Male Tench

[Grumpy]

I don't usually fish at weekends preferring to avoid the crowds and fish midweek.However,Thursday's weather forecast changed that:Friday evening wind swinging to South West,cloud and showers.Need I say more?
Cockles were obtained on Friday and Saturday saw me at the club water I fished a couple of weeks ago.
A couple of hours in at about 1.00pm the float slid away and after giving a fine account of itself,I was rewarded with this fine male Tench.This water does not give up its secrets easily so to say I was well chuffed is an understatement!

[Harry H]

That's a big for a male tench, I don't know how true it is but I've heard it said you can double the size of the male to get the size of the biggest female. Well done that man

[EricW]

That's a cracking fish and just reward for your efforts. It looks in very good condition. I can remember when a tench of that size was exceedingly rare and would almost certainly been a gravid female. But those males give a great account of themselves don't they? Cockles are one of my all time favourite baits, I once caught a fine brace of 4lbs plus eels on them. Sadly our local fishmongers are all long gone and frozen cockles are no longer a available locally.

[Grumpy]

That's a big for a male tench, I don't know how true it is but I've heard it said you can double the size of the male to get the size of the biggest female. Well done that man

Hi Harry,
Re doubling the size of the male.There is loads of differing opinions regarding this.I think it works when the females are full of spawn but not when they have spawned.What I do is multiply the males weight by 1.5.So 6x1.5=9.I have heard of a 9ib Tench from this water.I think this formula is reasonably accurate but who knows?I would love a nine on the float.A red,red letter day!
Grunmpy.

[Grumpy]

That's a cracking fish and just reward for your efforts. It looks in very good condition. I can remember when a tench of that size was exceedingly rare and would almost certainly been a gravid female. But those males give a great account of themselves don't they? Cockles are one of my all time favourite baits, I once caught a fine brace of 4lbs plus eels on them. Sadly our local fishmongers are all long gone and frozen cockles are no longer a available locally.

Hi Eric,
Apart from the slightly scruffy tail it was in fine condition.I also had two Eels today,one was 3lb plus.Prawns can make a good substitute for cockles but the Roach,Rudd and Bream love 'em too!I do prefer cockles.
There is a company called Online baits.They sell frozen sea and Pike baits,sometimes they have cockles.May be worth a google.
Grumpy.

[Catfish.017]

Cooked mussels are very good too and are available frozen in many supermarkets. I once caught a half pound Crucian on a whole mussel intended for Tench!

[Rutilus]

A lovely fish and they really scrap don't they? A 20+ acre gravel pit in my area regularly used to produce a 9lb male tench (same fish recognised over several captures) and I think the best female caught was in the region of 12lb and a few oz.
My best male was 6lb 6oz on another lake where the biggest female caught had been just over 10lb.
I do think the 'doubling' theory is a bit optimistic even in late spring although I don't fish for them until the magic 16th anyway.

[Olly]

With a photo recently of a 9lb male it seems the old adage of twice the size for a female does seem strange or exciting!
In 1972 a 7+lb female would be in the Top 50 ever caught. And a 6lb male enormous!

All tench look lovely, a real fish shape unless pregnant!

[Woodytia]

Lovely fish, I know the feeling about waters that don't give them up easily, I must try cockles, I've had no success with prawns, a change to bread always seems to produce bites and it is a bait that has always resulted in some fine fish over a number of years for me. As regards doubling the weight of male Tench to indicate the potential maximum weight of female Tench there may be something in it but I'm sure increased weight is more attributable to changing environmental factors and of course the large quantities of high protein bait chucked in by Carp anglers. In my recent weed raking exploits I was amazed at the size and number of freswater shrimps coming out in the weed, if the increase in weed means more natural food like this I'm sure, it they eat it, the fish will get bigger. My biggest Tench to date of known weight was a female at just over 7.5 ib, it was early so I'm sure minus any spawn it would weigh less. In the past I remember catching two Tench that were longer than my 24inch landing net was wide, I didn't have a set of scales with me so perhaps they would of weighed more but on the whole I'm happy to catch fish from a venue that folk keep telling me is difficult and impossible to float fish.