Why big river roach are back! - How all rivers can benefit from a redfin restoration
THE recent capture of the season’s biggest roach by Simon Daley has highlighted the fantastic river fishing available down on the Hampshire Avon. This surge in redfin sport on the iconic river can largely be accredited to the work of the Avon Roach Project (ARP).
The ARP has rewritten the science when it comes to river restoration and stocking
Last month, we caught up with project Co-founder Trevor Harrop, who explained how the river has been transformed since they started.
“We love seeing roach catches like this on the Avon again, and it may even be one of our original stocked fish,” he said.
“A 3lb roach would usually be around 15 years-old, but you get some that seem to shoot ahead of the rest, and the clean nature of this fish suggests that it could be a bit younger because usually when they get old, they start to lift scales.”
“These large fish have always been in the Avon, but before we started our work they would usually be mixed in with shoals of chub or other species. Now that the river is brimming with roach of all sizes again, they are shoaling together.”
Simon Daley with the season’s biggest roach at 3lb 8oz
But how was this success achieved? Trevor revealed how the ARP has almost rewritten science when it comes to river restoration and stocking.
“We wanted to maintain the genetic purity of roach stocks within the river, which is why by using manmade spawning boards we collect our stock from the already resident fish. While at the start we were only finding small numbers of fish spawning, there would always be some bigger specimens there. It’s the genes of these fish that we have reared on.”
Trevor stocking roach into the Hampshire Avon
The incredible findings from the river’s rejuvenation are detailed in a new Avon Roach Project book, and among the most fascinating of these was the revelation that in 9 out of 11 years the roach spawned across the whole river on exactly the same date - April 24! Trevor is hoping that the book will inspire others to follow their lead in restoring river roach stocks. One man keen to replicate the success on his local water is Dr Mark Everard, who has already placed spawning boards in the Bristol Avon.
“The heroic acts of the ARP are going to be hard to repeat but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things we can’t all do to help,” he said.
“It starts with habitat management, because a lot of our rivers are badly damaged. Historic engineering has destroyed parts of the habitat on the Bristol Avon and this vandalism has made it harder for fish stocks to be self-sustaining. They need adequate food, safety from predators and somewhere to spawn, but I’ve seen rivers stripped bare of vegetation. They are often treated more like drains than rivers.”
Efforts are also underway to return Norfolk’s River Wensum to its former glory. The Wensum Working Group’s Tim Ellis said:
“Historically, the Wensum produced very large roach, and a lot of them too. But anglers’ records clearly show that they have badly declined in numbers and size. The Group, and others, have been trying to find the reasons for this, and to address them. Wensum anglers have been trialling fry refuges, as well as restoring existing or derelict ditch mouths and taking other measures to help the survival of young roach populations, such as planting riparian trees to provide cover.
The Wensum produced some phenomenal roach catches in the 70s
The Wensum historically has produced some very big roach too
“Overall, the chances of us replicating everything the ARP have done is small but hopefully we can achieve something by taking measures to nurture the river environment. This will include limiting barriers to fish movement, improving water quality and pushing for management of predators.”
The late John Wilson highlighted the Wensum’s roach potential
Read more about the fascinating Avon Roach Project by purchasing their new book here.
Scaled-down barbel rig fools big river roach - Paul Houghton
“It’d been a few years since I’d last targeted the roach in my local river so I decided I’d have another proper go by fishing evening sessions.
“My approach was pretty much a scaled-down barbel rig with a trimmed-down wafter hookbait fished in conjunction with a feeder packed with hemp, small mixed pellets and crushed boilies.
“Half-an-hour before it got dark I connected with a big fish, which I knew was a roach from the tell-tale jags and glides. I knew it would be close to my 2lb 5oz best so I was made up when the scales read 2lb 6oz.”
Paul Houghton and his new PB 2lb 6oz roach
Does this fishery hold a record roach?
A FISHERY owner has claimed this week that his lake will produce a new British record roach in the very near future.
The bold claim comes from James Brown, owner of Norfolk’s Highbridge Fishery, who is so confident of a monster showing up to beat the existing 4lb 4oz national best that he has invested in a new set of top-end scales and associated kit in preparation for the big day.
“It all came about after a carp angler recently landed a 4lb 2oz roach from the lake,” James tells us.
“He didn’t realise the magnitude of the fish and weighed it on heavy carp scales and in a carp sling, a practice that wouldn’t stand up with the British Record Fish Committee.
“I’m very confident that we’ll do a record in the next few years, so we need to be prepared.”
It all came about after a carp angler recently landed a 4lb 2oz roach from the lake
After buying digital Reuben Heaton scales, James spent £130 having them calibrated and certificated, as well as purchasing a small weigh sling – ideal for the roach.
“This equipment will stay on the fishery for anyone to use,” he adds.
“I’ve told my members to call me at any hour should they catch a fish over 3lb 12oz.
“There are plenty of high ‘threes’ in here, as well as the odd four-pounder, so it’s only a matter of time before a true giant shows up.”
Highbridge Fishery holds roach of record breaking potential
Drennan Cup Champion Rich Wilby has caught some big roach from the lake