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Angler enjoys incredible winter tench haul

by Aidan Bordiuk |

Updated on16th February 2026 at 3.27pm

For most anglers, tench are a classic species to target in the spring, with the best fishing usually occurring as the water warms up from March to August. Occasionally, tench are caught in winter, but it is a rarity, with most anglers who target them hanging up their rods and opting to fish for other species until the tench begin to feed again.

One angler who turned all these beliefs on their head was Jason Smith, who, on a recent trip to the Exeter shipping canal, managed to bank 15 tench ranging between 4–6lb, in what can only be described as a truly red-letter session at any time of year, let alone in the depths of winter!

"Every year, around the end of January or early February, I start my canal tench campaign, as I know from past experience that they often tend to shoal up around the Exminster area of the canal. The stretch is controlled by Exeter Anglers Association and is available on a day ticket," Jason told us.

"I've had a few short sessions since then, with a few fish to show for my efforts, but had to cut those short due to a back injury, which has been a nightmare!" he added.

HERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT VENUES TO TRY AND CATCH YOURSELF A TENCH...

Some of the better tench from the session!

After an easing in his back problems, Jason managed to find some time to get back down to the canal. Fishing until around midday, he banked a few tench on a cage feeder, but it wasn't prolific, and as he planned to return the following morning, he put some bait in and called it a day.

"The next day, I arrived at first light and with my trusty fishing dog, Monty, in tow, we headed straight to the swim I’d fished the day before. Knowing some bait had gone in, and, with my rod already clipped up to the area, I only put another five feeders full in to top the area up," he explained.

"My mix consisted of Sonubaits F1 Dark, mixed with a little Thatchers Dark and some So Simple Tinca mix. To that, I add a few maggots to get them interested."

"First cast saw the rod nearly get dragged off the rest and the first tench of the day hit the keepnet. After this, however, despite the odd rattle on the tip and noticing that my maggots were being chewed when reeling in, action was slow, and the fish I was catching were taking the bait quite deep," he said.

Realising things needed to change, Jason switched to a method maggot feeder in conjunction with a 4–6 inch hooklength and a line stop around 6–8 inches above the feeder to create a bolt effect. The result was immediate, with proper bites from the off, and over the next ten casts, he caught ten more tench, with instant indications and clean hookups every time.

"It was like flicking a light switch, and when bites began to dry up, I would top the swim up with a little more groundbait to encourage the tench back into the swim to feed, which worked a treat!"

"It was a throughly enjoyable session to say the least, especially for the time of year," he concluded.

An epic winter haul of tench for Jason.

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