Great video Andy, very well researched. Very interesting stuff on feeding dry food against natural. Decaying vegetation at the bottom of ponds is warm, similar to composting, which could be a reason the Tench like it. Stay safe and well 👍🏻
Interesting video. I've caught hundreds of tench and seen thousands of farmed ones, I don't think I've seen a single deformity bar one I caught last year that was an old fish with a stunted tail. I think your growth projections are quite optimistic. In the wild I believe they grow much slower. Two phenomena that anglers observe will interest you, fizzing and rolling. When tench feed hard on a silty or weedy lake bed they often send up characteristic plumes of small bubbles, comparable to a champagne bottle being opened under water. This is often accompanied by tench rolling and slapping about on the surface, which in theory proceeds them diving head first to push their mouths into the lake bed to feed. These are best witnessed very early on a summers morning, or second best late on a summers evening. In my experience tench do not feed much after dark, that is more bream behaviour.