Fish Tench: characteristics, lifestyle, how to catch and fishing business

Tench is a fish from the carp family (Cyprinidae), which forms a genus of the same name, consisting of a single freshwater species - Tinca tinca. Distinctive features of the taxon are a unique exterior, heat-loving nature, low mobility, and good adaptability to negative environmental factors. Thanks to its excellent gastronomic qualities and capricious character, it is a popular object of amateur and sport fishing.

General description and characteristics

Externally, the tench fish is similar to its carp relatives. The body color of the fish often changes shades depending on its habitat. There are fish with a silver-olive and bronze tint on the sandy bottom. There are also dark green, almost black fish that live in heavily silted and peaty reservoirs. A distinctive feature of the tench are small bright red eyes, a small mouth with plump lips. The body is covered with small scales, surrounded by mucus. Tench can hardly be confused with other fish.

Despite its unique exterior, tench has similar features to crucian carp and crucian carp. Tench has the same antennae as carp, located in the corners of its mouth. Also, like carp, tench consume food by sucking up particles from the bottom. At the same time, fish are able to go to deeper layers of silt in search of food, and carp look for food, as a rule, on the surface of the bottom.

The similarity of tench with crucian carp lies in the fact that it is undemanding to the high content of oxygen dissolved in water. A concentration of only 0.5-2 mg/l is enough for tench to breathe, due to which in winter, when there is no oxygen left under the layer of ice of some overseas ponds, only tench and crucian carp survive, burrowing into the silt and falling into suspended animation. At the same time, the metabolism in their bodies slows down greatly, which is why they require even less oxygen than in the hot summer.

Tench fish is caught on the territory of Russia, the average size of which is 150-700 grams. The size of fish for central Russia varies within 1 kilogram. Sometimes some lucky ones manage to catch an individual measuring about 3-4 kilograms. The records are considered to be those caught in England - the largest tench weighing 6,890 kilos was caught in 2001.

Tench is one of the few domestic fish that is characterized by external sexual characteristics. Males have larger ventral fins with noticeably thickened second rays. But females are larger than males in body size, because they grow 30-40% faster than males.

What does tench look like?

Tinca tinca is unlike any other representative of the ichthyofauna, both in the native carp and in distant families. Famous naturalists L.P. Sabaneev and S.T. Aksakov pointed out in his works that “the tench is similar in shape to the ide.” If these common features exist, they are visually inaccessible to the average person, at the same time, the unusual exterior of the fish allows it to be unambiguously identified among other species, if you pay attention to the following morphological characteristics:

• thickened tall body;
• very small, tightly seated cycloid scales (87-105 pieces in the lateral line);
• small eyes with red irises;
• wide truncated caudal peduncle;
• terminal small mouth with fleshy lips;
• a pair of sensitive antennae up to 2 mm long on the sides of the upper jaw;
• rounded dark fins;
• sloping sides covered with a continuous layer of mucus.

The color scheme depends on the living conditions. In a clean pond with light soil, the body has a greenish-silver color with thicker tones in the back area. In the case of a muddy bottom, the shades shift to a cool dark brown spectrum, often with an olive tint. There is a decorative form of fish - golden tench, which differs from the basic taxon in its saffron-amber color, dark spots on the sides and black irises.

The origin of the species name is associated with one of the unique morphological features. The mucus that envelops the body, when exposed to air, quickly dries out, hardens and falls off in pieces, reminiscent of the process of changing the coat of animals - molting.

The fish is characterized by well-developed secondary sexual characteristics, which are especially noticeable in males - enlarged ventral fins with thickened rays.

To learn more:

Types and description of marinka fish

Lifestyle and habitats

Tench is a fish that prefers places with weak currents, quiet river bays, overgrown with soft vegetation. The fish feels comfortable in large ponds and lakes, banks overgrown with reeds, reeds and sedges.

In summer, tench like to live in shallow water, in thickets well warmed by the sun with a muddy bottom, at a depth of no more than 2 meters. The fish lives in one place. The search for food turns into digging through mud, slowly moving along the bottom. But at the same time she will not move far from her place. Determining the habitat of tench in the morning and evening is possible when the fish feeds through air bubbles - they rise to the surface of the water in a long chain.

Despite the fact that medium and large individuals live separately, young and small fish gather in small schools. As cold weather approaches, closer to autumn, tench stop feeding, gather in flocks and, towards the beginning of November, hibernate for the winter.

