Matchman banks roach of a lifetime

MATCH angler Clive Samuell couldn’t stop swearing when he first set eyes on the roach he’d spent his whole life trying to catch.

On the scales the 48-year-old’s new personal best registered 3lb 4oz and was banked when he and a friend decided to have a break from match angling to fish for roach on a southern day ticket gravel pit.

Clive said:

“I think it’s every coarse angler’s dream to catch a 3lb redfin and I just can’t believe It’s finally happened to me.

“Over the years I’ve managed to catch some respectable roach but never in a million years did I think I’d catch a ‘three’ during this trip.”

Knowing that the roach grow very big on carp angler’s baits in gravel pits, Clive used a large cage feeder to deposit multiple pay-loads of fishmeal groundbait, halibut pellets and dead maggots to a spot at 50m.

The second part of his approach involved casting a small Method feeder over the top, complete with a size 16 hook and four dead red maggots squeezed into a pellet band.

“I’d caught a couple of bream and roach to just over a pound so I knew my plan was working,” Clive added.

“All of a sudden the tip pulled confidently round and I struck into a powerful, headshaking fish – which is normally iconic of a big roach.

“When it came up to the surface I think I really did say every expletive under the sun!

“I’m moving to France in a few weeks so this was the best parting gift I could’ve ever asked for.”

Clive’s effort wasn’t the only giant redfin caught recently as Simon Daley revealed with a trio of Hampshire Avon specimens weighing 2lb 4oz apiece.

The big-fish hunter spent the day trotting breadflake into an area of slack water and struck into multiple roach – including back-up fish of 1lb 13oz and 1lb 14oz.

He said:

“It was probably the best day’s roach fishing I’ve ever had – my mind was completely blown by the quality of the fish I caught.”