no-one in particular
Well-known member
I do not doubt the experts opinion although I sould like to know if they either caught or examined the 'big fish' reported to have come out of the Beult or if they were simply expressing an opinion at some time perhaps a considerable time after the captures.
I have as yet not seen a copy of John Bailey's book Roach the gentle giants in what must be over twenty years. I lent it to one of my friends that long ago (so be warned when lending books...hehehe) although I have already ordered another copy albeit secondhand, I shall have a borrowed copy sometime Sunday which I shall quickly read through. I have no doubts of on Mark Wintle's accuracy as to the date of the publication. Surely though all that means is that Roach have simply not been a major target of anglers between the two publications and John Bailey's book would have been produced around the time of the move to Barbel, Carp and Pike by many specimen hunters, which immediately proceeded the real beginning of the great Carp interest and the advent of the commercials.
Carp had themselves moved briefly to a quieter place during the time of the Bream and Roach interest, Tench have always been a fish less to the fore as a popular specimen hunters target. Here please allow me to define my use of the term popular specimen hunter here I mean general anglers who will target a particular species because the angling press and famous anglers make it a popular species. True or dedicated specimen hunters are a completely different type of angler no better nor any worse than any angler although extremely dedicated possibly to the point of being fanatical in pursuit of their quarry and even to this day unbelieveably secretive.
Some specimen hunters have over the years wanted to promote their personal interests to the general angler and one way they tried to do this was by creating a single species club or association which naturally not all specimen hunters ever even considered joining.
I may have this wrong Toadie but, I believe a survey was done a while back by the Angling Times to see what the most popular fish was. To everyones surprise I think it was Tench that came first followed by roach. Everyone was expecting carp so, quite a result. I believe this was done a couple of years ago but, I might be wrong as cannot remember it that well so, I might be wrong.