Tench fishing is incredibly popular in the UK, often evoking images of arriving at a quintessential British estate lake at dawn, lowering a float fished bait next to some lily pads, before the tell-tale bubbles begin to erupt on the surface. There is a magic about tench fishing that really takes some beating, but if you are yet to catch one, don't worry as this guide will help you land your first Tinca.
Get up early
Tench fishing and first light go hand in hand so if you only have a couple of hours for a session, try to organise your time so you’re on the bank before the sun breaks the horizon. Tench can be quite shy, especially on natural venues like gravel pits and canals, and dawn, closely followed by dusk, is generally the best time to catch one.
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Where to find tench
Tench can be found in almost all types of waters from canals, commercial fisheries, carp lakes, gravel pits, and rivers so chances are, there are some not too far from where you live. Once you arrive at your chosen venue, have a look around as certain features are more likely to hold tench than others, with classic hotspots including lily pads, marginal drop-offs, overhanging trees, and weedbeds. Tench are generally quite shy and tend to stick close to structure, especially during bright conditions so these features give youth best chance of locating them.
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Float or feeder?
Most die-hard tench anglers will tell you that float fishing is the only way to catch them and while we agree it’s an exciting method, feeder fishing is also a highly effective way to land tench.
If you choose to float fish, you can opt for the lift method, where the bait is anchored to the bottom and the float rises when a tench picks it up, or go with a traditional waggler setup. For beginners, the latter is much easier to master.
If you prefer feeder fishing, you can go down the Method feeder route, which is an excellent way of catching tench, or use a helicopter rig with maggots or groundbait in the feeder. This approach often accounts for the majority of specimen tench captures each year, such is its effectiveness and is a much easier way to fish if you are fishing overnight or longer sessions.
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Bait choice for tench
When it comes to tench, they can be either incredibly fussy about what they pick up or happy to inhale anything in their path, so it’s wise to take a variety of baits to tempt them. If I could only take two, it would be casters and sweetcorn as tench absolutely adore both. Casters seem to have the edge, but if your venue has a lot of smaller silverfish, corn is king, as it helps deter them! Other great baits for tench include worms, hemp, pellets, and maggots, with some anglers having great success on boilies, particularly on carp waters.
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Tackle
Tench are strong fish, and you'll often be catching them close to features, so it's wise to step up your tackle accordingly. I recommend using a 5–6lb mainline for float fishing and around 8lb for feeder setups. Hooklengths of 4–5lb will cover most situations, offering enough strength to control the tench without being so heavy that it spoils the fight. A standard match or feeder rod will do the job, but if you're serious about targeting tench regularly, a dedicated specimen rod is a better choice.
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Top tips
Prebaiting is a great way to catch tench and simply popping down to your chosen venue the night before to introduce some bait into likely-looking spots can be really effective.
Tench often give away their presence by rolling on the surface or through the tell-tale bubbles they release from the lakebed while feeding. If you spot either of these signs, it’s a good indication that tench are in the area and it's definitely worth fishing there.
Despite their size, tench tend to favour smaller food items, so small hookbaits can be particularly effective, often outperforming larger offerings. A single grain of corn, a few casters, or a lobworm can all be deadly choices.
Tench are also comfortable patrolling close to the near-margin drop-offs, meaning you often won’t need to cast far. Just a couple of rod lengths out is usually enough.
Groundbait can be useful for drawing tench into your swim, just don’t go overboard. If you're limited on time, a single hand-sized ball packed with hemp, pellets, and corn can be enough to spark a feeding response.
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