Roach form gets even better!

One of the greatest roach catches of all time has been taken by specialist Mark Woodage.

The media company boss from Swindon banked fish of 3lb 10oz – a personal best – 3lb 5oz, 3lb 4oz, 3lb, 2lb 15oz, 2lb 13oz and 2lb during an historic session on a stillwater in the south of England.     

Reflecting on his remarkable result, Mark said: “I’ve been fishing all my life and up until five months ago I had never seen a 3lb roach, let alone caught one. What unfolded was simply unbelievable.”

The haul was taken from a silt spot just off a large weedbed at 70yds range. He targeted the swim with his Drennan 1.25lb test curve rods rigged with a Drennan Feeder Bomb and a 5lb Supplex hooklink. His hookbait was two live maggots and one fake on a size 18 hook, fished over a bed of Bait-Tech chilli hemp.

It’s not just stillwaters that are producing these monster roach – the country’s rivers are in impressive roach form too. One such venue is the Hampshire Avon, where Paul Restall recently caught a massive personal best redfin of 3lb 1oz. 

Paul’s roach was accompanied by several other large fish, all of which were caught on feeder fished maggots on a size 12 hook and 3lb line.

The same river filled Tom Sampson’s net with pristine roach when he beat his personal best twice in seven days with fish of 2lb 10oz and 3lb 1oz.

In contrast to the other specimens here, Tom’s fish were tempted on floatfished maggots, trotted down the swim with the aid of a centrepin reel. 

He said: “I went down expecting to catch some nice fish – no doubt stocked by the Avon Roach Project – but these two fish are special and something I’ll probably never repeat. ”