Season's best roach landed!

A 3lb roach is considered by many as the pinnacle of achievement in any angler’s career, and this dream became a reality for Mark Woodage during a recent session on a southern gravel pit. 

The angler from Swindon, Wiltshire, had spent three months targeting the venue’s redfins before success finally came knocking at his door.

He told Angling Times: “I decided to target the roach in a large gravel pit after hearing that the carp anglers had caught a couple by accident. After numerous visits over nearly three months I had caught only tench and perch, with absolutely no sign of a roach – although during the first week of June, for the very first time, I saw what I was convinced was a big roach roll. 

“A couple of hours later, after chopping and changing methods, my float went under and soon my landing net was graced by a stunning redfin that weighed 2lb 12oz – a new personal best.
I was over the moon.”

After returning a number of times to the venue with helicopter maggot feeder tactics, Mark was able to put other roach of 2lb 10oz and 2lb 9oz in the net – although it was during his most recent visit that he struck gold.

“It was very noticeable that I received all my bites on the rod supporting a Drennan buoyant bloodworm maggot hookbait,” Mark added.

“The winning combination was one fake and one live maggot, and on this session I was fortunate enough to land an awesome fish weighing 3lb 1oz.  I’ve just about stopped turning cartwheels, but I’m still beaming from ear to ear!”

Mark’s winning helicopter rig included a size 18 Drennan Wide gape hook attached to a 3ins hooklink of 6lb X-Tough mono.