2lb 7oz roach for Angling Times' Paul Garner
This pristine 2lb 7oz 8dr roach was a just reward for Angling Times’ Bait Doctor Paul Garner who made the three hour drive from his home in Redditch to fish a small southern reservoir.
With all of his other target winter venues closed because of the flooding, the Nash Peg One consultant decided to make the long journey for his first ever session on the venue in search of a 2lb-plus roach.
It proved to be the right decision as his first night on the water produced a 2lb 1oz specimen and several other fish to 1lb 12oz, all falling to helicopter rigs baited with double maggot hookbaits coated in a Nash Bait tangerine flavouring.
But after seeing big roach rolling in another area of the lake the next morning he packed up his gear and moved swims.
His decision was vindicated as after locating the bottom of a shelf at around 45 metres with the help of a marker float set-up, he used identical feeder tactics to the previous day to land his biggest specimen.
“With all of my other target venues either being flooded or too windy to fish it was an ideal opportunity to give the place a try and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” said Paul who used a 3lb fluorocarbon hooklink, a Kamasan Black Cap feeder and a size 18 hook.
“I was pretty pleased with the results of my first night, but seeing those big fish rolling about 200 yards further up the bank I just had to pack up and move. This cracking fish just shows that the move was worth it and you should never go against your gut instincts even if they mean a bit of effort.”
2lb 6oz roach from River Test with 'Passion' ace
Jez Brown had to contend with horrendous conditions on the River Test, but he was rewarded with this new personal best roach of 2lb 6oz.
The High Wycombe-based angler was joined by Passion for Angling star, Bob James, and Ray Pulford but the confidence of the trio instantly dropped when they arrived at the venue to find it heavily coloured and rising.
Despite having the odds stacked against them they located a slack area of water where they thought the fish might be shoaled up.
A large piece of breadflake was presented alongside a small feeder and it was instantly apparent that they had picked the perfect peg.
“We were getting indications from the off and during a three hour period we had at least 20 fish over the 1lb barrier, with Ray taking his best ever river roach of 1lb 12oz,” explained Jez.
But the limelight was soon switched to the Pallatrax Coarse Fishing team manager as the tip slowly edged round once again. He told Angling Times: “I had to coax each fish through a pool of very fast water and one bad move would almost certainly have led to the hook pulling out. Thankfully everything went to plan with the 2lb 6oz redfin and I was delighted to beat my previous best by 3oz.
“The rivers may be in a poor state at the moment but the fish have to lie up somewhere and if you can find them you can enjoy some fantastic sport,” he added.
His winning rig comprised of 3lb mainline, a two foot hooklink of the same strength and a size 12 Pallatrax hook.
Roach at 3lb 1oz is first on float tactics
A late change of venue worked in Mike Townsend’s favour as he took a series of roach to 3lb 1oz from Sway Lakes.
The Doncaster angler had intended to make the long journey to the Hampshire Avon but altered his plans after reports suggested the waterway wasn’t fishing well.
Upon his arrival at the complex he rigged up a simple waggler setup, feeding caster and hemp over the top. Several fish to 1lb 15oz were banked before action stepped up a level with a 2lb 7oz redfin.
The best was still to come, though, as Mike achieved a memorable milestone and he told Angling Times: “I wasn’t expecting a fish this big from the complex and it was my 16th roach over the 3lb-mark but my first ever on the float.”
Terry plucks 'sole surviving' roach from Thames tributary
Terry Hearn proved that it’s not only big carp which he’s a dab hand at targeting after catching this elusive 2lb 14oz roach from a small tributary of the River Thames.
The Dynamite Baits-backed carp fishing legend turned his attentions to the waterway over the last few weeks in a bid to catch what he believes is the only surviving roach in the stretch.
“Although I've enjoyed some great roach and dace fishing on this same stretch of river in years gone by, the cormorants have hit it pretty hard in recent times and I'm pretty sure that this is the only survivor who now lives among a shoal of similar sized chub,” Terry told Angling Times.
