The British Record Tench
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
The British record tench weighs 15lb 3oz 6dr (6.899kg) and was caught by Darren Ward in June 2001. The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) coarse listings dated 10 June 2026 still show it as the standing record.
That makes the UK tench record about 25 years old. Over the same stretch, the other main coarse records have tumbled, as Angling Times has reported.
This page sets out the official figures and the fish that held the record before Ward’s. It also covers why tench have stalled, the closest modern challenger, and the steps that protect a claim if you land one bigger.
The Current British Record Tench at a Glance
Search for the tench record and you’ll see it given as 6.9kg, 6.88kg or 6.899kg, from a “Surrey lake” or a “pit near Shepperton”. Here is what the official list says, and where the rest comes from.
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Weight | 15lb 3oz 6dr |
| Metric | 6.899kg |
| Captor | Darren Ward (listed as “D Ward”) |
| Date | June 2001 (official list gives the year only) |
| Venue | Sheepwalk big pit, Shepperton, Middlesex (not on the BRFC list) |
| Status | Current on the BRFC coarse listings of 10 June 2026 |
The BRFC list leaves the venue column blank for this entry. The venue and the month come from the Wikipedia table of UK angling records. Angling Times places it at a pit near Shepperton in Middlesex, and a separate Angling Times report quotes an angler at neighbouring Ellis lake naming Sheepwalk, opposite, as the record water.
Shepperton lies in historic Middlesex but has been part of Surrey since 1965, which is why both counties turn up.
The drams matter too. One dram is a sixteenth of an ounce, so 6dr adds a little over a third of an ounce, which counts when records are separated by a few ounces.
For every other species, see our full list of British fishing records. For tench, 15lb 3oz 6dr is the figure to beat.
How the UK Tench Record Grew: 1987 to 2001
In 14 years the tench record went up by just over a pound. Then it stopped moving.
The Wikipedia UK records table lists the three most recent record holders:
| Year | Weight | Captor | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 (20 August) | 14lb 3oz | Phil Gooriah | Wraysbury 1 Lake, Berkshire |
| 1993 (September) | 14lb 7oz | Gordon Beavan | Bury Lake, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire |
| 2001 (June) | 15lb 3oz 6dr | Darren Ward | Sheepwalk big pit, Shepperton, Middlesex |
Gooriah to Beavan was a gain of 4oz. Beavan to Ward was a jump of just over 12oz, the biggest step in the run and the reason Ward’s fish still sits so far clear.
All three came from lakes and pits in the home counties around London: Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex. Ask where the biggest tench UK anglers have recorded were caught, and that cluster is the answer.
Hold on to that 12oz margin. The closest modern challenger, covered below, fell short by about three ounces.
Why the British Record Tench Has Stood for 25 Years
By 2021 the barbel and bream records had each been raised five times since 2001, according to Angling Times. Over those 20 years the British record tench did not move once.
Dr Paul Garner, quoted in the same Angling Times piece, points to Britain’s relatively cool climate and shorter growing season. In his view these keep British tench smaller than the 16lb to 17lb fish rumoured in southern Europe.
That fits how tench live. They feed hardest and put on weight in the warmer months, then slow down when the water cools. A short British summer means a short growing window each year, so reaching 15lb takes a fish many good seasons. Our species guide explains how tench feed and grow in more detail.
Angling Times also notes that one other tench over 15lb has been reported in Britain. No pictures were released and its authenticity is doubted, so it carries no weight with the record books.
None of this makes Ward’s fish suspect. It is the accepted record on the current official list, and unbeaten is not the same as unbeatable.
Beating it would probably take a rich southern pit, a run of warm summers and an old fish caught at its peak weight. Treat that as reasoning, not a forecast.
The Biggest Tench Caught Since: David Pratt’s 15lb Near Miss
In August 2023 a 15lb tench made the angling news. The record still belongs to Ward, by three ounces.
David Pratt landed the fish from a Midlands stillwater. It weighed 15lb exactly, and Angling Times called it the biggest tench caught by design in Britain, three ounces off the record. It is not a record and does not appear on the June 2026 BRFC list.
“By design” means Pratt was fishing for tench, not picking one up by accident on carp tactics. So if you are looking for the biggest tench ever caught on purpose, this is it. The biggest on the record books is still Ward’s.
As reported by Angling Times, the set-up was:
- Spot and feed: about 25 yards out, over pellets, dead maggots, worms and hemp
- Rig: a worm kebab on a bomb helicopter rig
- Tackle: 12lb mainline, 9lb hooklink, size 10 hook, 1.5lb test curve rod
Use it as a reference set-up if you are chasing a big tench, but it is a specimen approach, not a beginner rig. Our other coarse species guides offer gentler starting points, and the British record carp shows a record that keeps moving.
Think You’ve Caught a Record Tench? How to Make a BRFC Claim
The fastest way to lose a record is to weigh the fish on your own. Unwitnessed weighings are not considered.
The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee, run under the Angling Trust, decides records for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Fish must be taken on rod and line by fair angling, and its decisions are final.
Follow the Angling Trust’s measurement and verification guidance:
- Keep the fish safe in the landing net in the margin.
- Find a witness, preferably two.
- Zero the scales with the sling in place, then weigh in front of your witnesses.
- Photograph the fish with a tape or other scale reference, and photograph the scale reading.
- Return the fish alive. Coarse fish are expected to go back.
- Contact the BRFC Secretary through the Angling Trust claims page. You’ll be sent claim forms and have 56 days to return them with your evidence. The committee ratifies claims at a meeting held twice a year, and a certificate follows.
Have a wetted mat and sling ready, and keep time out of the water to a minimum.
You also need to be fishing legally. In England that means a rod licence, plus checking local byelaws, because the fishing season rules vary by water type and region.
If you fish waters known for big tench, carry accurate scales, a sling and a tape every session.
Frequently asked questions
What is the British record tench?
It is 15lb 3oz 6dr (6.899kg), caught by Darren Ward in June 2001 from Sheepwalk big pit near Shepperton. It still stands on the BRFC coarse list dated 10 June 2026.
Has the UK tench record ever been beaten?
Not since 2001. The closest reported fish is David Pratt's 15lb tench from 2023, three ounces short and not a record.
What was the tench record before 2001?
It was 14lb 7oz, caught by Gordon Beavan in 1993. Before that, Phil Gooriah held it with 14lb 3oz in 1987.
Do you have to kill a fish to claim a British record?
No. Coarse fish are expected to be returned alive. The weighing must be witnessed, ideally by two people, and photographed with a scale reference.
Sources
- BRFC coarse fish listings, 10 June 2026 (Angling Trust)
- British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (Angling Trust)
- Measurements and verification (Angling Trust)
- Make your claim (Angling Trust)
- Angling records in the United Kingdom (Wikipedia)
- A century of angling records (Angling Times)
- Angler banks biggest tench ever caught by design in Britain (Angling Times)
- Carper nets massive tench (Angling Times)
- Freshwater rod fishing rules (GOV.UK)