If there is one fish that tells you spring has sprung, it is the tench. Fizzing bubbles by lilly pads, the unmistakeable green flash as one rolls over a weedbed, fewer things in coarse fishing feel quite as exciting. Powerful, beautiful and once voted Angling Times readers’ favourite species, the red-eyed tench is a fish that keeps anglers coming back year after year.
Now is the time to target them. As temperatures rise, tench begin feeding harder and showing more regularly in exactly the kind of spots anglers love to fish, tight to reeds, pads and marginal cover. Better still, you do not need access to an exclusive syndicate water to enjoy quality sport, because some excellent day-ticket venues offer a genuine chance of catching them.
Hibaldstow Lakes, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
The Specimen Lake is a highly productive day-ticket tench fishery, and now is when it starts to find form. Lead around to find a clear spot well away from the bank before putting down a small bed of pellets, corn and crushed boilies. Present a Method feeder over the top and fish to 7lb will respond.
Contact: www.hibaldstow-lakes.co.uk
Harescombe Fishery, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Pasture Lake is home to a healthy head of fish to 6lb, and floatfishing at close range will help you find them. Pole anglers should target lines down the margins, at 6m and 13m, and kick off long before coming shorter as the day progress. Corn, worms and maggots are all reliable baits.
Contact: www.harescombefisheries.co.uk
Dishley Pool, Loughborough, Leicestershire
This Loughborough Soar AS water is a true hidden gem with fantastic tench potential. The weed builds up in areas at this time of year, and a little work to find a clear spot is vital. A Method feeder loaded with micros or fishmeal groundbait and a wafter hookbait rarely fails.
Contact: www.loughboroughsoarangling.com
Springvale Fisheries, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Newcastle Lake is a truly mixed water, and tench feature heavily. There’s no need to fish far out to find them, and double maggot or a single grain of corn down the margins or 5m out will help you find plenty of fish in the 1lb-3lb bracket. Get it right and 50lb-plus netfuls will be your reward.
Contact: www.springvalefishinglakes.co.uk
Billingford Lakes, Dereham, Norfolk
Basil Todd Lake has kicked into life, and tench are playing a big part in catches. A small cage feeder cast towards the middle or long pole tactics can score, and groundbait laced with chopped worms and dead maggots will result in fish in the 3lb-5lb bracket.
Contact: www.billingfordlakes.co.uk
Kiveton Waters, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Long pole and waggler tactics are the best way to find the tench on Rose’s. This lake is heavily stocked with tench up to 3lb, and using corn or soft expander pellet hookbaits is the best way to pick out the better stamp. Feed little and often and rotate lines whenever sport shows signs of slowing down.
Contact: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Pickering Park, Hull, East YorkshIre
This park lake is very shallow,and the fish spend most of their time sat close to the central islands. That leads to the Method feeder being the most prolific tactic, and casting every 10-15 minutes to build a small bed of bait will soon attract fish to 6lb into the swim.
Contact: www.parks.hull.gov.uk
Otherton Fishery, Stafford, Staffs
Feed small quantities of pellets and corn just a few rodlengths out and tench to 4lb will soon show an interest. If the session kicks off slowly, start to trickle a few maggots in, as this will attract the smaller silverfish that will in turn trigger an inquisitive reaction from your target species.
Contact: www.facebook.com
Linear Fisheries, Oxford, Oxfordshire
The most popular fishery in the land, it has a national reputation for its huge carp, but giant tench well into double figures also feature heavily. Most of the lakes are home to potential personal bests, but the 14-acre Manor Farm is arguably the pick of the best, with boilies and pellets the most effective baits.
Contact: www.linear-fisheries.co.uk
Stanwick Lakes, Wellingborough, Northants
Coot Pool may be tiny, but it is home to some very impressive tench that run to over 7lb. Pole fishing 7m-10m out or underarming a Method feeder out to the same distance will put you in with a shot at finding these impressive fish. The best action tends to be experienced at first light and later in the day.
Contact: www.stanwicklakes.org.uk
Blythe Waters, Solihull, West Midlands
Cherries Pool received hundreds of quality tench during a winter stocking programme, and the increased temperatures have seen them switch on to the feed. Start by fishing in open water with worms, casters or corn on the hook, switching to the margins later in the day once you have primed them beforehand for a couple of hours.
Contact: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Bitterwell Lake, Bristol
Fish to 5lb have been quite frequent visitors to the bank throughout winter, and their willingness to feed will only improve now. Fish the pole at 11m-13m and feed two balls of groundbait laced with chopped worms, casters and a few grains of corn to get the fish interested.
Contact: www.bitterwelllake.co.uk
Codnor Park, Ripley, Derbyshire
This large lake responds well to feeder fishing tactics, and a cage feeder packed with groundbait and a few loose particles is the best way to tempt tench to 5lb. Use a bait-up feeder to put a carpet of bait down at the start before dropping on top with a baited rig and waiting patiently.
Contact: www.discoverashfield.co.uk
Twin Lakes Fishery, Bedford, Bedfordshire
Top-class match angler Mark Pollard is a regular at the complex and has caught plenty of tench in recent weeks, helping others achieve the same results during coaching sessions. Maggots and soft pellets presented on either the short or long pole will help you find fish to 4lb.
Contact: www.twinlakesfishery.co.uk
