Groundhog Tench

[Riparian]

I've not been able to visit the drain since Monday, when I had just one tench of 3lbs and a bream of similar size, thanks to the cold, stiff northerly and far too much weed for June. Since then, I've dragged it a couple of times and baited up with corn. A mid-morning visit today was not ideal but the only time I had free. More weed-dragging and then a wait. After about 45 minutes, bubbles told me that a fish had moved in and at 10.00 I had a decent 4lb 11oz female tench on the bank. This was returned straight away.

I've never managed big bags on these clear, weedy drains - 2 or 3 fish in a session is good going for me. Oddly, no roach at all were present, so the float did not move until 11.00 am. Another good scrap and another good-sized tench, very similar to the last one. Hold on, that split in the dorsal fin looks familiar... Yes, it was the same fish. I've done this several times when pike fishing but never to my knowledge when catching tench.

As I was packing up at 12.00, more bubbles appeared. I was half-tempted to...but that would have been ridiculous.

[AshbyCut]

Catch it three times and you can keep it. Isn't that how it works ?

Well done, Sir.

[Riparian]

Thank you. Though I'm not sure what I would do with it. It was too large for my garden pond, and I don't know what they taste like. Does anyone these days? Interesting that we view ourselves as traditional anglers but I suspect that very few of us ever eat our catch which, of course, many did in the days that we sometimes long for. I've eaten pike, eel, zander and perch, the latter two being excellent, but never tench...

Not that I'm looking to start any trouble!

[Isis]

Some years back I met some of the professional fishermen on one of Italy's northern lakes. Got invited into their market to see the carp, perch and tench they had caught. Ended up eating tench at a local restaurant.......too many fine bones for me and not that tasty. Have eaten most coarse fish whilst travelling around Southern and Eastern Europe. Most surprising fish were catfish from Lake Balaton which tasted not unlike wild brown trout, but perhaps that was the way they cooked it rather than the fish itself.

[Riparian]

Isis, you might be onto something. Only last week I was talking to a gentleman who owns a lake which now has too many catfish. He has eaten one given to him by one of the anglers and said that it was delicious.