Colorado (Ellis 1914; Baughman 1947; Beckman 1952; Everhart and Seaman 1971; Woodling 1985; Zuckerman and Behnke 1986; Rasmussen 1998; Wydoski and Whitney 2003); Connecticut (Webster 1942; Connecticut State Board of Fisheries and Game 1959; Whitworth et al. 1968; Courtenay et al. 1986); Delaware (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947; Lee et al.

1976; Raasch and Altemus 1991); Florida (Baughman 1947); Georgia (Bean 1896; Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947); Idaho (Smith 1896; Ravenel 1898; Lampman 1946; Baughman 1947; Linder 1963; Simpson and Wallace 1978; Idaho Fish and Game 1990, 1996; Wydoski and Whitney 2003); Illinois (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947); Indiana (Baughman 1947); Iowa (Bean 1896; Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947); Kansas (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947); Kentucky (Baughman 1947); Louisiana (Baughman 1947); Maryland (Ferguson 1876; Anonymous 1892; Bean 1884,

 1903; McDonald 1893; Ravenel 1898; Truitt et al.

1929; Baughman 1947; Schwartz 1963, 1964; Courtenay el al. 1991; Starnes 2003, Starnes et al. 2011); Massachusetts (Baughman 1947; USFWS 2005); Michigan (Baughman 1947); Mississippi (Ravenel 1896); Missouri (McDonald 1893; Evermann and Kendall 1895; Worth 1895; Bean 1896; Ravenel 1896, 1898; Baughman 1947; Pflieger 1971); Nebraska (Baughman 1947; Morris et al.

1974); Nevada (Smith 1896; Miller and Alcorn 1946; Baughman 1947; Deacon and Williams 1984); New Jersey (Ravenel 1896); New Mexico (Ravenel 1896; Baughman 1947; Koster 1957; Sublette et al. 1990); New York (Bean 1903; Baughman 1947; Courtenay et al.

1986; Schmidt 1986; Malchoff et al 2005); North Carolina (Ravenel 1896; Baughman 1947); Ohio (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947; Trautman 1981); Oklahoma (McDonald 1893; Bean 1896; Baughman 1947; Hall 1956); Oregon (Smith 1896; Ravenel 1898; Chapman 1942; Lampman 1946; Baughman 1947; Courtenay et al. 1986; Wydoski and Whitney 2003); Pennsylvania (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947; Hendricks et al.

1979); South Carolina (Ravenel 1896, 1898; Baughman 1947); Tennessee (Ravenel 1898; Baughman 1947); Texas (Worth 1895; Bean 1896; Ravenel 1896, 1898; Baughman 1947; Hubbs 1954; Howells 1992); Utah (Tanner 1936; Baughman 1947); Vermont (Vachon and Dumont 2002). Virginia (Baird 1887; Ravenel 1896, 1898; Baughman 1947; Hocutt et al. 1986; Courtenay et al.

1991; Jenkins and Burkhead 1994); Washington (Smith 1896; Ravenel 1898; Chapman 1942; Lampman 1946; Baughman 1947; Gray and Dauble 1977; McPhail and Lindsey 1986; Killgore et al. 1991; Wydoski and Whitney 2003); West Virginia (Baughman 1947); and Wisconsin (Baughman 1947; Becker 1983). Means of Introduction: This species was imported into North America from Germany by the U.S. Fish Commission in 1877 apparently for use as a food and sport fish (Baird 1879). The Commission apparently spent several years learning to culture tench, for it was not until well into the 1880s that the agency started to seriously distribute the species in the United States.

