To catch a specimen roach is the dream of a vast majority of coarse anglers all over the UK, and to tempt one from a river is just that extra bit special. Big roach are rare on all waters, but on rivers, with the added threats of flooding, pollution and predators, for them to reach sizes of 2lb plus, they really have to endure some added hardships.
Any roach above 2lb is a fantastic fish, but when they eclipse the three pound barrier, they truly are fish of a lifetime, and one very few anglers will ever get the chance to see, let alone catch. On a recent session on the Hampshire Avon, Gary Taylor had his moment with one of these illusive creatures, when he slipped the net under this 3lb 3oz roach.
"I had planned a pleasure fishing session with some of my good friends down on the Salisbury District Angling Club stretch of the Avon, as the fishing can be really prolific on the float here," Gary told us.
"We knew there had been some good roach fishing reported so that is what we set our stall out to catch," he added.
The day started well, with plenty of roach and a few big dace gracing the angler's nets throughout the day. Tactics were fairly simple, with Gary and the other anglers opting to run a stick through the swim feeding maggotsafter every cast.
"As the light levels started to drop off towards the end of the session, it just started to feel right for a few of the bigger fish that live in the stretch to start feeding," Gary recalled.
"The bites had started to tail off as though some better fish had moved in and pushed the smaller ones out of the swim, and with that, the float buried and I hooked a much better fish."
"I could feel the unmistakable head shakes of a big roach, but I didn't want to jinx myself, so I played it back carefully through the river, desperate not to lose it," he said.
Gary may have been overly cautious as the fish managed to bury itself in a thick weedbed on his nearside margin. Despite only using a small hook and light hooklength, he slowly managed to persuade the fish to free itself, and with it, he saw the unmistakable silver flank of a huge roach attached to his line through the clear water.
"Thankfully the luck was on my side this time and I was utterly elated to see a massive roach sulking in my net."
"At 3lb 3oz, I was absolutely buzzing, beating a 35-year wait to beat my previous personal best. It was a magnificent fish and I feel so fortunate to have caught it," Gary said.
THIS ARTICLE HAS ALL THE TIPS YOU NEED TO CATCH BIGGER ROACH ON THE FLOAT.
