The Dorset Stour at Sturminster Newton in perfect roach conditions |
TROTTING FOR ROACH WITH BREAD PUNCH
From this time of year until the end of the season, there should be some good opportunities to trot bread punch for roach on our rivers. Though I mostly use this method on my local Dorset Stour, I have also made it work on the Dorset Frome, Hampshire Avon, Bristol Avon, Thames, and Nene, and therefore it should work on many other rivers containing good-sized roach. By mid winter the floods have cleared the heavy weed growth of summer, and brisker flows and less natural food make the roach hungry. Personally, I find this method intensely satisfying. It requires finesse and watercraft, and on its day yields splendid roach in prime winter condition, as well as being active fishing in the cold. This is simple fishing but you must get the simple things right if you want good sport.
Locate them
First, find your fish, and secondly identify the conditions on your local river that are conducive to roach fishing with bread. So, the first job is to find out the areas and swims that contain roach and that are fishable in different conditions. Some swims may be useless unless the river is carrying a couple of foot of extra water, other may be best when the river is normal. I have done equally well from long deepish glides and big eddies, though the eddies tend to have one small hotspot. Pay attention to effects of wind on your chosen swims. You are looking to floatfish with good presentation unaffected by wind drag, in a steady swim with an even depth and a gravelly bottom.
Understand the conditions
I have caught big roach trotting with bread punch in conditions ranging from gin clear with a foot of snow on the ground to rising floodwater (and had ones over two-pounds in both those conditions). But my experience has been that some of the best conditions for a big bag of roach including a big one or two are when there has been prolonged flooding, perhaps for several weeks.
Suitable floats |
When the river eventually starts to drop and the colour changes from muddy brown to brownish green then you should find the roach to be ravenous. And because they are so hungry from fighting the current and not feeding, even the big ones are much less cautious and likely to get caught. This technique works best in mild, overcast and not too windy conditions. Sometimes when it is on the cold side but not bitterly cold without biting winds or frost you have a better chance of a big roach with the smaller ones inactive. The winter darkness has its advantage, too, for the low light levels can help you catch big roach. The tackle
Keep it simple. Your favourite match rod, 13 foot is adequate for most roach fishing, should be fine. For this type of fishing a power match rod is over-gunned. You'll need a small reel, my preference is a Mitchell Match, but a closed face or centre-pin will fit the bill, loaded with 2lbs line. I use both Maxima and Daiwa Harrier sprayed with line floatant. My preferred presentation for punch fishing is to use a bulk with droppers. Ideal floats for this type of fishing are a crowquill Avon or a slim balsa rather than a stick float. These should take from 4 to 10 BB shot. Another option is a Bolognese type float taking from 2 to 4 grams (5 - 10BB). Work on the basis of one BB shot for each foot of water as a starting point for the bulk. In very heavy water, such as the Hampshire Avon in winter, this is doubled. In gentler flows, this is reduced to a no. 1 per foot.
I like to use wide gape fine wire hooks in sizes 16, 14 and 12. Remember, big roach that will turn their noses up at maggots on a 20 will boldly take a soft mush of punch on a 12 when you get the conditions and feeding right. Patterns that I use include Kamasan 511 and 611 (16, 14, 12), Mustad wide gape seed and power (16, 14), and Drennan Carbon Match (16). Generally, I tie the 16s to 0.10mm hook links, and the 14s and 12s to 0.12mm.
Homemade bread punches |
I make my own bread punches using brass tube in various sizes from a model shop, pushing and Aralditing a two-inch length into a four-inch hard balsa handle. After shaping, I paint the handle fluorescent red so that I can find them amongst the reeds when I drop them. Unlike shop bought punches, these float. Carefully sharpen the brass with a fine file to get a cutting edge. You will also need a groundbait bowl. The Bait
Before venturing onto the riverbank, you will need some bait. For groundbait, four or five pounds of medium brown crumb plus a bag of a continental type groundbait should be plenty for most sessions. One of the continental groundbaits that I have found effective mixed in with the crumb is Sensas Gros Gardons. These groundbaits bind the bait effectively yet break it up in a controlled way once it hits the bottom, as well as being attractive to the roach. The proportion mixed in depends on the depth and flow. Try a starting mix of one part Gros Gardon to two parts crumb. In very powerful flows, I also mix in white crumb to bind it up even more. Whichever mix you choose, it must be mixed well so that it goes down to the bottom and then breaks up. You don't want some sloppy mix that forms a loose cloud. Don't forget some slices of fresh medium sliced white loaf, kept moist in a plastic bag.