According to Baughman (1947), the Commission planted more than 138,000 tench across North America during the period 1886 to 1896. By the end of that period, the Commission had provided tench to at least 36 different states. Shortly thereafter, the agency discontinued working with tench and turned over their hatchery ponds to the rearing of bass (Baughman 1947). The U.S. Fish Commission stocked tench into lakes and ponds in the Pacific states, including Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, in 1895 (Smith 1896). Additional introductions occurred in Washington when tench exhibited at the 1909 Worlds Fair, held in Seattle, were dumped into a large pond on the University of Washington campus. Some of these fish later were transferred to Lake Washington; the population eventually spread to Lake Union (Wydoski and Whitney 2003). Although most tench introductions were the result of intentional stockings, some introductions were the result of escape from holding facilities.

In 1889, many of the fish, including an estimated 25 tench, held in federal ponds in Washington, D.C., escaped into the Potomac River during a flood (McDonald 1893). However, tench had been introduced to the Potomac River prior to that date. For instance, Smiley (1889) recorded the taking of tench from that river during March 1887. Evermann and Kendall (1895) reported the escape of tench from the Neosho fish hatchery into Spring Branch near Neosho in southwestern Missouri. Baughman (1947) discussed the escape of tench into the Olentangy River of Ohio after the banks of an artificial lake collapsed in 1898. Schwartz (1964) stated that tench had escaped from commercial ponds into creeks in Maryland. Tench were first brought to California in 1922.

At that time, specimens obtained in Italy were illegally released into a private reservoir near Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County; the species was later spread to other California waters by ranchers (Shapovalov 1944; Dill and Cordone 1997). Status: The tench has been documented for 38 states. Baughman (1947) indicated that this species was established in California, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and apparently Oregon; he also quoted information of previously breeding populations in Maryland. In a more recent work, Page and Burr (1991) considered it established in California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Washington, and possibly Delaware, Maryland, and New York. Courtenay et al. (1991) believed it to be established in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, and Washington. Dill and Cordone (1997) found evidence that the tench is still established in California, but described its distribution as very limited. Although the data are more than a decade old, Woodling (1985) confirmed that the species continued to survive in several Colorado waters.

Zuckerman and Benhke (1986) also noted that the species persisted in Colorado, but they indicated populations in the San Luis Valley had declined dramatically in recent years. Whitworth (1996) reported that no specimens had been obtained in Connecticut for over fifteen years. There is recent literature indicating the species is still established in Washington and, probably, Idaho. For instance, in their analysis of Northwest drainages, McPhail and Lindsey (1986) listed tench as present in the upper, middle, and lower Columbia River system and in the Chehalis river system. Although Idaho was not listed by Page and Burr (1991), the continued presence or established status of tench in that state has been documented by several authors (i.e., Simpson and Wallace 1978; Courtenay et al. 1991, Idaho Fish and Game 1996). However, it likely has been extirpated in Delaware (contrary to Page and Burr 1991), where surveys since 1950 have failed to find the species (M. Raasch, personal communication).

Koster (1957) stated that this species occurred in the middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico, and Bond (1973) described its distribution in Oregon as the Columbia River and probably the lower Willamette River. Lee et al. (1980 et seq.) also recorded tench as established in Oregon and New Mexico. However, in more recent works, Sublette et al. (1990) considered it extirpated from New Mexico, and Courtenay et al. (1986) believed that tench had been extirpated from both Oregon and New Mexico. In his revised treatment of Oregon fishes, Bond (1994) noted tench as introduced to the Columbia River and stated that the species was once present in lower Willamette River. The Willamette is a tributary of the Columbia River. Although it seems to be the case that tench are no longer present in Oregon, Bond (1973, 1994) did not definitively state that the Willamette River population was the only Columbia River site with tench known in that state. Its present status in both Maryland and New York is unclear.

According to Baughman (1947) it was temporarily established in Maryland. Schwartz (1964) concluded that wild populations no longer exist in Maryland. In fact, he indicated that the last wild specimens known from the state were taken from the C & O Canal at Buzzard's Hole, Maryland, in 1911; however, Schwartz did note that some tench may exist in Catoctin and Huntington creeks, Frederick County, as a result of escape from commercial ponds where the fish were reared for sale to the "dime-store goldfish trade." Apparently Schwartz did not consider tench in the two creeks to be reproducing. However, Lee et al. (1984) noted that it may occur in isolated areas of Piedmont in Maryland. Rohde et al. (1994) did not mention tench in their recent work on fishes of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Similarly, Smith (1985) did not mention tench in his treatment of New York fishes.

