Way back in the 1960’s we had specimen hunters who later became an organisation, they seemed a strange group of chaps, always bragging about having numerous blank days and only on very rare occasions would one or two admit to catching a really great fish. Although none would ever tell or admit to where they were fishing nor if spotted on a river or lake in which swim.
What a load of b*11**ks, common sense should tell every angler that even if you are after a specimen fish the elusive fish of a lifetime in the process you are more than likely to catch many somewhat smaller fish of the species you are after as well as probably many other passing fish of other species. Unless you have a very private and fenced or blocked off venue with only one fish of one species in it, it is totally impossible to just select and target just one fish of a particular weight of an individual species.
How can I say that? Simple I was one of those specimen hunters who perhaps being a little less dedicated than some to a particular specimen size of a particular species still fished for pleasure and kept the two disciplines separate weekdays whenever I could I was a pleasure fisherman but come the weekend I was as crazy a specimen hunter as any.
Certainly you can target one species and you may get many of that species perhaps never catching the elusive fish of a lifetime. However in the process you are very likely to catch a good few fish of other species, just remember to past threads here or on many forums how often do we read of Carp being taken when fishing for Bream or Tench or for that matter many of the other species.
I would be among the first to say that there are many absolutely brilliant anglers on many forums who are truly experts, anglers who know their angling methods and/or their favourite species inside and out all their feeding preferences, habits and habitats and those angler can, do and will target the species of their desires. I do not believe that they never catch any other species in the process with the possible exception of deadbaiting or on a lake with only one species in it.
Take me I am primarily a river Roach angler and have been all my angling life, yes I do target other species usually trying to target all and every species at sometime each year, but to me Roach have been the fish I most like catching.
Chasing the quick Dace, the gracefulness of a Grayling is brilliant, the amazing fighting power of the Tench, the hard work of a Barbel, The surprise of the strength of a good Bream, the almost frightening power of a river Carp, the quickness and determination of the Perch, the wiliness of the Chub, the pleasure of the Trout and so on from the mighty Gudgeon to the Salmon. Whatever the species each will have its following, then we have the anglers who are fishing for as many species as they can, they are amazing anglers determined to catch as many species as they can.
So why are big Roach so few and far between?
A lot are still there, but the very anglers who chase and catch them are very few, and very, very unlikely to tell. Some have died from old age (anglers as well as fish), pollution, poor river management, damage to habitation from numerous things from farming to new homes to industry. Increased extraction of water to meet the very increased population and the past 15 years has seem the largest increase in population in the United Kingdom ever, yes some have even gone to predators from several species including man. Before you look for big river Roach ask yourself this question when was the river last stocked with Roach? Each and every river has a maximum density of any species it can support healthily and if that river is not as healthy as it should be maybe there will be fewer fish and in consequence fewer older and larger fish.
Good river maintenance has seen a major decline in recent years but the advent of the commercial lake fisheries has probably caused as much of a problem as any yet I do not blame them for it. Salaries have and are being kept down, costs are increasing dramatically so angling and fishing clubs are to an extent being hit generally (yes I know there are bound to be exceptions) but fee’s for angling/fishing club membership is just one of those increasing costs, with fewer members river fishing and landowners increasing fees membership has to rise. The media and tackle manufacturers have too contributed to the increase in anglers using commercials, in fairness what newcomer to fishing at any time in the past 100 years would not want to catch a fish weighing several pounds, you cant blame anyone its just human nature.
So we potentially have less fish in the rivers coupled with less anglers fishing for them, then we have a lot less anglers who have any rivercraft, a lot less anglers who have served what many call their apprenticeships on the rivers.
Add into the equation changing rivers and river management, changing depths, flow’s and river quality, throw in some flooding, perhaps this in turn means the Roach are changing their habits and habitats too, then lets throw into the melting pot the introduction or reintroduction of Otters, the arrival of Cormorants, imported crayfish, illegal releases of non indigenous fish, the illegal release of mink.
Result:
Fewer matches held on rivers means less likelihood of large catches of Roach getting into the media or being made.
Fewer anglers equals less large catches of Roach declared or admitted to.
Fewer anglers equals less potential catches of large Roach declared or admitted to.
Fewer anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach being found.
Fewer anglers fishing the float less likelihood of Roach being caught.
Fewer anglers specimen hunting for Roach less likelihood of large Roach being caught.
Fewer experienced anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach habits being known.
Fewer experienced anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach habitats being known.
Roach are not often and have seldom been the target fish of the majority of specimen hunters.
Before anyone says anything yes you do fish for Roach with leger and/or feeder at times, however how many target Roach on the leger or feeder very few I will wager.
To prove my point how many anglers on many forums ever actually target Roach? Not many I will bet.
