Big Roach Video

[steve2]

If you want to see what big roach look like take a look at the Drennen website videos. 2 roach for 8lbs.
Make you wonder what big fish other than carp are in some of these waters.

 

[Ray Roberts]

Coincidentally I saw that video yesterday. Interestingly he hardly fished in what you could describe as a delicate way. Three maggots on a size twelve with a six pound hook length. They were superb fish though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[peter crabtree]

Wow! What fabulous fish…

Here‘s the link..

 

[Philip]

I saw that the other day too. Amazing fish.

Not to distract from the capture but I notice he was using a tether rig, I dont understand how that rig is getting to be so popular. I have seen various variations of it in print and on videos yet no one seems to raise an eyebrow about it.

 

[fishface1]

Is it not the idea that the float stop will easily pull off the line in the event of a break-off?

 

[Philip]

Yes that’s the theory but its unlikly to happen.

Most people will test it by holding the lead and pulling the hooklink against it. In reality if your mainline breaks above the lead then unless the lead/feeder snags the fish just tows the whole lot around as it has no fixed point to pull against.

 

[108831]

Im afraid I prefer the video on IP fishing,where the guy catches two roach on the Hants Avon,trotting,not a bloody helicopter rig that roach drag the rod in,old fashioned yes,but a two pound roach on the float is worth a four pounder on the heli-rig,8lb mainline,5lb plus hooklength and 1.5lb plus test curve rods,bloody joke...

 

[steve2]

Im afraid I prefer the video on IP fishing,where the guy catches two roach on the Hants Avon,trotting,not a bloody helicopter rig that roach drag the rod in,old fashioned yes,but a two pound roach on the float is worth a four pounder on the heli-rig,8lb mainline,5lb plus hooklength and 1.5lb plus test curve rods,bloody joke...

While agreeing roach fishing with a float is traditional the only way to catch these big roach on this water is by the method he used. Most of my best roach over the years have come on the feeder with mimi boilies on still waters . I didn't have rivers near enough that held large roach.
Hopefully one day I will catch a two pound roach and I couldn't care where it comes from and on what method.

 

[Ray Roberts]

One man’s meat and all that. I presume the heavier hook link is for its anti tangle properties as much as anything else. It’s easy to denigrate the way that somebody else fishes but if you want to catch larger than average fish consistently then you have to use methods suitable for the water and conditions that you fish. It isn’t necessarily the way I would prefer to fish but I would bet that neither of us have come close to what he has just caught.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[108831]

No,having watched the Drennan video where he casts a relatively short distance to catch these big roach(by his own admission)a 6lb mono would take the pounding with no danger of a crack off,a 4lb hooklength is more than enough(a baitrunner is being used),a 1 5lb t.c. rod is heavy in action(even a lighter actioned one)for roach,im not saying it should not count as a personal best if your fishing for bigger species,but he was fishing for roach and was a Drennan cup type of angler,fishing for fame,having fished on the heli-rig(on lighter tackle for roach on big waters with lighter kit)even modest roach want to pull the rod in so a locking rear rest is a good idea,with bait runner,it is the sheer overkilling of fishing for roach that does it for me,like carp anglers catching 3lb plus roach on standard carp gear,its simply not cricket...

 

[flightliner]

Alan, a few 2+ roach have been showing on the Trent in recant years, mainly to Barbel anglers fishing thro the night.
Once a very rare occurance but now not so.

I suppose Its the huge amounts of high protien baits that are used now by the Barbel anglers that is responible.
So over the last two seasons I've been attempting to catch one of these big roach with what I suppose is "heavy" tackle compared to a lighter, more traditional approach that I would readily use if I had the chance.
Because the river generally has a large proportion of Barbel heavier lines and beefier rods are required when bertie happens along and picks up a bait, my 8lb line and 5lb hi tech hooklength with a groundbait feeder and size 14 hook are, I feel required as necessary along with my 1—3/4 lb TC dual tip rod that I use with the quivertip option (two rods pointing skywards).
In the not so distant past some reaches of the river BB were not so prevelant and I was using much lighter feeder and float tackle and most times maggots as bait but those big roach tend to fall to pellet bait these days so thats my choice.
All a far cry from a fortnight ago when I was using a small stickfloat and breadflake on a small water for some of (a dozen) their big river cousins!

 

[steve2]

I would say that many of big fish these days are caught on tackle far stronger and powerful than what is was traditionally needed and many are caught by anglers not fishing for them.
They are a byproduct of carp, carp anglers and carp style tactics and some are never weighed or recorded.
I suppose some of us would still like to be beside a pond watching a quill float and dreaming of the past.

