2/0 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 



are curiously curved like a shell. Tench spawn in May and June, 

 and are said to be in best season in August Worms are the best 

 baits, and should just touch the ground. The remarks as to bottom- 

 fishing for carp will apply equally well to the tench. Like the carp, 

 it is a slow and cautious biter ; but if the float rises so as to lie flat 

 on the surface, you may safely strike. This rising of the float is 

 peculiar to tench fishing, and is undoubtedly caused by the fish 

 pushing the bait upwards. Another peculiarity of tench fishing is, 

 that if a bite is not decisive, and you move the float away a little, 

 the fish will seize the bait with greater eagerness. Tench are more 

 long lived than carp, and almost as much so as eels. Ground-bait- 

 ing is desirable to attract them to one spot, and a little chewed 

 bread thrown in will keep them together. On hot days tench will 

 be found among the weeds, and it pays to fish the minutest holes 

 between the leaves, letting the bait fall first on a leaf, and roll off 

 in a natural manner into the water. On very hot days, when tench 

 are basking and making strange sucking noises among the weeds, 

 they may be approached in a boat and taken out with the hand. 

 I have before written of this fish : " Early in the morning and late 

 in the evening tench usually bite well. On mild drizzling days they 

 will bite well all day ; but even then you will obtain better sport 

 towards dusk. It is a good plan at such times to affix a white 

 feather or piece of paper to the cap of the float, and when this 

 cannot be seen, you must shorten your line and fish by feel. The 

 biting will continue on dark nights as long as you like to stay ; but 

 on bright moonlight nights, when a few hours by the water-side 

 would be pleasant, tench are seldom caught. Indeed, this is true 

 of most fish." 



When the tench is hooked, keep a tight line on him or he will 

 bore into the mud. 