Winter is considered a dangerous time for tench, because a sharp decrease in the water level in a reservoir can lead to the death of the fish; in shallow water it can be crushed by ice. The tench is saved from the cold by the mucus that is present on the scales - it is a kind of protective capsule.

Tench is a solitary fish, leading a sedentary lifestyle. The fish feels comfortable at the bottom, avoids bright light and hides in the thickets. Tench do not require a high oxygen content in the water, due to which it is able to survive where other fish cannot live.

Life expectancy and size of tench

Representatives of the genus Tinca are distinguished by a fairly long biological cycle of 12-15 years and very slow growth. A one-year-old fry has a body length of no more than 3-7 cm and each season grows by a modest 3-5 cm. By the age of sexual maturity (3-4 years), the size of the individual does not exceed 15-20 cm, which is comparable to a 1.5-2 year old carp After the age of 6-7 years, the increase in weight and size slows down. The fish is capable of growing to impressive sizes; the largest tench weighs 7.0-7.5 kg with a body length of 65-70 cm. Typically, compact specimens weighing 150-700 g are found. The fishing scale of trophy specimens starts at 2.5-3, 0 kg.

Habitats

The species' distribution area covers all of Europe and part of Asia with a temperate climate. Here, tench inhabit stagnant, low-flow areas of reservoirs in the Black, Baltic, Caspian, and Azov seas. Due to its attachment to a warm climate, the fish is not widespread east of the Urals, but is found in the upper and middle reaches of the Yenisei, Vitim, Ob, Angara, and some western parts of Baikal. Favorite habitats for molting include ponds, lakes, channels, bays with weak currents, oxbow lakes, and reservoirs with a soft sandy, silty, or clay bottom.

The fish is able to tolerate oxygen deficiency, increased acidity and salinity of the environment, therefore it feels great in swamps, floodplains, and river mouths with a significant content of sea water. For a comfortable life, it is important to have an abundance of algae, bottom and tall plants, snags, thickets of pondweed, reeds, and reeds that provide protection and food.

Habits

The tench goes in search of food in the layer of silt, digging it up. Often, fish go deep into aquatic thickets to feed. Fishermen claim that it is impossible to meet tench on the surface. Others note that in the dark, during the period of mass appearance of insects, the fish swims to the upper layers of the water.

Daily activity

Tench is a fish that can feed throughout the day, but its maximum activity is observed in the morning and evening - usually during this period it migrates to the shore. The fish spends the rest of the time in deep places, but continues to feed there. It is noted that on cloudy days, tench fish are able to feed throughout the daylight hours.

Seasonal activity

In spring and summer, tench live in small lakes and rivers overgrown with vegetation, where there is a lot of silt at the bottom. It lives in sun-warmed places at a depth of 1-2 meters. Lives permanently in one place.

In autumn, when cold weather sets in, tenches form schools, stop feeding, and freeze in the silt pits of reservoirs and rivers. In winter, fish activity is not observed - they hibernate.

They catch tench only in the warm part of the day, because during other periods there will be no bite. They engage in fishing from spring until spawning, then after 2-3 weeks. During this period, the fish experience incredible gluttony. In the spring, when the water warms up, tenches move closer to the shore to small areas with vegetation and algae, in which they look for food.

What to catch tench with

Tench only loves living creatures, so before fishing you need to dig up a real earthworm, focusing on large ones.

• Set aside small and medium-sized ones separately, and use large ones in bait.
• Next, you need to cut large worms into pieces, so they won’t get into the ground and each fragment will move, and since it is thick, it will be inaccessible to small things, an ideal bait component.
• The second component is canned maggot from groundbait, half a bag will be enough.
• And the third component is cottage cheese. It is almost pure animal protein.

It needs to be dispersed throughout the bait, broken into small lumps. In the water, these lumps will disintegrate, even if small things eat them - it’s okay, there will be a lot of it there.

The result is three completely different components, all of them delicious, the tench will be delighted. From all this feed mixture you need to form small balls, do not squeeze too hard, some of them will break on the surface, some will reach the bottom.

What do tench feed on?

The basis of the diet of these fish is food of animal origin, although occasionally they can consume plant food. The objects of hunting are invertebrates that live in water and near bodies of water: insects and their larvae, mollusks, crustaceans, worms. In the spring, they happily feed on algae and green shoots of pondweed, reed, sedge, uruti, and cattail.

Fish have no seasonal preferences, they are completely unpretentious in their diet and consume everything edible that they can find.

