Incredible roach brace tips the scales at 7lb 5oz

This is one of the biggest braces of roach in the history of angling.

The specimens, with a combined weight of 7lb 5oz, were caught by roach fishing fanatic Mark Mclennan from the renowned redfin complex, Highbridge Lakes.

Weighing 4lb 1oz and 3lb 4oz, they were tempted on 15mm Nash 4G squid boilies during a three-night session at the Norfolk fishery.

A change in tactics provided Mark with the once-in-a-lifetime catch, prompted by what he called ‘nuisance fish’.

He said: “I switched from fishing standard maggot feeder tactics to helicopter-style rigs with broken boilies in blockend feeders in order to avoid nuisance perch, which seem to have exploded in numbers this year.”

Fishing just four rodlengths out, the change worked a treat, and the 55-year-old from Bedfordshire was soon breaking his previous best of 3lb 2oz twice in the space of two days, along with catching numerous smaller specimens to just over 2lb.

“I have been fishing the lake for more than three years in search of roach this size.

“Before that I took 25 years to get a 2lb-plus roach. To catch two fish like this in the same session has simply left me speechless” he added.

Mark’s winning rigs consisted of 50g swimfeeders on 6lb mainline tied to just 2.5ins Preston Powerline hooklengths with size 8 Kamasan B980 hooks.