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Sub-zero session produces spectacular tench haul from river

by Aidan Bordiuk |

Updated on19th January 2026 at 11.59am

When anglers think of tench fishing, they often conjure images of warm, sunny days on the bank in spring or summer, pursuing one of the UK’s favourite coarse fish. Generally, tench aren’t regarded as a winter species, as when the weather turns cold they tend to go off the feed, and captures become rare, even on the most prolific venues.

You can therefore imagine the disbelief experienced by Ivan Currie while, during a cold January session on the River Kenn in Clevedon, he went on to bank an incredible 14 tench. The capture is made even more spectacular by the fact that tinca's aren’t found in particularly great numbers in many of our rivers, making for a truly unforgettable days angling for the Clevedon Freshwater Angling Club's Secretary and Press officer.

“It was a bitterly cold -3 degrees in the morning when I was defrosting the van, ready for a trip down to the River Kenn. As expected, when I eventually arrived on the banks of the river in Clevedon, the ground was solid, and a few of the resident dog walkers were certainly questioning my sanity,” Ivan said.

“The stretch here is tidal, and with high tide coinciding just prior my arrival, there was a nice pace on the river. While everything looked good, I did notice several goosanders present, along with a cormorant, which I was hoping wouldn’t spoil the fishing,” he explained.

Ivan opted for simple tactics on the day, choosing a waggler setup in conjunction with a couple of pints of red maggots in the hope of searching out the swim and catching anything willing to feed in the freezing conditions.

“I trotted through continuously with the waggler all day, feeding two lines. My first bite came after just 20 minutes despite the cold temperatures, and to my surprise, a tench of around 5lb came to the net.”

“Astonishingly, bites remained steady throughout the session, and I had an unbelievable day, catching 14 tench in total, with some real crackers amongst them."

"This also eclipsed my previous best tench bag from the river, when I caught 13 during a trip a couple of years ago. A big thanks to Paul Randell for helping with the photos and getting the fish back quickly, as a reminder of a session to remember,” Ivan concluded.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT TIPS FOR CATCHING TENCH...

What a stunning bag of winter tench

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