Tench mainly feed in bottom areas with peaty or muddy soil, and in thickets of underwater plants. To get food, these fish have to dig up the bottom. In autumn, tenches feed less than in summer, and during wintering they do not eat anything at all.

But after awakening upon the arrival of spring, when it becomes warmer, tenches awaken from hibernation and migrate closer to the shore in search of nutritious food. They feed on fish and mosquito larvae.

What do fish eat in the wild?

The diet is based on plant foods, zooplankton and small living organisms that inhabit the bottom of reservoirs:

• bloodworms, amphipods, rotifers;
• Cyclops, Bosmina, Polyphemus;
• bedbugs, annelids, mollusks, leeches;
• larvae of chironomids, mayflies, dragonflies, caddisflies, lampreys;
• water beetles (lamella beetles, diving beetles);
• shoots of telores, pondweed, buttercup, hornwort, elodea;
• duckweed, other small floating plants;
• cereals, phytoplankton, detritus.

Molt fish willingly eat artificial baits and mixed feed, which are intended for catching and growing other carp-like fish. When there is a shortage of food, it can feed on fry, winged insects, tadpoles, eggs, and other specific animal foods. The main feeding activity occurs at dusk and is accompanied by deep digging of bottom sediments. If the water temperature drops below +10°C, the fish loses its appetite and stops looking for food. The same situation is typical for a very heated environment (above +30°C), which causes thermal stupor.

To learn more:

Rudd: description of fish and differences from roach

Reproduction process

Tench is considered a heat-loving fish, capable of spawning quite late, usually in late spring or early summer. As a spawning ground, it usually chooses shallow water with a slow current, protected from the wind and abundantly overgrown with aquatic vegetation. The laying is done at a depth of 30-80 centimeters and is often attached to the branches of bushes or trees that grow near the shore lowered into the water.

Spawning is carried out several times with a break of 10-14 days. The spawning process involves fish that have reached sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. Reproduction is available only to those individuals whose weight reaches at least 200-400 grams. In one season, the fish is capable of laying about 20-500 thousand eggs, which mature in three days.

When hatching, the size of tench fry does not exceed 3.5 millimeters; they are attached to the substrate, after which after 3-4 days they remain in the same place where they were born. All this time, the larva grows rapidly, feeding on the reserves remaining in the yolk sac.

After the fry swim independently, they gather in schools and hide in dense underwater vegetation, consuming animal plankton and unicellular algae for survival. Later, when the length of the fish reaches about 1.5 centimeters, the juveniles go to the bottom, where they begin to feed on more nutritious food, consisting of benthic organisms.

general characteristics

Tench is a freshwater member of the carp family and the only specimen of the genus Tinca. This fish is recognized by its characteristic golden-green scales and a thick layer of mucus covering the carcass. Although, depending on the habitat, the color of fish can vary from greenish-silver to dark brown or bronze.

Lines grow quite slowly. Average life expectancy is 18 years. The size of adult individuals depends significantly on their habitat. Some do not exceed 200 g, while at the same time, although rare, sometimes fishermen come across almost two-kilogram giants. However, more often the weight of the average tench ranges from 400 to 600 g.

Content:

• general characteristics
• Why "tench"
• Amazing properties of lines
• Chemical composition and beneficial properties
• How to choose the right one
• Gastronomic characteristics
• How to cook properly

The natural range of tenches is very wide. Fish with green scales are caught from Lake Baikal to Western Europe and from northern Russia to Kazakhstan. Tenches are heat-loving creatures that are comfortable in the lower reaches of the Don, Dnieper, Ural, and Volga, and sometimes swim into brackish deltas. Most of all, these fish love muddy stagnant (or almost stagnant) reservoirs, overgrown with water lilies, reeds and duckweed.

Despite its very wide range, tenches, unlike many other fish, do not have subspecies: representatives from different regions practically do not differ from each other. The only exception is the specially bred decorative golden tench.

These fish do not live in schools, and often get “lost” in the vicinity of crucian carp, bream and roach. Sometimes, against the backdrop of such a neighborhood, an illusion can be created that there are no lines in the reservoir at all. In reality, these greenish fish simply hide in the thickets and most remote areas of the reservoir.

Many people don’t even realize it, but the tench is not as peaceful and “toothless” as it might seem. It feeds with equal pleasure on aquatic plants, detritus, zooplankton, as well as other, smaller fish.

The diet of adult tenches includes invertebrates and even other representatives of cyprinids.