To prove my point how many anglers on many forums ever actually fish rivers? Less then those who fish lakes, commercial or otherwise. At least it is in the South of the country.
What a load of b*11**ks, common sense should tell every angler that even if you are after a specimen fish the elusive fish of a lifetime in the process you are more than likely to catch many somewhat smaller fish of the species you are after as well as probably many other passing fish of other species. Unless you have a very private and fenced or blocked off venue with only one fish of one species in it, it is totally impossible to just select and target just one fish of a particular weight of an individual species.
How can I say that? Simple I was one of those specimen hunters who perhaps being a little less dedicated than some to a particular specimen size of a particular species still fished for pleasure and kept the two disciplines separate weekdays whenever I could I was a pleasure fisherman but come the weekend I was as crazy a specimen hunter as any.
Certainly you can target one species and you may get many of that species perhaps never catching the elusive fish of a lifetime. However in the process you are very likely to catch a good few fish of other species, just remember to past threads here or on many forums how often do we read of Carp being taken when fishing for Bream or Tench or for that matter many of the other species.
I would be among the first to say that there are many absolutely brilliant anglers on many forums who are truly experts, anglers who know their angling methods and/or their favourite species inside and out all their feeding preferences, habits and habitats and those angler can, do and will target the species of their desires. I do not believe that they never catch any other species in the process with the possible exception of deadbaiting or on a lake with only one species in it.
Take me I am primarily a river Roach angler and have been all my angling life, yes I do target other species usually trying to target all and every species at sometime each year, but to me Roach have been the fish I most like catching.
Chasing the quick Dace, the gracefulness of a Grayling is brilliant, the amazing fighting power of the Tench, the hard work of a Barbel, The surprise of the strength of a good Bream, the almost frightening power of a river Carp, the quickness and determination of the Perch, the wiliness of the Chub, the pleasure of the Trout and so on from the mighty Gudgeon to the Salmon. Whatever the species each will have its following, then we have the anglers who are fishing for as many species as they can, they are amazing anglers determined to catch as many species as they can.
So why are big Roach so few and far between?
A lot are still there, but the very anglers who chase and catch them are very few, and very, very unlikely to tell. Some have died from old age (anglers as well as fish), pollution, poor river management, damage to habitation from numerous things from farming to new homes to industry. Increased extraction of water to meet the very increased population and the past 15 years has seem the largest increase in population in the United Kingdom ever, yes some have even gone to predators from several species including man. Before you look for big river Roach ask yourself this question when was the river last stocked with Roach? Each and every river has a maximum density of any species it can support healthily and if that river is not as healthy as it should be maybe there will be fewer fish and in consequence fewer older and larger fish.
Good river maintenance has seen a major decline in recent years but the advent of the commercial lake fisheries has probably caused as much of a problem as any yet I do not blame them for it. Salaries have and are being kept down, costs are increasing dramatically so angling and fishing clubs are to an extent being hit generally (yes I know there are bound to be exceptions) but fee’s for angling/fishing club membership is just one of those increasing costs, with fewer members river fishing and landowners increasing fees membership has to rise. The media and tackle manufacturers have too contributed to the increase in anglers using commercials, in fairness what newcomer to fishing at any time in the past 100 years would not want to catch a fish weighing several pounds, you cant blame anyone its just human nature.
So we potentially have less fish in the rivers coupled with less anglers fishing for them, then we have a lot less anglers who have any rivercraft, a lot less anglers who have served what many call their apprenticeships on the rivers.
Add into the equation changing rivers and river management, changing depths, flow’s and river quality, throw in some flooding, perhaps this in turn means the Roach are changing their habits and habitats too, then lets throw into the melting pot the introduction or reintroduction of Otters, the arrival of Cormorants, imported crayfish, illegal releases of non indigenous fish, the illegal release of mink.
Result:
Fewer matches held on rivers means less likelihood of large catches of Roach getting into the media or being made.
Fewer anglers equals less large catches of Roach declared or admitted to.
Fewer anglers equals less potential catches of large Roach declared or admitted to.
Fewer anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach being found.
Fewer anglers fishing the float less likelihood of Roach being caught.
Fewer anglers specimen hunting for Roach less likelihood of large Roach being caught.
Fewer experienced anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach habits being known.
Fewer experienced anglers after Roach much less likelihood of Roach habitats being known.
Roach are not often and have seldom been the target fish of the majority of specimen hunters.
Before anyone says anything yes you do fish for Roach with leger and/or feeder at times, however how many target Roach on the leger or feeder very few I will wager.
To prove my point how many anglers on many forums ever actually target Roach? Not many I will bet.
To prove my point how many anglers on many forums ever actually fish rivers? Less then those who fish lakes, commercial or otherwise. At least it is in the South of the country.
