2lb farm pond roach is ‘such a special fish’

Leading specimen angler Dai Gribble went ‘back to his roots’ to land a 2lb 2oz roach from a local farm pond.
The Korum-backed angler had been invited to fish by the farmer, who had caught big roach from the tiny water but never weighed them.
Dai, who banked a string of huge tench to 14lb 13oz and a 20lb 10oz bream earlier this year, waded his way through vast numbers of small rudd and roach at the Staffordshire venue before striking gold as the sun went down.
“I can’t believe that I’ve travelled as far as Scotland to catch big roach, only to catch a fish like this from a tiny, local water,” he said.
“It was so enjoyable to relive the excitement and the feelings I used to get as a boy when I cast my float out, not really knowing what was going to take the bait next.”
Dai fed a combination of maggots and sweetcorn, and it was the latter bait, mounted on a size 14 hook tied to 3lb mainline on waggler gear, that saw him land the pristine 2lb redfin.
“It’s hard to put into words how rare fish like this are in my area,” Dai continued.
“My personal best for the species stands at 3lb 7oz, but on that occasion I knew exactly what I was fishing for.
“This latest 2lb 2oz fish almost means more to me than the three-pounder. It was a farm pond fish with a real sense of mystery surrounding it, and the catch really sums up what fishing is all about.”