Varieties of tench

Depending on the tench’s habitat, this species is divided into four ecological variations. Their representatives differ slightly in body features and slightly less shade of scales. There are such varieties of tench:

• Dwarf. The reason for this name is the small growth of the tench - no more than 12 centimeters in length. This is due to the fact that tench live in places inhabited by fish, which leads to a sharp slowdown in growth. Dwarf tench is more common than other varieties. It settles in almost any freshwater body of water.
• Ozerny. The fish is similar in appearance to river tench, but is larger in size. This species prefers to settle in large lakes and reservoirs.
• River. Tench is found in creeks or bays of rivers, branches or channels with a slow flow. It differs from lake and pond lines in its significant thinness. Also, river lines may have a slightly curved mouth towards the top.
• Prudovaya. The habitat of tench is small artificial or natural reservoirs. Slightly thinner and thinner than lake fish. But when a pond tench is introduced into a lake, it will begin to gain weight as quickly as possible and will become outwardly similar to lake tenches.

Habitat

In our latitudes, tench lives everywhere, it only needs clean water and a good food supply, a lot of vegetation, a lot of living creatures, tench is found in many reservoirs, on the one hand.

On the other hand, very few people catch it. Even where he definitely lives, his captures are rare and, as a rule, accidental.

This is explained by the fact that the tench’s peculiarity of digestion and feeding structure of its vital activity is such that it feeds almost exclusively on animal baits, so it is very difficult for the fisherman to lure it. Regular plant bait does not attract him.

Tench fishing

It is prohibited to catch tench in the Irkutsk and Yaroslavl regions, in the Republic of Buryatia, as well as throughout the spawning season. Next we will talk about catching this type of fish, where it is not prohibited by law.

Most of the time, tench are sedentary and also picky about baits. Because of this, catching tench can seem like a rather complicated process. But fishing will become an interesting activity if you know about the habits of fish in a particular body of water.

In summer

Summer is the main time for tench hunting. During this period of time the fish are more active. Taking into account the feeding nature of the fish, it is caught using several types of gear - float and bottom fishing rods. The first method is good because it shows excellent catch results. In the case of a bottom fishing rod, it is better to give preference to its feeder variety.

At the very beginning of the open water season, tench feed on animal food, which is why caddis flies, bloodworms, worms, and maggots are used as bait. Lin likes leeches that live in the pond. A little later, when shoots of pond plants appear (reed, cattail, pondweed, egg capsules), the fish menu becomes varied. During this period, it is recommended to catch tench using pieces of shoots and tender leaves of these herbs.

Good fishing with plant baits begins towards the end of summer. Fishermen use pearl barley, peas, and dough. Fish is partial to cottage cheese. Some anglers note that when adding cottage cheese to some baits, the bite becomes much better.

To attract tench to the fishing site, it is advisable to use conventional bait mixtures. Taking into account that the fish is able to “walk along paths”, it is tamed by feeding it over a period of several days. If you know exactly where the tench lives, there is no need to feed it.

in winter

Although in winter tench are not very active, in some reservoirs with good oxygen saturation and during prolonged thaws, fish can come out of hibernation and begin to feed. This happens rarely and the fisherman often misses such moments. If a tench pecks on a hook in winter, it is considered simply luck.

However, some amateurs purposefully go “on tench” in winter, but the maximum catch can be modest.

Biting and fishing

In rare cases, when the tench is overly active, it confidently grabs the bait, but more often it is careful and does not always bite. In some ways, the bite of this fish is similar to crucian carp. But the tench tends to “enjoy the process” for a couple of minutes: it nibbles the bait a little with the tips of its lips and throws it to the bottom. This leads to prolonged vibrations of the float, which the fisherman may perceive as a bite of a small fish. But at this moment there is no point in hooking. If the float suddenly goes deeper and floats to the side, or lies on its side, they immediately hook it.

Many fishermen have noticed from personal experience that fish, especially large ones, will struggle hard after being hooked. She will also try to entangle the line in the algae, trying to bury herself in the silt. It is often very difficult to cope with fishing for tench; the fisherman needs to seriously tune in at this moment. The habit of the tench is to “falsely” slack the fishing line, after which it immediately tightens it. In this case, the equipment often breaks. It is advisable to use strong fishing line.