Nevertheless, Schmidt (1986), in his analysis of fish distribution in 14 Atlantic coastal drainages, listed tench as introduced to lowland lacustrine habitats in the Delaware, Long Island, and Housatonic drainages. Shortly after its introduction, Smith and Bean (1899) indicated that the species was becoming common in the Potomac River. Much more recently, Hocutt et al. (1986) listed it as introduced to the Potomac River. However, Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) concluded that there was no evidence that the species persists in the Potomac drainage, a conclusion also reached by Starnes et al. (2011). Although the tench has maintained breeding populations in a few places, the frequent absence of this species in most fish samples suggests that the tench is no longer present in many areas where it had previously been introduced and, in some cases, was temporarily established (e.g., Hall 1956; Morris et al. 1974; Hendricks et al. 1979; Courtenay et al. 1986; Menhinick 1991).

Ravenel (1896) reported that the U.S Fish Commission stocked 1,600 tench in the Musconetcong River in New Jersey. That is the only record of the species in that state. During the late 1800s, the U.S. Fish Commission distributed tench to many states. In many cases the Commission documented that tench were released into specific rivers or lakes. However, for a number of states the Commission simply noted that tench were distributed to "various applicants" without indicating whether or not these fish were ever released into open waters (Baughman 1947). Later data indicated that tench were found or collected in open waters of a few of these states (e.g., Arizona), but for ten states (i.e., Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and possibly Utah) the presence of this species in open waters has not been adequately confirmed. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that some of the tench delivered by the Commission to various applicants eventually found their way to open waters as a result of floods, dam breaks, or because of intentional releases.

Such losses were frequent with common carp, another cyprinid widely distributed by the U.S. Fish Commission during the late 1800s (Smiley 1886). Tanner (1936) listed tench as one of the species introduced into Utah streams, but he provided no details. Impact of Introduction: For the most part, unknown. In the 1940s this species was reported to be a nuisance because of high abundance in certain parts of Maryland and Idaho (Baughman 1947). The diet consists mainly of aquatic insect larvae and molluscs (Scott and Crossman 1973). Moyle (2002) considered it a potential competitor for food with sport fishes and native cyprinids. In their discussion of tench introduced to Africa, de Moor and Bruton (1988) noted that the species is known to stir up bottom sediments, possibly affecting water quality, but not to the extent of common carp Cyprinus carpio. Remarks: Baughman (1947) reviewed the history of tench introductions in North America.

He also presented evidence suggesting the presence of centrarchids somehow prevented more widespread establishment of tench. Zuckerman and Behnke (1986) noticed that the decline of tench in Colorado coincided with the spread and establishment of the common carp. These authors also noted the occurrence of tench at two sites in Colorado at elevations greater than 2,850 meters. Shapovalov (1944) and Dill and Cordone (1997) reviewed the history of tench in California. In addition to the normal- or wild-colored tench, the U.S. Fish Commission distributed an orange-yellow or reddish variety, the golden tench, to various applicants in the United State during the late 1800s (Bean 1896). That genetic strain apparently was only distributed as an ornamental. There is no evidence that this ornamental variety was introduced to open waters. The golden tench is still used as an ornamental fish in European ponds (Scott and Crossman 1973; Muus and Dahlstrom 1978). Tench were introduced to Tasmania in the 19th century (Weatherley 1961).

