Big Roach.

[peterjg]

I am of the opinion that there is a variety of reasons for fewer big roach being caught. In no particular order these include:

Far fewer specialist roach anglers
Cormorants!
Signal crayfish eating fish spawn and natural food
Thames is clearer not necessarily cleaner!
Otters?
Pesticides and fertilizers; I fear that with all the rain this winter even more than usual will have entered our waterways and Stillwaters!?

I moved to Hampshire in 2013 and since then have joined (and left a few) around 10 fishing clubs. Most anglers appear to target either carp on the lakes or barbel on the rivers, when I have carefully enquired about roach there is hardly any interest or local knowledge regarding them. The best way has been to trial venues as best as I can but it has been very time consuming. Now after 7 years I have identified a number of worthwhile venues to target.

Best baits:
Winter - big bits of bread flake, dead maggots, lobworms.
Summer - particles, pellets, naturals on unfished venues.

Don't forget the canals; there are some big roach in them though difficult to locate. Great in the winter but only fishable (for me anyway) in the very early mornings because of the blasted boaters!

 

[Mark Wintle]

If any one is still looking for a copy of the first book, Big Roach, there's currently a copy listed on ebay (I'm not the seller). Big Roach 2 is still available from the publisher.

 

[Neil Maidment]

As Mark has indicated, there are a few areas of our local rivers, D. Stour and H. Avon, that are producing some truly big roach. A couple of those areas have been producing such fish consistently for several seasons.

The Test and Itchen also consistently produce big roach but both rivers are not easily accessible to the average coarse angler.

My last big river roach was from Throop in 2016, weighed 2:06 and was among dozens of other roach of all sizes from ounces to 1lb+. That was an early morning session shared with a good mate of mine but as soon as the mist had burnt off and the sun started to appear, the roach disappeared. We had several subsequent similar sessions which, apart from no more 2lbers, produced superb roach fishing. Elsewhere on the lower reaches of the Stour, a number of really big fish appear each season. A few 3lb+ have been reported with a couple being fully verified.

My biggest roach from the Stour more recently was a lone 1:15. I also had a very fine fish which had my heart racing and legs wobbling. Once in the net for a closer look, I soon realised it was a hybrid







The Winkton fishery on the H. Avon has seen a lot of national publicity over the past several years. Roach are widespread throughout the fishery with some stunning examples over 2lbs and the occasional 3lber. It is no longer available on day ticket.

I've spent a fair amount of time on this venue over the past two seasons but not yet had a 2lb+ fish. I have witnessed quite a few over 2lbs, sometimes multiple examples to the same individual. I've also witnessed a couple of 3lb+ fish.

Currently the Avon at Winkton is bank high, in the meadows in many places and running exceptionally clear. That has been the case for what seems like months. Mink, Otter and Cormorant are all in evidence but are managed by a full time river manager and two bailiffs who share "shifts" to be on the water every day.

 

[Mark Wintle]

That last picture of Neil's shows why keepnets and roach really don't mix. I haven't used a keepnet for 7 years now and don't regret it one minute.

 

[Neil Maidment]

That last picture of Neil's shows why keepnets and roach really don't mix. I haven't used a keepnet for 7 years now and don't regret it one minute.

42 minutes to respond Mark! You're slipping, I was expecting a maximum of 10 minutes!

:wh

 

[no-one in particular]

Nice interesting thread this.
I fished at Winkton when it was a day ticket water as well as many of the venues along the same stretch and at Throop. this was back in the late 80's and early 90's with my brother. We were mainly after barbel and chub but we never caught any roach from my recollection, 14/10 hooks and maggots were often used but heavy line. Still, thought we might have hooked the odd decent roach.
I believe the roach project on the Avon is doing well, maybe it has improved a lot since then.
Might try and get back down that way this summer and have another go, shame the Winkton stretch is no longer day ticket though; my brother and I really liked it.

 

[Neil Maidment]

Might try and get back down that way this summer and have another go, shame the Winkton stretch is no longer day ticket though; my brother and I really liked it.

CAC will be reviewing the decision prior to the new season. I would think it will remain non day ticket as the demand from club members has been consistently high particularly on weekends. But we shall see.

No Day Tickets only applies to the Upper Fishery (upstream from the lower of the two weirs). That obviously applies to the ever popular back stream:



But that is not the only area that holds big roach! The Lower Fishery is a lot more open but the lower sidestream continues to see more work from the weekly work parties and holds plenty of surprises when the flow finally goes over the sill (if it ever retreats from the current height?).

 

[barbelboi]

Barton Court used to hold some very decent roach - shame they've now closed it to coarse fishing during the game fishing interlull..............

 

[no-one in particular]

Thanks for those pictures Neil, reminds of what I have been missing for a number years now. despite the ills the Avon is still THE river for me. And the prospect of more big roach now has me wanting a trip back there even more. I will look into it when the summers here.

 

[dicky123]

I've been following closely the Wye big roach revival, and how they catch them. Someone mentioned that maybe we don't fish exclusive enough for them, and that seems right to me. The Trent has produced a string of very big roach recently (last 3/5 years) but not big bags, just the odd very big roach. If they are about and not being caught there could be several reasons. One that most people fish for barbel, so the gear and bait are geared for such big fish. On the Wye the big roach come in the evenings as the light fades (I've always followed the idea that low light values are important for big roach and perch) they fish with stick floats holding back after feeding the swim through the day, lightly so as to not attach too many dace and bleak. That sounds a good approach to me, as the barbel tend to feed early afternoon time in winter on the Trent. The fish on the Wye come in the edge around 3pm until well into dark 4.00pm?

In summer I think it's a lot harder to avoid other fish, like dace perch and even barbel. I spoke to two guys from Yorkshire some few years ago, that came down the Trent to fish for silvers. During the day they both fished stick floats (and were good at it too) and caught some nice fish, but both lost two barbel each on fine tackle. Maybe in summer you need to fish two lines (in clear water) and just feed the edge lightly during the day, then as it gets dark, try light gear for the roach in close? Must try it this season, if we ever get out again?

 

[andylab]

May have been mentioned earlier but have a look at the wonderful Avon Roach Project two outstanding gentlemen who have doing amazing work.

 

[dicky123]

Between Oct & Dec last year I had 30 Roach over a pound to 2+ from a French river. It has no track record or other anglers targeting them so I had to do the donkey work of tracking them down.

It’s a venue where If I float fished maggots I would catch literally hundreds of 2-8oz fish. However fishing relatively large hard baits on a short hair, ignoring all the tugs and pulls and waiting for the tip to wrap round 1 in 3 was over a pound.

If Bream are not an issue then I am convinced this method can help single out the bigger Roach.

The river also has a large Cormorant population which usually I would say is the kiss of death but now I am not so sure.

Philip. Are you 100% sure those fish are roach, and not the French species like this one?

 

[Philip]

What is the French species like that one ?

Take a look on the HDYGO thread and you can decide for yourself.

 

[flightliner]

I took these from a stillwater a week after the season ended.

 

[Hugh Bailey]

I guess it’s all anecdotal rather than scientific, but from my experience, there are heathy populations of Roach on both the Thames and Wey, including some of over 1lb and at least a few over 2. Neither river runs clear (I don’t know why for the Wey - it used to 40+ years again). Both have predation From cormorants which I don’t think helps but for me - from a roach point of view, not sure either have been better, from a population point of view. I wonder though if lots means smaller generally?