Gatherings during tench fishing are rare, because usually the hook cuts through the fleshy mouth of the fish. After the tench is tired, the fish is quietly brought to the shore into the upper layer of water, without being allowed to splash, so as not to frighten away other individuals that may be hiding nearby. It will be possible to finally remove the fish from the water with the help of a net - this way it will not slip out due to the abundant layer of mucus.

Use as live bait

It is generally accepted that the small tench fish, despite its endurance, is a poor live bait, because it does not present any attractiveness to a predator. But some fishermen do not agree with this statement. They convince us that there are bodies of water where there is a lot of tench, and where the predator gets used to feeding on fish.

Tench fishing

Tench moves little and is picky about baits, so catching it often becomes quite difficult. But fishing can turn into an interesting activity if you learn about the behavior of fish in a particular lake or pond.

Summer fishing

Summer is the main time to fish, as the fish are most active. Taking into account its feeding characteristics, it is caught using two types of gear: bottom and float rods. The last option is attractive because it gives an excellent catch. If you choose a bottom fishing rod, it is better to give preference to the feeder variety. If the surface of the bottom of the reservoir is hard, the nozzle should be lowered to the very bottom, and if it is muddy, it should be kept a little higher.

In tench habitats, aquatic vegetation may be too dense and do not allow free fishing. In such cases, using a rake, the area for throwing bait is cleared and a path is made for fishing. The bait is thrown onto the cleared space.

When the open water season begins, tench consume animal food, so maggots, bloodworms, and worms can be used for bait. After some time, when shoots of aquatic vegetation (reeds, pondweed, egg capsules) appear, the food becomes more varied. At this time, fish can be caught on soft leaves or pieces of shoots. Tench can be caught well with a crayfish neck. If it is immersed correctly, such a nozzle is clearly visible against the background of the muddy bottom and is a tasty morsel. You can also use shelled snails or slugs.

An excellent catch with plant bait can be obtained towards the end of summer; pearl barley, peas or dough are used for this. Tench also loves cottage cheese. Many fishermen claim that when this product is added to other bait, the catch becomes much more abundant.

To attract tench to the fishing spot, you can use conventional bait mixtures. Since this fish tends to move in the same places, it is fed over several days. To do this, use bread, porridge, boiled potatoes, and crushed worms. If there is accurate information about where the tench lives, there is no need for bait.

The best time for fishing is from sunrise to 10 am, and then in the evening, before sunset. The change in weather significantly affects the bite. If the atmospheric pressure drops significantly, it may stop completely. It is best to fish in cloudy, warm weather with light drizzle. After rain, the fish usually rises closer to the surface, which must be taken into account when calculating the depth of lowering the nozzle.

In winter

Tench does not show much activity in winter, but during prolonged warm weather, if the water is well saturated with oxygen, it can emerge from hibernation and go in search of food. Since this happens quite rarely, it is easy for anglers to miss such moments. Therefore, it is considered great luck if in winter you manage to catch a tench on a hook. There are some amateurs who purposefully go after tench in the cold season, but the catch is usually modest.

Tench for sale: preparing for business

Tench is grown as an auxiliary commercial fish, although in the pre-industrial era in Russia it was bred along with crucian carp and carp. In general, breeding tench in a pond is practically no different from growing carp.

The most difficult is the first stage, which involves passing administrative barriers. The pond is either rented from the state or dug out on its own. In both cases, you will need to obtain the necessary permits.

When choosing a pond or area for its excavation, a number of factors are taken into account, including a specific body of water suitable for breeding tench. Fish like warm, muddy waters with abundant vegetation. Very small, stagnant ponds are not suitable for tench.

For a profitable tench breeding business, you will need to select objects with a water surface area of ​​at least 20 hectares. More is acceptable depending on financial capabilities. Not only do they grow a lot of fish in the large pond, but they also make money by providing paid fishing services. If the reservoir is located near a populated area, earnings from fishermen may be higher than from selling fish.

Also, when choosing a pond, it is important to consider the drainage system, because such a sluice not only allows you to keep the water level under control, but is also considered the simplest way to catch marketable fish. If it is not possible to build a drain hose, you should abandon this pond and choose another option.

Tench is a fish that needs a muddy bottom and an abundance of vegetation in a reservoir, the depth of which must be at least 1.5 meters for safe wintering of the fish. During extensive breeding, the fish feed on small invertebrates obtained from silt, plant debris and detritus. This is good because the fish farmer does not have to spend money on maintaining the reservoir. But this method is only suitable for large bodies of water, and the quantity of marketable fish is small.