DeVaney et al. (2009) performed ecological niche modeling to examine the invasion potential for tench and three other invasive cyprinids (common carp Cyprinus carpio, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, and black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus). All of the current established populations of tench were in areas of predicted high suitability for this species. Interestingly, many areas where tench failed to become established or is currently extirpated (e.g., Great Lakes region) also had a moderate to high predicted suitability. DeVaney et al. (2009) attributed this potentially to negative interactions with sunfishes or unmeasured environmental factors. Voucher specimens: Colorado (USNM 055569), Maryland (USNM 31003, 37850, 30336, 27234), Missouri (USNM 073666), New Mexico (UMMZ 118218), Virginia (USNM 30336, 31003, 37850).

References : (click for full references) Baird, S.F. 1887. Report of the Commissioner for 1885. Part XIII. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Baughman, J.L. 1947. The tench in America. Journal of Wildlife Management 11(3): 197-204. Bean, T.H. 1884. List of the fishes distributed by the United States Fish Commission. Pages 1039-1044 in Report of the Commissioner for 1882, Part X. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Bean, T.H. 1896. Report on the propagaton and distribution of food-fishes. 20-80 in Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1894, Part XX. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Bean, T.H. 1903. CAtalogue of the fishes of New York. Bulletin of the New York State Museum 60:1-784. Becker, G.C.

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American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. Deacon, J.E., and J.E. Williams. 1984. Annotated list of the fishes of Nevada. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97(1):103-118. DeVaney, S.C., K.M. McNyset, J.B. Williams, A.T. Peterson, and E.O. Wiley. 2009. A tale of four "carp": invasion potential and ecological niche modeling. PLoS ONE 4(5): e5451. Dill, W.A., and A.J. Cordone. 1997. History and status of introduced fishes in California, 1871-1996. California Department of Fish and Game Fish Bulletin, volume 178. Everhart, W.H. and W.R. Seaman. 1971. Fishes of Colorado. Colorado Game, Fish and Parks Division, Denver, CO. Evermann, B.W., and W.C. Kendall. 1895. A list of the species of fishes known from the vicinity of Neosho, Missouri.

Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 14:469-472. Ferguson, T.B. 1876. Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries of Maryland to the General Assembly. 1 January 1876. John F. Wiley, Annapolis, MD. Gray, R.H., and D.D. Dauble. 1977. Checklist and relative abundance of fish species from the Hanford reach of the Columbia River. Northwest Science 51(3):208-215. Hall, G.E. 1956. Additions to the fish fauna of Oklahoma with a summary of introduced species. Southwestern Naturalist 1(1):16-26. Hendricks, M.L., J.R. Stauffer, Jr., C.H. Hocutt, and C.R. Gilbert. 1979. A preliminary checklist of the fishes of the Youghiogheny River. Chicago Academy of Sciences, Natural History Miscellanea 203:1-15. Hocutt, C.H., R.E. Jenkins, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr. 1986.

Zoogeography of the fishes of the central Appalachians and central Atlantic Coastal Plain. 161-212 in C.H. Hocutt and E.O. Wiley, eds. The zoogeography of North American freshwater fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. Howells, R.G. 1992. Annotated list of introduced non-native fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and aquatic plants in Texas waters. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Management Data Series 78, Austin, TX. Hubbs, C. 1954. Corrected distributional records for Texas fresh-water fishes. Texas Journal of Science 6(3):277-291. Idaho Fish and Game. 1990. Fisheries Management Plan 1991-1995. Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Idaho Fish and Game. 1996. Fisheries Management Plan 1996-2000. Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Jenkins, R.E., and N.M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater Fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.

Killgore, K.J., J.J. Hoover, and R.P. Morgan. 1991. Habitat value of aquatic plants for fishes. Technical Report A-91-5. U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Kimsey, J.B., and L.O. Fisk. 1964. Freshwater nongame fishes of California. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA. Koster, W.J. 1957. Guide to the fishes of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press. Albuquerque, NM. Lampman, B. H. 1946. The coming of the pond fishes. Binfords and Mort, Portland, OR. Lee, D.S., A. Norden, C.R. Gilbert, and R. Franz. 1976. A list of the freshwater fishes of Maryland and Delaware. Chesapeake Science 17(3):205-211. Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.

