Found everywhere from large gravel pits to weed-choked ponds and commercial lakes, tench are synonymous with spring and summer angling.
They can be caught using a wide range of tactics, meaning fish location is often the most important factor in having a good session.
Tench love to maraud the margins, and this should be your first port of call, but two little tricks that can really boost your returns are to have a second spot prepped in the same swim, and to rake the bottom to stir up the natural goodies!
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How to tackle a tench peg
Tench love lake margins, so this area should be the main focus if it offers a decent depth of 6ft-8ft, which is just about perfect. Rake the bottom to remove any excessive weed, leaves or twigs, then prime it with a little bait. If the action dries up after a few fish, try fishing further out and more in front, as the fish will often back off when spooked. Feed this by catapult, but keep a little going into the margin spot too, and return to this after a while to see if the fish have returned.
Get raking!
Using a rake can transform a peg by stirring up the natural food items, encouraging the tench to root around. It also helps you to get better presentation. To make one, simply attach two garden rake heads back-to-back using cable ties and then attach a 25 yard length of nylon rope. It’s that easy!
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