The end of the school holidays is almost upon us and the coming week will be the last change for many of our younger anglers to take advantage of the seasonal sojourn.

The wash-out that was August has seen most local rivers out of sorts but for the most ardent and hardy anglers.

The lack of river action should not deter as there are many fine stillwater fisheries in good form with carp being the main quarry.

However, I want to focus on another resident of more placid waters, the tench. There can be few finer looking species than a big tench, resplendent with burnished green and golden flanks, huge paddle-like fins and a piercing red laser of an eye.

Tench in the North of England do not grow as large as their counterparts in the home counties, nevertheless there are plenty of six and seven pounders out there.

Carpvale at Moor Monkton offers a reasonable chance with plenty of fish in the four to six pound bracket taken on a regular basis by match anglers. Target Cyprio lake or the match pool with worm or meat over plenty of chopped worms.

The Tollerton Pond's complex also has good numbers of fish, especially in the two older ponds. Caster works well here fished just over the marginal shelf with fish showing a marked liking for pellets.

Holders of a York Amalgamation year-book could do worse than check out Redhouse lagoon with fish to 8lb having been recorded here.

Pegs at the building end seem best where the fish seem to hold up close to the central wall. Worm is a good bet fished in conjunction with a chopped worm feeder.

Groundbait is not allowed here but an open-ended feeder could be capped with some peat or even some finely sieved mole-hill soil. Boilies also score here with the sweeter flavours of tutti-frutti and scopex the best option.

Sand Hutton pond also holds good numbers of tench which inhabit the picturesque and secluded venue. Bread or corn are the top baits here with a simple feeder or even waggler tactics scoring.

Anglers on a tight budget could do worse than check out Mayfield Grove pond where good catches can be had in this urban oasis.

Most methods work here with tench often showing an unusual liking for baits fished up in the water. Pole and caster fished on the drop with regular helpings of loose-feed should bring results with bream also inhabiting the upper layers of water.

If the modest day-ticket fee here is still too much then head to Chapmans pond where fishing is at Yorkshire's favourite price - nowt.

Tench don't run big here but for nothing you can't complain at plenty of smaller fish with lots of small crucian carp also likely to be encountered.

Weekend bookings

Saturday

Acaster - York GPO AC.

Park View Lake - York CIU Saturday League.

Sunday

Acaster - Acomb WMC AC.

Park View Lake - Clifton Hotel AC.

Stamford Bridge - Burtonstone Lane WMC AC.

Poppleton - Tang Hall Match Group.

Updated: 11:05 Friday, August 27, 2004