THE TENCH. 185 



Tench are not common in the Thames, but I 

 have seen a few caught in the Chertsey and j n the 

 Shepperton waters, more by chance angling Thames 

 than otherwise. Some years ago, when camping 

 out, sleeping in a dinghy, I came through Chertsey 

 Lock in the very early morning and saw an angler, 

 fishing from the upper end of the lock island, with 

 a brace of very fine tench. He was tight corking 

 in the slack water, just among some straggling 

 weeds. This was after a pouring wet night. When 

 searching for stranded fish after a heavy flood, I 

 picked up a single tench on the island at Shepperton 

 Lock, covered with mud, and weak with flapping 

 about ; but after washing him well, he swam away 

 quietly, and made for the deeps of Ham Haw Pool, 

 where I expect there are many tench, though I have 

 never caught one there, even when bream-fishing. 

 I saw some nice tench taken below Whittet's oil 

 mill, in the main river Wey, just before it joins 

 the Thames. 



If you know there are tench in a pond, do not 

 cease fishing for them after a trial or two, or because 

 the pond seems really too scummy and muddy. 

 The Broadwater, at Weybridge, has several feet of 

 mud in it in places real black mud yet by 

 employing very light tackle, I have taken tench. 

 The water is private. I should imagine the Sale 

 at Walton-on-Thames would hold tench, as it is 

 exactly the style of water they like. I believe 

 Elstree Reservoir contains numbers of tench, and 

 that the water can be fished by payment ; as I 

 have not fished it, I cannot speak from actual 

 experience. Penn Ponds, Richmond Park, contain 

 tench, though I have not caught them indeed, have 

 not fished for them there. 



