CARP are the main quarry in most local commercial fisheries, but 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 do not grow as large as their counterparts in the Home Counties, but there are plenty of six and seven pounders out there.

Carpvale at Moor Monkton offers a reasonable chance of a good tench with plenty of fish in the five to seven-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 has good numbers of fish, especially in the two older ponds. Caster works well here fished just over the marginal shelf, with fish also 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 there.

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 there but an open ended feeder could be capped with some peat or even some finely sieved mole-hill soil. Boilies also score with the sweeter flavours such as 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.

Mayfield Grove pond can throw up good catches and most methods work there 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 up the road to Chapman's Pond where the fishing is free. 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

Tomorrow: Park View Lake - Star AC.

Sunday: Donkey Woods - Acomb WMC. Howsham Hall - Clifton Hotel. Laybourne Lakes (Marley pegs 37 - 53) - Burton Stone Lane WMC. Acaster - York AA