Tench are the most hardy of all coarse fish, living in poorly oxygenated water and are often the only fish to survive a pollution incident. They are also strong fighters providing anglers with a challenge unrivalled by other fish of this weight.

Like the pike, all large tench are female, with males weighing in at 8lb (3.6 kg) , while females can grow to 12lb (5.4kg)

Tench are mainly bottom feeders so it shouldn't be a problem to work out where your bait should be. They have regularly visited swims and can be noticed easily by the steady stream of bubbles that they send up to the surface. Classic tench venues have huge areas of lily pads which the fish weave in and out of.

Tench tend to feed early in the morning, although they are almost dormant in winter.

Float fishing is certainly a rewarding way to catch tench, but if you need to cast a long way then a swimfeeder will probably be best. Pre-baiting is a good idea,  with a mixture of plain breadcrumbs, sweetcorn, casters and chopped up worms. If you have the time, try to pre-bait until you find the right bait for the day. Never use live maggots in your pre-baiting balls as they will break up the balls as they wriggle around.