(This catch was reported before the river close season came into force on March 15th 2022)
WHEN Heber Crawford landed a 2lb 12oz roach from the River Itchen a few weeks back, he thought he’d struggle to ever better it – but in the final throes of the season he did just that by tempting this wily old 3lb 2oz specimen from the same Hampshire chalk stream.
The Portsmouth angler started his session at first light and used the same tactics as on his previous trip – trotted maggots – to tempt his first roach over the 3lb mark.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Heber revealed he was ‘shaking like a leaf’ after slipping the net under the remarkable and rare fish.
Heber Crawford – 3lb 2oz roach