To increase the amount of production from a reservoir of the same area, it is recommended to use an intensive method of cultivation, where the basis of the tench diet is artificial feeding. The method is suitable for growing grown fry, which are released into the pond in the spring, and caught in the fall for sale. Several tons of fish are obtained from one hectare of pond, but the costs of intensive breeding are very high.

An intensive method of breeding tench involves feeding the fish with mixed feed, chopped fresh vegetables mixed with porridge, weed seeds, and grain waste.

Tench fish

Tench is one of the most widespread fish in our waters.
Its presence has been noted in almost every (even the smallest) lake, in many rivers and reservoirs, but nowhere is tench as numerous as roach, bream or crucian carp. The latter is explained by many reasons, but, above all, by the peculiarities of the biology of the fish itself. Tench belongs to the carp fish family and is the only representative of the genus. Externally, it is easily distinguishable from other carp fish. This fish has a rather short, thick body of moderate height with a shortened tail. The dorsal and anal fins are short, rounded, the caudal fin is slightly elongated, with rounded blades. The scales are small, elongated, tightly seated in thick skin covered with a layer of dense mucus. There is one pair of short antennae at the corners of the mouth. The mouth is terminal, small, the eyes are small, their irises are red or dark orange.

Breeding and raising tench for sale

Tench breeding begins with fry, which are purchased from specialized fish hatcheries. Purchased young animals weighing 30-40 grams reach a weight of about 200 grams by the age of two years. By the third year, it already weighs about 400 grams, which is considered an excellent indicator for commercial fish. The average productivity of tench is 1.2 tons per hectare. When grown in polyculture with carp, the total productivity can reach 1.5 tons.

In small bodies of water there is no problem with catching marketable fish, because tench is considered a lazy fish that does not leave its feeding places - it is easy to catch with drags. It is more difficult with large lakes and ponds; there is no point in using a drag net in them; it will not be possible to cover the entire water area. The only effective option in this case is to drain the water. The process is carried out at night with minimal noise so that the tench does not bury itself in the mud.

A special feature of the fish is the unpretentiousness of the tench and the ability to transport it without problems - with sufficient air humidity, the fish can live without water for about 48 hours.

Fishing equipment

The equipment should be of the following type: a light float with a carrying capacity of one gram, below is the classic scheme: one small sub-float and a set of small pellets at 40-50 centimeters.

A leash made of 0.12 mm fishing line and a large hook, number 6-8, made of thin, well-springing wire. This hook needs to be camouflaged with a large bait of a bunch of small worms.

When casting a fishing rod, you need to pull the float to the very tip of the fishing rod. In fact, this is a shortened rig for fishing with a plug. Such a short hang from the tip of the fishing rod is needed so that this light equipment can be easily controlled and will not be blown away by the wind.

The golden tench is a very cautious fish, and if the bait constantly floats back and forth along the bottom, it will become alert and it will not bite. The classic bait for tench is a worm. A bunch of small worms is his favorite treat.

The tips can be torn off by small things, but this is not a big deal, since the overall bait is quite voluminous and the hook is large; until the tench approaches, the lion’s share of this bait will remain on the hook. Due to the fact that the bunch of worms is quite large, voluminous and heavy, the tench will not notice the mass of the hook against its background when biting.

Cast it anywhere, and then pull it less than a meter to the tip of the fishing rod and, thus, bring it to the most fed point, after which you put the fishing rod on the stand and secure it properly.

Profitability of tench breeding

It is difficult to calculate the average profitability of a farm, because it is necessary to take into account specific factors that can give different financial results depending on the conditions where the entrepreneur works. Also today in Russia there are no those who breed only tench. At best, it is released into a pond with carp. For these reasons, a scheme of standard costs for creating a fish farm will be considered:

• On average, about 5-7 million rubles are spent to create and prepare a reservoir with an area of ​​100 hectares. This amount includes the creation of the reservoir's relief and the construction of locks. When receiving a pond from the state, costs can be significantly lower.
• You will have to spend money on purchasing tench fry. To fill a reservoir with an area of ​​100 hectares, it will take about 2-3 million rubles. When catching fish every autumn, you will have to spend money on fry every year. If the entrepreneur is going to let reproduction take its course, reducing the catch rate, a situation is possible when the spawning of fish in the pond will cover the population decline from fishing. That is, you no longer have to spend money on filling the reservoir with fry.
• With an intensive method of growing tench, the entrepreneur will need to shell out an amount for additional feeding. Agricultural waste is mainly used for these purposes. The ability to bargain with farmers will help reduce costs - they are ready to sell cheaper in bulk.
• The costs include the salary of a security guard who will keep order on the pond and protect it from poachers.
• There will also be waste when paying for services for catching fish and transporting it to the place for sale.