 

[108831]

Most of the barbel ive caught this year on the lead have been on size 14 Guru MWGB hooks on proper gear,but ive had quite a few on size 18's to 4lb Silstar hooklinks,about as light as I dare go with the risks of barbel and chub when floatfishing for roach,many times the roach are doing me over(as are the chub and barbel),but I know if I compromise any more on the venue in question losses would be unacceptable imo,on the Trent it is possible to fish 4lb hooklengths,but if you hook doubles or larger the same compromises have to be assessed,im afraid fishing lakes in winter I would be prepared to lose odd carp and tench I might hook,purely for my pleasure,which would be nil on heavier kit...

 

[chevin4]

I think it is very much "horses for courses" as a multi species angler it is lovely to catch fish on the float it is not always the way to go particularly on still waters.

 

[108831]

Yes,but why fish heavy lines for roach,that has nothing at all to do with the heli-rig itself,if you are casting 40 yards you can cast that with 6lb lines with a 45gm feeder,no problem,then a 4lb hooklength,otherwise we may as well fish for minnows with a beachcaster,sorry but I just dont believe 8-10lb mainline is necessary,whatever rocks your boat,but it certainly does not remotely excite me,in the slightest...

 

[chevin4]

Yes,but why fish heavy lines for roach,that has nothing at all to do with the heli-rig itself,if you are casting 40 yards you can cast that with 6lb lines with a 45gm feeder,no problem,then a 4lb hooklength,otherwise we may as well fish for minnows with a beachcaster,sorry but I just dont believe 8-10lb mainline is necessary,whatever rocks your boat,but it certainly does not remotely excite me,in the slightest...

When I use a heli-rig for roach I use 6lb line and either 3lb or 4lb hooklength. I think the guy who who caught those big roach was using 8lb main line which on the face of it seems excessive.

 

[nottskev]

There's no one way to catch fish that we'll all endorse. The different aspects - the size of the target fish, the methods used, the ambience and character of the water - compute differently for individuals. For some, the size of the fish is paramount, and whatever works is the best method. Some love to use particular kinds of gear and methods, which might be floats, light lines and rods with sweet actions. Others demand a setting that fits their idea of what fishing is about.
I sometimes end up fishing for chublets in a ditch despite there being barbel to high doubles available (to a sea/carp fishing approach) under a bridge a mile away. Or fishing for roach somewhere older and prettier than the many carp pools in the area. But I do tool up for the Trent barbel.

 

[108831]

Yes Kev,but just because you can catch roach on 15lb line,would you use it,I also understand you dont want to lose a big roach if you hook one,but im afraid my 'public'(lol)would be waiting a long time gor me to admit to using such gear,if fishing was about telling people what Drennan gear I was using(other makes are available)I would pack it all in tomorrow and take up cricket...and one other thing Kev,gearing up for your venue/species etc is how it is meant to be done imb,it is meant to be sporting imo,so there should be a slight risk on our part....

 

[Philip]

I imagine we would all prefer to catch them on light tackle with a float if we could but its not always pratical.

His tackle did seem heavy but to be fair I think the guy made the point on the video that he was using heavy mainline as he was spodding and hitting a line clip continually.

To my mind hooking a Roach on say 4lb line or 8lb line there really is not much difference from a playing it in point of view ... its unlikly to break you on either so the real skill would be locating & hooking it in the first place...especially ones that big.

 

[nottskev]

Alan - the roach on 15lb line? No. I'm not a big fish by any means type - no disrespect to those who are. But as for the barbel having a sporting chance, believe me, despite my hair-raising gear, I fish in some swims where you have to be 100% on it from the bite, and ready to stop a double moving a yard. There's often an agonising few seconds where it's 50/50 which one of us gets a nasty surprise, and my gear, strong as it is, is being stressed to the limit. The position of the rod waiting for the bite is important as you need the scope to pull as far away as possible in response to the bite. If your rod is pointing too straight or upstream you won't be able to sweep it far enough and getting a turn on the reel will be impossible for a while. I use a pin sometimes just because you can wind against the pressure in a way you can't on fs. I suppose I'm saying there's a bit of an art to snag fishing. Given more open swims, I scale the gear back.

I can understand that you might be thinking you'd rather leave such swims alone than use the heavy gear. Fair enough. From where I'm standing, the jungle/snag pegs are places you can find catch them in the day and not resort to carbelling overnight in vast volumes of open water. If I had an Upper Lea nearby, I'd do things differently.