With spring air temperatures on the rise, many anglers turn their attention to tench as they begin to stir from their winter slumber. Tench are hugely popular in the UK, once even voted Britain’s best coarse fish, their deep green colouring is unlike anything else in our waters, and the variety of tactics you can use to catch them only adds to their appeal. For many anglers, few sights are better than seeing a big 'Tinca' in their landing net.
Unfortunately, the number of venues holding tench, especially larger specimens, seems to be declining year on year, making them increasingly tricky to target. That said, Korum-backed angler Nick Marsh got his season off to a flying start, as his very first tench session of the year produced several fish, including an incredibly rare golden tench.
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"I’ve just come back from my first proper go at tench fishing this season, and true to form, it’s been anything but straightforward," Nick told us.
The weather’s been a real mixed bag – warm and bright through the day, then dropping into brisk, single-digit temps once evening sets in. Conditions like that are never ideal when you're chasing tench," he explained.
"My tactic of choice was a tried-and-tested one: big flatbed feeders paired with short rigs. I loaded them with Sonubaits Marine Green groundbait blended with 4mm pellets, and fished bandum wafters on the hook – a solid setup I lean on when the bites are few and far between."
"I kept the feeders going in regularly to keep the swim ticking over and at first, the action came thick and fast, but it was mostly bream. Fun, sure, but not the main goal."
"After a bit of tinkering, and a bit of patience I managed to draw in something more in line with the target species."
"I started connecting with tench – and one of them was something really special. A stunning koi-coloured tench turned up, easily the most striking I’ve ever caught. And just when I thought the session couldn’t get more interesting, a chunky mirror carp muscled in and gave my 1.5lb Trilogy Rod a serious test."
"So while the conditions made things a bit unpredictable, it turned into a session to remember. Here’s hoping those milder nights aren’t too far off!"
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