Most roach caught in a day?

[chub_on_the_block]

It helps to build a good weight if the fish are of a high average size. I remember reading of the incredible roach bags from the Bann in Ireland. They had only recently been introduced to Ireland then as the traditional Irish "Roach" was actually the Rudd.

Wonder if they are still there or is it all hybrids nowadays?

Virtually all my best roach bags came during the winter months. Not much else used to happen for me over winter except the odd good chub bag, not being a Pike angler.

Re the wind being helpful, one of my best roach bags when i was a kid was 14Ib of nice 4-7oz fish from Bray Pits fishing tares over hemp in the summer. It was very windy and choppy, more so when windsurfers capsized several times in my swim.

 

[bennygesserit]

I have had a number of roach on canal till I lifted up a discarded jumper that turned out to be full of some kind of tiny insect that looked like a wood louse once I pulled it up and the it on the bank I stopped catching

 

[chub_on_the_block]

If it was from the water it sounds like hog lice (Asellus aquaticus) Benny.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Asellus+aquaticus

 

[bennygesserit]

If it was from the water it sounds like hog lice (Asellus aquaticus) Benny.

Asellus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) -- Discover Life

Looks like it as far as I remember couldn't get them on the hook though sparked an interest in pallatrax baits though.

 

[Mark Wintle]

In terms of sheer numbers, the most I've witnessed is Ray Mumford getting 920 roach in a 5 hour match; my best on the same water in a match was 550 roach. Pete Burrell had over 700 when he had what was at the time a record match bag ( 259lbs from memory) on the Sillees river. My biggest weights of roach - 50lb+ - have usually been of around 80 - 120 roach, usually including upwards of 20 over a pound and one or two over 2lbs.

 

[ashes68]

If anyone in Somerset fancies a huge net of big Roach, get yourself down to Mel's pit. I usually fish for carp of the top on there, but just bought new float rod so nipped down there for short session, to try it out. I had bites on the drop every cast, all good size fish, plenty around the pound mark! Total weight? No idea, don't own a keep net, but would have been a big, big weight! Can't pole fish it though, it's an old small quarry and only has very narrow walkway between waters edge and cliff face/trees behind.

 

[Tee-Cee]

I recall big bags of roach back in the 60's from the Hants Avon at both Ibsley and Ringwood, the biggest, not, I might add falling to my rod ! I remember one match when 36lb of (not too many) prime fish didn't make the top three - -how sad is that ?

My best in match fishing terms was 10 and 12lb of 'Goer's' fishing the Henley/Hurley stretch of the Thames in the late 50's ( I was 15/16 years old) from the swim opposite the end of Temple Island below Henley bridge...but this before they turned this stretch into a canal......Long trotted hemp and 'Berry' on the hook was always good along this stretch, but crust took the better fish..

These days a ' fingers and toes count' usually covers most catches.....Drat !!

 

[barbelboi]

We used to catch large numbers of roach in the LAA river matches of the 60's - couldn't tell you the total weighs though as most had to be slung straight back under the steel rule rule..................................

 

[hyperdrive]

About 8 years ago when having a friendly match with some mates I thought I had done well with 2 ounces shy of the 20lb when the lad in the next peg had 40lb+

 

[silvers]

as a match angler I often catch lots of roach in mixed canal or river bags .... generally smaller fish though up to 8 oz.

About 5 or so years ago the Wye at Hereford was brilliant for roach in winter. The best I saw was 80lb of all roach where the average stamp must have been a pound. The same day I had 40 pounds and only caught for two hours. Sadly it's dropped away now and 30lb is a very good catch.

My best ever was probably a day practicing on Clattercote res about 10 or 12 years ago. I caught 2 to 5 oz roach for a full 5 hours on the drop at 3m to hand. I didn't use a keepnet but I reckon it would have gone over 70lb.