“I had a go at catching it last winter, but though the chub were easy enough to catch with the centrepin and light float tackle, fooling the roach proved to be a lot trickier! This year I’ve fished four short sessions working my way through over 30 chub. A simple change from the float kit to a small 1/8oz bomb saw me finally connect with my target roach.”
Terry presented a double maggot hookbait on a size 18 Drennan Wide Gape Match hook attached to a 2.8lb hooklink.
River yields lifetime best roach of 3lb
Floatfishing enthusiast Keith Speer achieved a feat many anglers could only dream of when he banked this 3lb roach from a Hertfordshire river.
Despite less than ideal conditions with strong winds and bright sunshine, the St. Albans-based
specimen hunter was determined to try his luck and presented a single red maggot on a size 18 Drennan Super Specialist hook and a 3lb hooklink under a Dave Harrell 10 No.4 wire stem stickfloat.
Feeding a mixture of 6-10 red and white maggots every run through he took several chub to 4lb from close to the nearside margin but a switch to the far bank reed line put him in touch with his target species.
“In the afternoon the water coloured up a little and a bit of cloud cover provided me with much better conditions to catch a big roach,” explained Keith.
Severe gusts made accurately placing the float in his favoured area difficult but when he eventually made the mark he was rewarded with what many would consider the fish of a lifetime.
“I missed a bite and on the next run through it buried again - I thought it was a chub as it instantly tried to get in the snags. Shortly afterwards I saw the red fin flash in the water and my heart started pounding as I knew it was a big roach.
“There wasn’t a great hook hold so I tired it out in the main flow so that it wouldn’t make one last dash for freedom before it was netted. Once on the bank it was clear I’d beaten my previous best of 2lb 12oz and it was hard to hide my excitement.”
The capture marked Keith’s 99th 2lb-plus roach from a river and he is confident he will soon take his tally into triple figures. He concluded: “I know there are bigger roach in the river and I’ll be going all out to increase my pb again.”
Record-shaking 'roach' is ruled out by experts
A carp angler who banked what he thought was a record shaking 4lb 1oz roach has been left disappointed after experts unanimously agreed the specimen was a hybrid.
Hertfordshire’s Andy Uhl was targeting Manor Farm Fishing’s Winters Lake in Bedfordshire’s when the large fish fell for a 15mm pop-up boilie tipped with a piece of white plastic corn.
If genuine, the fish would have fallen just 3oz short of the current UK record for the species of 4lb 4oz caught in Northern Ireland by Keith Berry in 2006. However, after studying the pictures experts at the Environment Agency believe the fish to be a hybrid. A spokesperson said: “The placement of the dorsal fin in relation to the pelvic fin is a key ID feature between roach and rudd and in this fish it is not consistent with what you would expect to see in a true roach. It is most like a cross between a roach and a rudd.”
That was a view shared by species fanatic Mark Wintle who has been at the forefront of identifying true example of the species for decades. “I agree with the conclusion of EA officials,” he said. “There is also an intensity of colour in the fins, especially the anal fin, and that is common in hybrids - roach have much more transparent fins.”
Fishery record books also appear to back up these opinions, with bosses revealing that no big roach had been previously reported from the water.
Upon hearing the news Andy revealed his disappointment at the findings and told Angling Times:
“I initially thought it was a small bream until what looked like a huge roach came over the net. I was staggered at the size of it and weighed it on a pair of Fox Digital scales in a plastic bag to give me an accurate reading.
“I’m a little disheartened by the findings but in truth I’d prepared myself for it as I knew there was a chance it was crossbreed.”
At the time of going to press a similar debate had opened up in Germany where carp angler Klaus Schneiderhan banked a 5lb 5oz specimen from the River Neckar.
If the fish is verified as a true roach it would break the current IGFA record that has stood for almost 40-years.
Biggest roach of the season landed at 3lb 13oz
This is the picture of the biggest roach of the season that topped the scales at 3lb 13oz.
