Hampshire Avon giant is season's biggest roach

Simon Daley became the envy of all anglers just before Christmas when he caught what many consider to be the holy grail of fishing - a 3lb 8oz river roach.

This 3lb 8oz roach followed a string of 2lb specimens for Simon Daley

Fishing a stretch of the Hampshire Avon controlled by the Christchurch Angling Club, he connected with a flurry of 2lb fish before the biggest reported roach this season took his trotted maggot hookbait.

He told Angling Times:

“The conditions weren't great, so I decided to fish a swim with a far bank slack, not a very big one, but it had an undercut snag where the roach were hiding.

“The northerly wind was making presentation very difficult. I was getting four or five good trots through an hour when the wind died down enough.

“The first bite I had was 2lb 1oz fish, which on its own would have made my day.

“The next few fish were about a pound, then a 2lb 2oz roach and a brace of twos in short succession followed - I was buzzing.

“What came next was something very special indeed.

“When I hit the bite, the fish tried hard to get back into the snag. I managed to pull it out but it shot into the fast water. I was very nervous as I’d seen the fish and thought it was a big two.

“After a tense fight, I drew it over the net and was gobsmacked.

“The fish was colossal, I’ve never seen anything like it.

“A 3lb 8oz Hampshire Avon roach, I’ve never been affected so much by a fish, my mind was well and truly blown.

Simon’s giant Redfin fell to three red maggots trotted under a 10g Bolo float on a size 12 hook.

A true river monster. A 3lb 8oz Hampshire Avon roach