Photo: Piet Spaans / CC BY-SA 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Tinca tinca
Tench
Freshwater
About this species
A thickset olive-green cyprinid that thrives in weedy, muddy lakes and slow rivers across Europe. Bronze-eyed and slime-coated, it feeds on the bottom at dawn and dusk, betraying itself with rising bubbles. A summer favorite of coarse anglers.
Season
123456789101112
Depth
1 – 4 m
Habitat Spots
LakeRiverReservoir
Fishing Methods
FloatBottom
Bait & Rig
Sweetcorn, worms or bread on a light float or ledger rig near weed beds.
Edibility & Taste
Edible but soft and often muddy-tasting; usually released by sport anglers.
Similar Species
Recognized by tiny scales, red eye and a single rounded dorsal fin unlike other carp.
Record Weight
7 kg