Angling legend Chris Turnbull smashed his personal best for the species that had stood for almost 20 years when he banked the huge specimen from a stillwater that he only turned his attention’s to this winter.
The acclaimed fishing artist and writer located an area of the lake that boasted depths of 20 feet and cast maggot feeder rigs with three red maggots on the hook to the spot.
He certainly got his location right as by dusk the Norfolk-based specialist had banked a hat-trick of roach over the 2lb-barrier to 2lb 4oz.
The best was still to come, however, and his final cast of the session resulted in the huge roach that measured 16 inches in length and had a depth of 7 inches.
“Roach over the 3lb mark are so rare it really is a privilege to catch a specimen like this. It beats my long standing personal best that I caught from a southern stillwater way back in 1995,” Chris told Angling Times.
“I’ve never been one for following the crowds to waters that contain big fish and love finding new venues with potential, so when I heard the tales of this particular venue holding huge fish and then saw a picture of a 3lb roach, I couldn’t wait to start my campaign.”
Chris used a helicopter rig constructed using a Korum Heli Kit, 6lb Drennan Specimen Plus , a 4lb hooklink and a size 14 Guru MWGB hook. He then laid a carpet of maggots down with the help of a 40 gram Kamasan Black Cap feeder.
This is the biggest roach to be landed in the UK since the capture of a 3lb 13oz specimen by Surrey teenager Aaron Winter from a tributary of the Thames known as Hogsmill River.
“I’ve had some fantastic catches over the years including barbel to 18lb 6oz and tench to 11lb 9oz but pound for pound this must count as the biggest fish from a lifelong angling career. I’d be truly amazed if I ever better it,” he added.
Chris Turnbull’s top five roach tips:
1. When picking a swim on a stillwater avoid comfortable corners of the lake because roach love moving water where there’s a tow.
2. It’s vital not to use really light hooklinks when using a ‘helicopter-style’ rig because they are prone to twisting therefore compromising your presentation.
3. Keep your hooklinks short as they should be no longer than four to five inches.
4. In cold water be careful not to overfeed and only re-cast your feeder or introduce any bait if you’re getting bites.
5. Don’t start fishing too early because the biggest fish often feed an hour into darkness.
Ten fisheries to try for a specimen roach:
1. Bury Hill Fisheries, Dorking, Surrey; Contact: 01306 877540 or www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk
2. Wyreside Lakes, Bay Horse, near Lancaster; Contact: 01524 792093 or www.wyresidelakes.co.uk
3. Elphicks Fisheries, Horsmonden, Kent; Contact: 01580 212512 or www.elphicks-fisheries.co.uk
4. Linch Hill Fishery, Oxfordshire; Contact: 01865 882215 or www.linchhillfishery.co.uk
5. Tricklebrook Fishery, Five Oak Green, Kent; Contact: 07743 955812 or www.tricklebrookfishery.co.uk
6. Selby 3 Lakes, Selby, North Yorks; Contact: 07818 092420 or www.selby3lakescomplex.com
7. Bluebell Lakes, Northants; Contact: 01832 226042 or www.bluebell-lakes.co.uk
8. Lemington Lakes, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire; Contact: 01608 650872 or www.lemingtonlakes.co.uk
9. Milemead Fisheries, Tavistock, Devon; Contact: 01822 610888 or www.milemeadfisheries.com
10. Lochnaw Castle Loch; Contact: www.lochnawcastle.co.uk
2lb 5oz roach from flooded Bristol Avon
A trip at dusk proved fruitful for angling scientist Dr Mark Everard when he landed this 2lb 5oz roach from a flooded Bristol Avon.
Quiver-tipped bread feeder tactics with a breadflake hookbait proved successful for the 55-year-old who backed his biggest redfin of the season up with a smaller specimen shortly afterwards.
“The indifferent river conditions have made it a difficult season this year but I have scraped a few decent fish here and there from my favourite venues,” he said.
Mark used 4lb Maxima mainline attached to a 2lb hooklink and Size 12 Kamasan B520, fine-wire hook.
