Learn more about tench

The tench is a popular, mythical carp that is a favourite among anglers. It is difficult to confuse with other carp in Sweden. Characteristic of the tench is its green-gold or copper-like colour, small red eyes, rounded fins, and strong tail fin with an almost straight edge.

The tench thrives best in nutrient-rich lakes and rivers, but we also find it in archipelago coves along the coast. Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates and molluscs such as worms, larvae, snails, and mussels down at the bottom and among the vegetation. Tench spawn near the shore in vegetation during the summer when the water temperature reaches around 19 degrees. The female spawns every two weeks up to nine times in a year.

As mentioned, the tench is a very popular sport fish. It packs a punch, making it a strong and fun fighter thanks to its powerful tail fin. The tench is most active during the summer months, which is when you should target your fishing. During the winter months, the tench more or less goes into hibernation at the bottom and is almost impossible to catch.

Since the tench mainly eats molluscs down at the bottom, you need to master various angling methods in order to catch it. The tench is also active at dawn and dusk, which means that your best chance of a catch is by fishing at early dawn and at dusk. To better your chances, a good tip is to throw out bait where you intend to fish. You can make it yourself or buy it in most tackle shops. Another good tip is to add blood meal to your bait mix.

Tench can be caught by match fishing, bottom fishing, and casting. Two effective methods to use when fishing for tench are the lifting method and bottom fishing with a hair rig. Corn, maggots, worms, or shrimp are best used as bait.