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marcus ballam

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Hello fellow piscators.

I have just found out about a little stream near me that has been producing 2lb+ roach (allegedly...). The problem i have is the river is also home to lots of smaller roach, dace and hoards of very hungry chublets. What i want to know is what is the best way to get through to the bigger fish? Big baits is not the answer because of the chublets/ chubs.

Do i have to grin and bear it, or is there a way?

Marcus
 
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paul williams 2

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2lb roach from a little stream?.....you lucky lucky git! ;)

Grin and bear it! ( lobworm or flake at dusk)
 
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marcus ballam

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I know paul!!!

Managed to get a guest ticket for the club, definatly joining next year!

Going tommorow for the first time, was going to try casters over hemp, with a little mashed bread.

Hopefuly i will be grinning more than bearing....
 
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paul williams 2

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I think casters and hemp may well be the way.......but be patient and more important on such a water ...silent?

My biggest fault on such a water in the past has been to treat it as a fall back when i don't know what to do.......never treat a water in this way, wait for what you think will be prime roach time and then give it your best.
 
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marcus ballam

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Thanks for the advice paul.

I got told about this water on a trip to the wye last week (in VERY hushed tones i might add!!!). My p.b roach is 1lb 6oz which i caught when i was 14 in a juniors match, 20 years ago.....i'm also planning a trip to the hants avon with my trotting gear, saw some monsters this year when i was barbeling. I seem to have had roach swimming round in my head ever since!!!
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Obviously I have not seen the river you mention. After catching many good roach from the little River Leam in Warwickshire, the Upper Witham, The Upper Ouse and the Windrush in Oxon, I can tell you that observation and stealth are the two main requirements for success.

Brummie is spot on here.

Some of the biggest roach on little rivers are often taken in times of flood on big lobworms
 
Steve Handley

Steve Handley

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I find that as winter takes hold and the temperature drops, the smaller fish seem to disappear.

Pick a day when the river is carrying a bit colour and the river level is dropping from the the winters rain Fish breadflake on the float or with a link-leger and occasionly throw in a small ball of mashed bread. Another good time to target the big roach is the last couple of hours of daylight It's at this time when the roach will often show themselves by rolling on the surface

This works for me on the Upper Witham and if I catch a Chub, then I look upon it as a bonus
 
Graham Whatmore

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I agree with all thats been said especially the bit about fishing when theres colour in it and fining down, in fact its probably the best time of the lot.

Were it me I would fish it with a lobworm or bread flake and feed the occasional small ball of mashed or crumbed bread but be careful with the feed because you are probably targetting a single fish. Keep mobile is the other bit of advice I would offer and keep it quiet, oh! and wear some polaroids they are essential when stalking, thats providing it isn't too coloured to see through the water.

I well remember years ago a man weighing in a 3lb plus roach on the tiny BAA controlled River Mease when it was in flood. Its like a ditch in places but small streams hold some surprisingly big specimen fish.
 
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marcus ballam

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Hello again,

Thanks for the help guys, some good stuff there.

Went to the stream today. Well, i say stream, its more like a drain. Obviously a casulty of dredging some time in the past, still loads of features though, around 4m wide with an average depth of around 3-4 ft.

Caught around 40 roach today, biggest 14oz, though i'm not dissapointed, i know the bigger ones are there. not too many chublets either, result!!

I must say, it was nice to be trotting a float again after sitting watching quiver tips nearlly all of the warmer months.

Another visit planned soon, i'll keep you posted.

Thanks again fellas

Marcus
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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Forget whatever anyone tells you Marcus, a 14oz roach is a lovely fish and well worth catching.

Take it in stages. Now your target is a pounder and make no mistake, not many over a pound are caught in England in a week, especially out of rivers.

Lot's think they are catching pounders until they put them on the scales.
 
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marcus ballam

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belive me Ron, i am well chuffed!

Its the biggest roach i have caught in years, i have a good feeling about this stream.

How is your roach pond coming along now the temperature is starting to drop?
 
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)

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I haven't fished there for a while, not since catching the Ide.

My biggest roach this winter season was 1 1/4 lbs from the Idle. The biggest I hooked got eaten by a pike.
 
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marcus ballam

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Shame about the pike!! maybe bob nudd had a point!!!(JOKE).

I dont know why, but big roach in still waters don't get me as excited as ones in rivers, especially small rivers. Maybe its the intamacy of this style of fishing, or the lack of decent stream fishing where i grew up in Rotherham, as you well know Ron!!

I did have a few around a pound in the 80s from the basins at Tinsley, does anybody here ever fish there?
 
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Mike Humphries

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I had a very strange day fishing for Roach on the Thames yesterday.

I spent about 5 hours without a sniff of a bite on maggot/caster/hemp. At about 3p.m. in a desperate attempt to stave off a blank I chopped up a few worms I also had with me, chucked in a couple of handfuls and managed to catch a couple of Perch on worm pieces.

I ran out of worms with about 1/2 hour to go, switched back to maggot and caster and caught a quality Roach every cast. They averaged about 1/2 pound with the best probably pushing 1 pound.

I wonder if it was the chopped worm or the low light that finally brought the Roach on the feed?
 
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marcus ballam

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Mike, perhaps the perch were in the swim all along, keeping the roach off the feed. When you caught them the table was clear for the roach....though i am probably wrong!!
 
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Mike Humphries

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Hi Marcus. As well as catching a couple of Perch I bumped a couple off, and they then seemed to disappear. So maybe that spooked the Perch and let the Roach in.

That said, I wouldn't have thought the size of Roach I was catching would have been bothered by Perch. I would also have expected the Perch to have taken the maggots/casters earlier in the day.
 
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