hooks and tench

Hi all,

Back to fishing after a long break and fed up with looking stupid when I go
to buy new kit.

Two questions please.

The easy one. I need someone to recommend a good eyed hook. I am going to be
using maggot, worm, corn and bread in the main and just be still water
fishing in the main.

Second, harder, question. When did tench become so damn smart. In my, long
lost, youth I could catch them without too much trouble. Feathering a couple
of red maggots by likely spots or a light lead and sweet corn if I have to
fish at distance.

None of that works any more and I even had one tench come up and eat a few
floating casters as I left the swim at the end of the day, now tat was just
nasty.

So anyone got a cast iron method of getting them during the summer.

--
Gandalf