| Tinca Tinca or Tench as it is more commonly | | | | simple and do not let any salesman tell you |
| known is by far one of my favorite species of | | | | otherwise. All this tackle is available at any angling |
| fish. They are hard fighting and pound for pound | | | | store however that is only the start of knowing |
| the strongest of still water fish and surpassed | | | | how to fish for Tench. |
| only by the illusive Barbel where they can be | | | | Early season Tench can be a lot easier to entice |
| found on rivers. As Tench feed off the grubs on | | | | than later season fish as once caught, they |
| the weed and bottom, as they do so they | | | | become wary of certain baits so the sooner in |
| release air trapped within the lake bed and weed | | | | the season you fish for these beautiful fish the |
| which can often be seen during the spring and | | | | better. Baits that can be used vary however the |
| summer months as a fizzing on the surface of | | | | method which you choose will dictate which baits |
| the water. This is a sure sign that the Tench are | | | | you can use. When fishing waggler the best |
| on the move after the inactivity of the winter | | | | methods are chopped worm, maggot and |
| months and are feeding. So if you are lucky | | | | sweetcorn. When you arrive at the water, mix |
| enough to have Tench in the waters close to | | | | some ground bait using the lake water and add |
| you, how do you go about enticing this wily fish | | | | some of the bait with which you are going to fish. |
| into sampling your bait? | | | | Throw out a number (3-4) of golf ball sized |
| There are numerous methods available and for | | | | ground bait mix balls. The mix wants to be wet |
| those fishermen wishing to know how to fish for | | | | enough to form a ball but so it breaks up as it |
| Tench here is a sample of a few of the best. | | | | sinks. Set your rod up and plumb the depth using |
| - Waggler Method; | | | | a plummet. This is crucial as Tench feed off the |
| - Quiver tip method; | | | | bottom; if your hook is above the lake bed it is |
| - Ledgered bait using bite alarms; | | | | highly unlikely that you will catch Tench. As the |
| - Method Feeder using bite alarms. | | | | Tench move onto the ground bait you will notice |
| By far the best method for fishing for Tench is | | | | bubbles breaking the surface. Now is the time to |
| the Waggler method. To employ this method use | | | | get your bait into the water. Cast you bait past |
| a 1 ¾ lb test curve match float rod with a | | | | where you wish to fish and slowly bring it over |
| reel holding 8lb line, a waggler float weighted down | | | | your ground bait area. Keep the fish that are |
| with split shot so that about 1cm of the tip of the | | | | feeding on the ground bait competing by throwing |
| float breaks the surface of the water; with a 2.2lb | | | | a few maggots or chopped worm in every few |
| hook to nylon holding a size 14 hook. For those of | | | | minutes. Now is the time to be ready for the |
| your unaware of what I mean by test curve it | | | | float to knock, dip and disappear under the |
| really is quite simple; it is the weight required to | | | | surface. When this happens give a firm strike of |
| bend the rod through 90 degrees. It really is that | | | | the rod and feel the power of the illusive Tench. |