1980 et seq. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, NC. Lee, D.S., A.W. Norden, and C.R. Gilbert. 1984. Endangered, threatened, and extirpated freshwater fishes of Maryland. 287-328 in A.W. Norden, D.C. Forester, and G.H. Fenwick, eds. Threatened and endangered plants and animals of Maryland. Maryland Natural History Program, Spec. Publ. 84-I, Annapolis, MD. Linder, A. D. 1963. Idaho's alien fishes. Tebiwa 6(2), 12-15. Malchoff, M., J.E. Marsden, and M. Hauser. 2005. Feasibility of Champlain Canal aquatic nuisance species barrier options. Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Burlington, VT. McDonald, M. 1893. Report of the Commissioner for 1889 to 1891. Part XVII. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C.

McPhail, J.D., and C.C. Lindsey. 1986. Zoogeography of the freshwater fishes of Cascadia (the Columbia system and rivers north to the Stikine). 615-638 in C.H. Hocutt and E.O. Wiley, eds. The zoogeography of North American freshwater fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. Menhinick, E.F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh, NC. Miller, R.R., and J.R. Alcorn. 1946. The introduced fishes of Nevada, with a history of their introduction. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 73:173-193. de Moor, I.J. and M.N. Bruton. 1988. Atlas of alien and translocated indigenous aquatic animals in southern Africa. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 144. Morris, J., L. Morris, and L. Witt. 1974. The fishes of Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE. Moyle, P.B. 2002.

Inland fishes of California. 2nd edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Muus, B.J., and P. Dahlstrom. 1978. Collins guide to the freshwater fishes of Britain and Europe. Collins, London, England. Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. The Peterson Guide Series, vol. 42. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA. Pflieger, W. 1997. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Environmental Conservation, Jefferson City, MO. Raasch, M. S., and V. L. Altemus, Sr. 1991. Delaware's freshwater and brackish water fishes - a popular account. Delaware State College for the Study of Del-Mar-Va Habitats and the Society of Natural History of Delaware. Rasmussen, J.L. 1998. Aquatic nuisance species of the Mississippi OH . Ravenel, W.C. 1896. Report on the propagation and distribution of food-fishes.

Pages 6-72 in Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1895, Part XXI. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Ravenel, W.C. 1898. Report on the propagation and distribution of food-fishes. Pages 11-92 in Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1896, Part XXII. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Rohde, F.C., R.G. Arndt, D.G. Lindquist, and J.F. Parnell. 1994. Freshwater fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. Schmidt, R.E. 1986. Zoogeography of the northern Appalachians. 137-160 in C.H. Hocutt and E.O. Wiley, eds. The zoogeography of North American freshwater fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. Schwartz, F. 1963. The fresh-water minnows of Maryland.

Maryland Conservationist 40(2):19-29. Schwartz, F. 1964. Several Maryland fishes are close to extinction. Maryland Conservationist 41(3):8-12. Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin 184, Ottawa, Canada. Shapovalov, L. 1944. The tench in California. California Fish and Game 30(1): 54-57. Simpson, J., and R. Wallace. 1978. Fishes of Idaho. University of Idaho Press, Moscow, ID. Skinner, J.E. 1972. Ecological studies of the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary. California Dept of Fish and Game, Delta Fish and Wildlife Protection Study Report no. 8. Sacramento, CA. Smiley, C.W. 1886. Some results of carp culture in the United States. Pages 657-890 in Report of the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for 1884, Part XII. U.S.

Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Smiley, C.W. 1889. Notes upon fish and the fisheries. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission 7:33-50. Smith, C.L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY. Smith, H.M. 1896. A review of the history and results of the attempts to acclimatize fish and other water animals in the Pacific states. Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission 15: 379-472. Smith H.M, and B.A. Bean. 1899. List of fishes known to inhabit the waters of the District of Columbia and vicinity. Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission 18:179–187. Starnes, W.C. 2002. Current diversity, historical analysis, and biotic integrity of fishes in the lower Potomac Basin in the vicinity of Plummers Island, Maryland—Contribution XVII to the natural history of Plummers Island, Maryland.

Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 115:273-320. Starnes, W.C., J. Odenkirk, and M.J. Ashton. 2011. Update and analysis of fish occurrences in the lower Potomac River drainage in the vicinity of Plummers Island, Maryland—Contribution XXXI to the natural history of Plummers Island, Maryland. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 124(4):280-309. Sublette, J.E., M.D. Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM. Tanner, V.M. 1936. A study of the fishes of Utah. Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters 13:155-183. Trautman, M.B. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, OH. Truitt, R.V., B.A. Bean, and H.W. Fowler. 1929. The fishes of Maryland.

Maryland Conservation Department, Conservation Bulletin 3, Annapolis, MD. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2005. National Wildlife Refuge SystemVachon, N. and P. Dumont. 2002. Study of the first references to tench (Tinca tinca L.) caught in the upper-Richlelieu River (Quebec). Quebec Society of Wildlife and Parks, Monteregie Directorate of Wildlife Management, Longueuil, Technical Report. 16-07. Weatherley, A.H. 1961. Notes on distribution, taxonomy and behaviour of tench Tinca tinca (L.) in Tasmania. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 13 4:713-719. Webster, D.A. 1942. The life histories of some Connecticut fishes. 122-227 in A fishery survey of important Connecticut lakes. State Geological and Natural History Survey of Connecticut, Bulletin 63. Wheeler, A. 1978. Key to the fishes of northern Europe. Frederick Warne Ltd., London, England. Whitworth, W.R., P.L.

Berrien, and W.T. Keller. 1968. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. State Geological and Natural History Survey of Connecticut, Bulletin 101. Woodling, J. 1985. Colorado's little fish: a guide to the minnows and other lesser known fishes in the state of Colorado. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver, CO. Worth, S.G. 1895. Report on the propagaton and distribution of food-fishes. Pages 78-138 in Report of the Commissioner for the year ending June 30, 1893, Part XIX. U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Washington, D.C. Wydoski, R.S. and R.R. Whitney. 2003. Inland Fishes of Washington. Second Edition. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD in association with University of Washington Press, Seattle. Zuckerman, L.D., and R.J. Behnke. 1986. Introduced fishes in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. 435-452 in R.H. Stroud, ed. Fish culture in fisheries management.

Proceedings of a symposium on the role of fish culture in fisheries management at Lake Ozark, MO, March 31-April 3, 1985. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD. Other Resources: Guide to catching tench Fact file The Latin name for tench is tinca tinca. Known as the ‘doctor fish’, ancient legend says the slime which coats the body of the tench has healing properties. Tench can be found in most lowland lakes, some slow moving rivers and canals. The tench thrives best in very weedy waters with a rich, muddy bottom although they are very tolerant of stagnant conditions. The British record tench stands at 15lb 3oz 6drm and was taken by Darren Ward from a southern stillwater in 2001. Any tench over 4lb is a good fish, with a specimen of 8lb considered particularly noteworthy. Where are they? Found throughout England, but in fewer numbers the further north you travel. How to recognise tench Of all the UK’s freshwater fish, the tench is perhaps the most recogniseable of them all.

With its green colouration, silky-smooth feel and tiny red eye, it is entirely unmistakeable. A tremendously hard-fighting fish, many rate the species as their favourite of all. The tench is actually a member of the carp family and although predominantly a green colour, can either darken or lighten depending on the water conditions. There are also specially-bred ornamental versions that are golden yellow. The biggest tench to be caught from British waters was a 15lb 3oz 6drm specimen that was taken from a southern stillwater in 2001. Where to look for tench Lakes, ponds and gravel pits are the places to look for if tench are the target. While you can find them in rivers, canals and drains, they are more suited to stillwaters where they feed among the silt and mud. A classic-looking tench hotspot Because they need the water temperature to warm up, they tend to spawn later than most coarse fish, laying their eggs between May and June. This can be a good period for the specimen-hunter who is able to target fish that can weigh an extra few pounds due to being spawn-bound.

