CHAPTER X.

THE TENCH.

THE tench (Tinca vulgaris) is (next the carp) perhaps the most interesting of the coarse fish. He is described by "Ephemera" as a "mucous blackish olive carp"; but more truly by Blakey as a "handsome thick fish, of a greenish yellow colour," and most satisfactorily of all by Mr. Pennell, as follows: "The length of the head alone being considered as 1; the total length of the head, body, and tail fin not quite as 5; depth of the body at the deepest part, onefifth more than length of the head; all fins rounded at the extremities. Tail fin not at all forked, nearly square, with the corners rounded off; mouth small, toothless, with one barbel at each corner; scales very small. Colours: Head, sides, and cheeks golden green, darker on the back and fins, orange yellow under the belly, irides bright orange-red." The measurements and description are applicable, of course, approximately only to all tench, in good condition of growth and health. The word tench is from the Latin tinca, French tenche, and probably is derived from an allusion to its soft-sucking lips. Cicero is reported to have satirically applied the epithet tinca to a brother orator, probably also alluding to a peculiarity of mouth.

Tench are usually colloquially connected with carp. Why, is not apparent. In some very important points it would be difficult to find two fish more dissimilar. The carp, for example, has the largest scales of any member of the family; the tench possesses the smallest. The general hue of the carp is gold and bronze, and that of the tench a deep olive green. Carp are generally admitted to be a most attractive bait for pike; whilst the tench is well known to exert positively a repelling power over the "tyrant of the watery plain." In its habits it is also

widely different to the carp, although it must be admitted that both fish are almost always to be found together in lakes, if not in running streams.

Willoughby says the tench spawns when the wheat is in blossom, which is invariably true. And a curious season this is with tench! The homely saying, "Mad as a March hare," might have an equally forcible analogue in as "Mad as a June tench," for mad or foolish they are at this interesting time, and may be readily taken by the hand. I have repeatedly seen the males chasing their fair partners so roughly as to so completely disorder their faculties that they have leaped on dry land and been secured. Their ova is greenish in hue and prodigiously numerous; in a female weighing 3lb. no less than 297,000 eggs have been estimated.

The male fish is distinguishable from the female by the curious shape of his ventral fins. In the female they are of ordinary size and make, but those of the male are much larger and more muscular, and look like a green concave shell, the concave side being uppermost. About fifty years is the greatest recorded age of tench. They may, like bream and carp, be carried long journeys in wet moss, being extremely tenacious of life.

The habitat of the tench, like that of the grayling, seems to be somewhat local. It is, however, found all over England, Holland, and rest of the European lake provinces, and it was said to have been first introduced into England in 1514. In Ireland there are but few of these fish, and still fewer in Scotland. The tench seems to thrive and multiply best in muddy water, old clay pits, and such like excavations, and its faculty of burying itself in the mud is well known. A tench weighing 11lb. is said in "Daniel's Rural Sports" to have been taken from a choked up pit, where it had probably been for many years. This is the account : "A piece of water which had been ordered to be filled up, and into which wood and rubbish had been thrown for years, was directed to be cleared out. Labourers were accordingly employed; and, almost choked up by weeds and mud, so little water remained that no person expected to see any fish, except a few eels; yet nearly two hundred brace of tench of all sizes, and as many perch, were found. After the pond was thought to be quite free, under some roots there seemed to be an animal which was conjectured to be an otter; the place was surrounded; and on opening an entrance among the roots a tench was found of most singular form, having literally assumed the shape of the hole in which he had of course for many years been confined. His length from eye to caudal fork was 33in.; his circumference, almost to the tail, was 27in.; his weight 11lb. 9oz.: the colour was also singular, his belly being that

of a charr or vermilion. This extraordinary fish, after having been inspected by many gentlemen, was carefully put into a pond, and at the time this account was written, twelve months afterwards, was alive and well." The usual size does not, however, exceed 3lb.

The food of the tench is very similar to that of the carp. It lives on vegetable matter and small water insects, which it does not disdain in some cases to rout up from the mud.

The title of "physician of fishes" has been given to tench, and the qualities which render the title just seem to lie at the root of the immunity it experiences at the hands (or mouth) of the pike. According to both ancient and modern authorities, the thick slime with which it is covered effects a salutary influence on both itself and compeers. Out of а hundred instances on record where their Esculapian influence has been manifested, it is sufficient to cite one. Mr. Wright, in his book on "Fishes and Fishing," thus states the

case :

"A gentleman, who was unfortunately unable to leave the house for some time through an accident, amused himself by making small artificial flies, which he did very neatly. He kept some minnows and a tench, about 2in. long, in a very large wide-mouth bottle; all the minnows had died except one. My friend was just finishing a fly as I went into his room, and he held it upon the surface of the water in the bottle, as he was often in the habit of doing. The minnow darted at it so rapidly that he could not withdraw the fly in time to prevent the hook from pricking the minnow. The little fish descended three parts of the way down the bottle, poised himself for a moment, with his nose pointing downwards, then swiftly went the remainder of the way, rubbed his nose, during a few seconds, against the side of the tench, and again swam about as lively as before. We both joined in the opinion that it is really no fable as to the tench being the Esculapius of fishes, for here was an example before our eyes of a fish being wounded, and immediately instinct directing him to seek a remedy."

Camden, also, in the "Britannica," when speaking of the fishstews of Southwark, says: "I have seen the bellies of pikes which have been rent open have their gaping wounds presently closed by the touch of tenches, and by his glutinous slime perfectly healed up."

In consequence of this benignant quality, the pike refrains, be he never so hungry, to make a meal of the tench. Fitzgibbon, Hofland, Salter, Hollinshed, Walton, Oppian-all concur in believing this. If it really be a fact—and, in my own experience, I have no reason to doubt it— the pike has, at least, one virtue, seldom found, indeed, even in humanity—namely, gratitude. Mr. Pennell says: "I procured some small