Troublesome Tench

[swjoduk]

Hi All, I have a problem with the Tench on my local canal. A stretch near where I live has lots of Tench but it is very clear and shallower than usual at the moment due to work on a lock a few miles away.

I have seen lots of Tench in shoals of up to 6 and they have even been rooting around on the bottom. Trouble is when I put in a bait on a pole I can't get them to take it, even dropping the bait right in front of their mouths and constantly switching it doesnt work.

I have tried fishing in the day and also into the evening as it nearly gets dark but no luck. Baits I have used is sweetcorn, maggot, casters and bread on the hook with maggot, corn and pellet feed.

Any suggestions or tips? Is it due to it being so clear, obviously if I can see them they must be able to see me and the pole.

[fishypaul]

try freelining a worm mate

[dave fish]

try early morning using a maggot feeder ledgered on the bottom quiver tip if you have one and try using a less visible line hope it helps tight lines

[andystone]

which canal mate?

[swjoduk]

Taunton to Bridgwater Canal just outside Bridgwater

[BoldBear]

Originally Posted by swjoduk

Hi All, I have a problem with the Tench on my local canal. A stretch near where I live has lots of Tench but it is very clear and shallower than usual at the moment due to work on a lock a few miles away.

I have seen lots of Tench in shoals of up to 6 and they have even been rooting around on the bottom. Trouble is when I put in a bait on a pole I can't get them to take it, even dropping the bait right in front of their mouths and constantly switching it doesnt work.

I have tried fishing in the day and also into the evening as it nearly gets dark but no luck. Baits I have used is sweetcorn, maggot, casters and bread on the hook with maggot, corn and pellet feed.

Any suggestions or tips? Is it due to it being so clear, obviously if I can see them they must be able to see me and the pole.

Hi swjoduk,

It might be that they are suspicious of anything that reacts differently such as a bait with a hook attached which may not move as freely as the loosefeed around it when disturbed, add that to being able to see you and your Pole above them and you may have the reason why they are leaving your hookbait alone while mopping up the other freebies around your hookbait.

Do you have to use a Pole? Can you not use a rod which is not poking too much over them together with a bait with a little buoyancy; such as using a floating caster and a sinking caster together on the hook? Which may counteract the weight of the hook?

Plus fishing a few inches overdepth so that there is no line going straight up from the bait.

Plus sitting a little further from the edge.

That’s what I would try anyway.

Hope you solve your problem.

Tight lines.

Keith

[swjoduk]

I could use a waggler easily enough although there is a fair bit of weed and lillies in the canal atm so a pole is easier to place in the patches where there is less weed.

The trouble is they were not feeding on my loose fed baits either, just milling around before I even put any bait in.

It may just be the case of fishing at the wrong time of day but all the above suggestions are worth a go!

[headless]

Hi

My mate and I experienced the same problem as you in April.

The water I fish is very similar to yours, being very clear and weedy. The Tench would arrive in the swim and root around our floats and move off.

I changed my whole approach to Tench fishing and it has paid off.

Before the Tench arrived I would put small amounts of 3mm pellet and hemp in the swim along with a couple of free offerings of hook bait, 8mm pellet.

I use a pole with size 16 elastic, making sure the pole is over the lilies so the Tench do not see it, I changed from nylon mainline and hook link to 6lb Snake Skin braid, fished straight through to the hook.


I fished 8mm pellets on a hair rig bait band, tied to a size 12 barbel hook. The bait was fished a maximum two inches over depth with a no 8 shot three inches away from the hook


I trapped a small piece of foam between the pellet and bait band, this was to counter act the weight of the hook. I trimmed the foam so that the bait would slowly fall to the bottom.


I was hoping that as the fish rooted about sucking in and blowing out debris, the hook bait would easily be sucked in. fishing maximum of two inches over depth meant that the float would disappear as soon as the bait was moved.


I have been averaging three Tench each evening trip now, biggest being 7.2lb. Other anglers are still struggling, so I must be doing something right.

I hope some of the above info will help

Good luck

Darrell

[swjoduk]

Good work Darrell, I will look at doing something similar but propbably not until next seasons River Close season. For now I am going to try and stick to my favourite venues, rivers, and try and catch some quality Chub, Roach, Dace and Grayling.

A river Tench would be lovely but I have not caught one from a river in 18 yrs of fishing.

[headless]

luckily we catch Tench regulary in the rivers and drains over this way, sadly there is no chance of Grayling, I fish I have always wanted to catch.

I keep planning a winter trip over your way but never seem to manage it, may be this year