A pair of tench can take several weeks to spawn, leaving clusters of eggs stuck to the stems of water plants. Sizeable female fish can carry up to one million eggs. So what do tench eat? Tench are bottom-feeders and they like to root around in the silt and mud for mussels, snails, bloodworm and tiny invertebrates. A quality tench is beaten When feeding, the fish release tiny pockets of bubbles from their mouths that can appear almost frothy when they appear on the surface. Dawn is probably the time when tench feed the most although they will continue to do so throughout the day on certain venues. Dusk is productive but they are less active once night falls. How can I catch tench? Like all forms of fishing, this is dependent on what type of venue you are targeting. Tench love lobs! If this is a small pond or lake, floatfishing works well. Bait-wise, you can’t go far wrong with either sweetcorn, maggots, breadflake or lobworm on the hook. But if you are fishing a large gravel pit, you may need to leger.

A swimfeeder approach can be best (try fake corn, maggots or casters on the hook) or even a straight lead with mini boilies as bait. Go target tench now! The approach you take to take to catch tench largely depends on the size of fish that are the target. For example, very big fish – say those over 8lb – generally require scaled-down carp tactics, while smaller tench, those below 3lb, are often caught on the pole. However, for those average-sized fish between 4lb and 6lb, a feeder set-up is probably the best. The Avanti Isis Carbon Reactor 11ft Feeder rod has a lovely action Tench fight hard so you need to gear up accordingly. A rod that might normally be used on a commercial fishery for carp is a good place to start. Something like the Avanti Isis Carbon Reactor 11ft feeder rod is ideal. Choose the stiffest of the three tips supplied. You’ll then need to balance the rod with a reel. A good choice would be the Matsuku Rotorblade 5000 Gold , mainly because it incorporates a freespool facility.

Tench will often bolt on picking up the hookbait and feeling the feeder, so a reel that will immediately allow line to be taken is vital. Get free hooklength material with every spool of Puddle Pig mainline Load your reel with 6lb mainline. Puddle Pig Method Feeder line has the perfect properties, being both reliable and extremely good value at £3 for 100m. Each pack also comes with a free 50m spool of hooklength material and in the case of the 6lb mainline, you get 4lb hooklength material. Hooks need to be strong, so a pattern like the Kamasan B911X Extra Strong are ideal. The size depends on the hookbait, with a 16 matching a couple of maggots, a size 14 a piece of sweetcorn and a 12 a lump of flake. An open-end feeder will complete the set-up. The Kamasan versions are very good for tench fishing, particularly in the medium and large sizes. These should be fished on a simple paternoster rig.

Add liquid attractant to your groundbait for an extra edge When it comes to groundbait, tench love sweet flavours. Dynamite Baits XL in tiger nut flavour is a superb addition to a brown crumb base. Try introducing an additive to the mix too, and Dynamite Baits Hi Attract Liquid in Strawberry & Ice Cream will give you an extra edge. To keep tench in you swim as long as possible, add particles like hemp , pellets and sweetcorn. Get a mixed box of fake baits for just £10 – only at Dragon Carp Direct One thing that’s worth considering when tench fishing is the use of artificial baits on the hook. Some anglers have a problem using plastic as oppose to the real thing, but so many quality fish are taken each season it’s certainly worth a look. The massive advantage of using artificials is that they will not only withstand a long cast, they’ll stay on the hook as long as you want them to. Fake maggots, casters, sweetcorn, pellets and bread will all catch tench and perhaps the best way of buying it is to go for something like the Feeding Frenzy Imitation Bait set.

This contains loads of options and only costs £10. Now watch the tackle in action

Question: Tinca Tinca is the Latin name for which fish?
Answer: TENCH