The technique and feeding
Having tackled up away from the water's edge, taking care to keep footfalls to a minimum, no place for the carper's mallet here, plumb the depth quietly with a minimum of fuss. Set the float slightly over depth to start with, so that when it is held back slightly the bait just trails along the bottom. Keep the shotting pattern simple. Bunch the bulk of the shot about two and a half feet from the hook. Put two no. 8 together about ten inches from the hook, and another bunch of four no. 8 a foot above that. Ensure the float is shotted down so that only the tip is showing. Make sure you can see it in the winter gloaming.
There are many feeding strategies for this method. When the roach are really having it I have got through over fifteen pounds of groundbait (dry), balling it in, in Jaffa sized balls, starting with twenty balls. But more commonly, little and not too often is better. Often the hardest part is applying caution, for the idea is to slowly build up the swim. Therefore, a better tactic to start with might be a golf-ball sized ball every four trots. See how the roach respond. Are the roach coming to the feed? Are they backing off? I have balled it in when the initial response has been cagey and really caught well only when I fed heavily, though experience has been telling me that I suspect the roach are hungry and need lots of feed, after prolonged floods perhaps.
1lb 4oz roach with bowl and punched bread |
When the water is on the clear side, liquidised bread may be better than groundbait. I have been fishing this method since 1970 so my confidence and experience is considerable. By trying it and experimenting, you can build that experience. Sometimes, I have gambled on balling it in, knowing that I could blow out. When this method works it does so quickly, within half an hour at most. So if it fails move to another swim! A tactic recommended by Des Taylor is to feed heavily after catching your first roach but leave the swim alone for half an hour. He was talking about fishing with hemp and caster but I can see what he's trying to achieve. Certainly, don't be afraid to rest the swim. Fishing the swim
From this point on it's a matter of fishing the swim quietly and effectively. Bring the roach in with little fuss. Think about your feeding; are the roach backing off the groundbait or coming on to it? If they are backing off then ease back on the frequency of groundbaiting. Experiment with the depth and how hard you hold the float back. It is important to control the float during each trot. Try not to let yards of slack line to develop. Try different sized punch, change hooks, and consider altering your depth. Try laying-on in the slacker parts of the swim. Keep a low profile and movement to a minimum. Fish into dusk if you can, especially if you suspect a big one or two are around. Watch for the subtle bites that hardly move the float as it swims down.
Alternatives
The tactics I have described are based on my own experiences over three decades. Others have their own variations. Some roach anglers swear by flake rather than punch. I have had some tremendous days using flake when punch is ignored but the reverse often occurs. For all of bread's effectiveness I have no doubt that maggots are actually a slightly better winter big roach bait than bread in the long run. But, on its day, bread can be much better than maggots and vice versa. I have found that roach that have had little angling pressure are more willing to take bread. Once they have had plenty of angling pressure then a switch to maggots with much smaller hooks and finer line can keep them coming.
Take this scenario; a three week flood with the river unfishable for roach then drops, as the colour goes to brown/green then bread will slaughter them for a couple of days at least. Then for two weeks as the river gets hammered and continues to drop, bread loses its effectiveness and maggots are better. Finally, the roach wise up to maggots and bread may start to work again but used differently to earlier, perhaps with flake and mashed bread for the odd big fish. Only experience and experimentation can help you. I do enjoy roach fishing with bread though. In a future article, I will look at the advantages and frustrations of trying to catch winter river roach by legering.
Happy Roaching!
Next week: 'Historical Facts?'
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