I have read this thread with interest, as i am going to get Marks book as an xmas present (you know how it is, what do you want), and the fact that i currently have my roach head on, and it would make my day/year to get a roach over the magical 2lb, to be honest, it i caught one of any size,by design i would be happy).
Due to lack of time, i have only had a handful of sessions targetting the roach in a pit that i fish for bream, many moons ago, it was match fished for the roach and i remember as a boy watching the adults catching alot of roach on a big peacock quill waggler, then with moving away etc and the progression of the venue to becoming a carp lake (well they call it that, however it's a big place and amount of fish to size of lake, it's not an easy venue), anyway fast forward a good few years and i am back on the lake after bream, i gain access to the local bream anglers clan and during that time, i am shown a photo of a dead roach, to get the size of it, the person put his size 13 skeetex boot next to it, head and tail were over each end.
Well i am sure you all know what is coming next, a few 24-48 hour sessions were planned (you have to be aware, i am not local to the venue, so fishing coincides with visiting friends and relatives). As i said, it's not small 100+ acres, and i only know of 2 anglers that targetted the big roach a few years before, having success and then leaving it, as they said they were happy with the catches.
The last attempt was for the last few days of the season when we had the really windy weather, i sat facing the wind (bivvy pegs were pulled out of the ground with wind), found a gravel bar and undertow, but not a touch. I do put some of this down to me not being able to walk the venue to try and find the fish, and have to use my gut instinct and what the "Experts" like when they go out.
I have been told to fish an easier venue, thankfully i have found one, also local to where my tackle is and no wehere near as big, once i have had one, think it's back to the hard venue to try and sort them out.
I do hope we don't have a hard winter and hopefully i can get out in feb/march to go for them.