On average, the cost of a kilogram of fish grown using the intensive method is about 70 rubles per kilo. With the extensive method - much less. Wholesale sale of frozen fish is about 100 rubles per kilogram, live tench – 120-140 rubles. In retail sales, revenue will be several times greater. So from one kilogram the net profit will be approximately 30-40 rubles, depending on the cost, current wholesale prices, and method of sale.

On average, 1.2 tons of marketable fish are obtained from one hectare using the intensive method. Due to this, one reservoir with an area of ​​100 hectares can enrich an entrepreneur with net profit from the catch, reaching 3.6 million rubles. Profit margins are increased through additional sources of income: organizing paid fishing. For example, in the Moscow region a fisherman pays several thousand rubles per day. If 10 people fish on the pond every day, the additional income will be about 10-20 thousand rubles per day.

Cutlets

In 1 serving – 64.8 Kcal.

Protein – 9.3 g, fat – 2.4 g, carbohydrates – 0.4 g

Preparation/cooking time – 12/30 min.

What products will you need:

• molts – 5 pcs.;
• carrots, eggs, potatoes, onions - 1 pc.;
• 2 slices of bread;
• spices, salt - depending on taste preferences;
• sunflower oil - for frying.

Recipe:

1. Cut up the fish.
2. Remove the fillet from it. Remove skin.
3. Fry carrots and onions in oil.
4. To make the cutlets truly tender, make mashed potatoes.
5. Soak bread in water or milk.
6. In addition to mashed potatoes, be sure to grind all the ingredients through a meat grinder.
7. Add an egg, mashed potatoes, spices, salt and a little butter to the resulting minced meat. Mix everything thoroughly.
8. Form cutlets and fry in a frying pan.

Gastronomic features

The meat of tench that was caught in late April or early May is considered very tasty. During the spawning period, carcasses are not used for food. The taste and aroma of this fish often cause many people to refuse to consume tench. It is a freshwater fish that likes marshy bottoms, which can cause its flesh to taste silty. But the solution to this problem is simple: place live fish in clean water for 12-14 hours. If this method does not help, use spices and lemon juice.

Before cooking the fish, the carcass is cleaned. At this stage, it is necessary to peel off all the husks so as not to damage the fish skin, which after frying or baking becomes a delicious golden crust.

Tench is a versatile fish, because it can be boiled, marinated, baked, fried, and used to make fish soup and aspic. Various fillings are prepared from fish fillets. A tench carcass turns out very tasty when cooked in sour cream and wine; it is stuffed and baked with herbs. Many gourmets like fried and baked tench, because this way the fillet turns out to be especially tender and juicy.

If you bake tench, first marinate the fish in lemon juice and spices, then bake it with a bunch of dill placed in the belly of the carcass.

Gastronomic qualities

A popular proverb says: “the best meat is pork, the best fish is linina.” This is a real fact that any person who has at least once tasted a dish from this unique representative of freshwater ichthyofauna will agree with. The fish has juicy and moderately fatty meat (3.5-3.8%) with a sweetish aftertaste, the ratio between edible and waste parts of the body is 55-60%. Tench fillet is not bony, is quickly absorbed by the body, and is suitable for dietary nutrition due to its moderate fat content (3.5-3.8%) and low calorie content (40-45 kcal per 100 g). In addition, regular consumption helps reduce blood sugar levels. The fish is rich in:

• vitamins A, C, E, PP, B2, B6, B12;
• iodine, fluorine, phosphorus;
• potassium, calcium, manganese;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The product is recommended for people with problems of the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, and cardiovascular system. To properly prepare tench and get rid of the possible smell of mud, it is enough to soak the fillet for 8-12 hours in lightly salted water. In this case, you need to carefully clean off the mucus and small scales without damaging the skin. The best cooking options are boiling, baking in the oven, and frying. Flavorful marinated, stuffed and grilled dishes are popular. Tench meat is combined with sour cream, wine, lemon juice, and it produces delicious aspic, cutlets, and meatballs.

About the properties of tench mucus

The mucus that covers the tench's body has healing properties due to the fact that it is a natural antibiotic. Studies were carried out by ichthyologists who found that sick fish swim to healthy individuals for treatment: they rub against the side of the slimy fish. This procedure also helps protect against water parasites.

The fish itself, due to the presence of mucus, is saved even during wintering, when it hides from freezing. The surprising thing is that the tench even allows a sick pike to approach him for “treatment” and she does not attack him. But a healthy pike doesn’t mind eating medicinal fish. Predators generally do not consider tench as food, probably because of the thick mucus with which the fish is covered.

The fish got its name precisely because of the presence of unusual mucus. When a fish comes out of the water into the air, the mucus on its body dries and darkens, changing color. After this, it completely falls off in pieces, in the place of which there are light scales. In simple words, the fish sheds. This is why the name of the fish is tench.

Natural enemies of tenches

Photo: Tench fish

Surprisingly, such a peaceful and shy fish as tench does not have many enemies in natural wild conditions. The fish owes this to its unique mucus covering its body. Predatory fish and mammals that love to snack on fish turn up their noses at tench, which does not stimulate their appetite due to the thick layer of unpleasant mucus, which also has its own specific smell.

Most often, line eggs and inexperienced fry suffer in large quantities. Tench do not guard their clutches, and the fry are very vulnerable, therefore, both small fish and eggs are happily eaten by various fish (pike, perch), and animals (otters, muskrats), and waterfowl are not averse to feasting on them. Natural disasters are also to blame for the death of a huge number of eggs: when the flood ends and the water level drops significantly, then the eggs located in shallow water simply dry up.

A person can also be called the enemy of tench, especially one who skillfully handles a fishing rod. Often tench fishing begins even before its spawning. Fishermen use all sorts of cunning lures and baits, because tench are very wary of everything new. Caught tench has a number of advantages: firstly, it is very meaty, secondly, its meat is very tasty and dietary, thirdly, there is no need to peel the scales, so you don’t have to mess with it for so long.

Interesting Facts

Some characteristics of tench are surprising. The fish has incredibly strong and thick skin. But this is not the only thing that especially amazed the researchers. The fish's body is capable of producing a unique protein substance that other fish do not have - it has powerful antiseptic properties. Experiments have confirmed that this substance is very effective against many viruses, bacteria and skin parasites.

The presence of this substance protects tenches from many diseases that affect other inhabitants of water bodies. This interested Japanese scientists so much that they wanted to create a powerful antibacterial agent from tench mucus. But several years of research have shown that it is possible, but very difficult and expensive.

Scientists were surprised by what studies of the fish's blood showed. It turned out that it contains ichthyotoxins - substances that have toxic properties. Similar compounds were previously identified in the carcasses of river eels, bonito carp, tuna, and some other freshwater and marine life. The sea eel is considered the most dangerous. An experiment was conducted where laboratory mice were used - after contact with a toxic substance, death occurs in almost 85% of cases, and very quickly - within 10-30 minutes.

The maximum concentration of the toxic substance in the bodies of fish is observed during the spawning period. Researchers have not yet been able to figure out what causes this feature. The good news is that tench carcasses contain a small amount of ichthyotoxins, so there is no need to stop eating this fish. Poisons are destroyed during heat treatment of fish. The only danger to humans is if the toxic substance gets directly into the blood.

Tench is a fish from the carp family. The distinctive features of the fish are considered to be its unique appearance, excellent taste, and unpretentiousness in nutrition. It is profitable to breed fish together with carps - this significantly increases income.

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Why "tench"

In many sources, the unusual name of this fish is explained in the same way: “tench” - from the word “to shed.” I must say, there are other versions. But let's start with the most popular.

Fishermen know: if a tench carcass is left in the air even for a short time, it literally begins to molt, that is, to lose its color. Hence, they say, the name. The part of the carcass that is not in contact with light quickly becomes dim. For many years (though many still hold this opinion today), it was believed that when exposed to air, the mucus on a tench carcass dries out and falls off, revealing light areas of skin. But there is another theory that explains this phenomenon. Some ichthyologists suggest that the whole point is a special set of pigments that, under the influence of certain hormones, affect the color of the fish. In some circumstances, melanin (the pigment responsible for skin color) can change its structure at the molecular level and affect the color of the carcass.

According to another theory, the roots of the name should be sought in the Old Slavonic word “to cling”, that is, to stick to the hands. And the carcasses of these fish are indeed covered with a dense layer of sticky mucus. There is another version of the name: from the word “lazy”, since these representatives of cyprinids are not the most energetic.