We often see anglers condemning others for catching large weights of carp, exclaiming that 20lb of roach would make for a much better day's fishing. South Wales angler Dave Healey decided to test this theory when he visited the prolific carp fishery Shearwater Lakes in Wiltshire to target the venue's forgotten roach population.
Having previously fished for bream, Dave had noticed a few anglers around him catching some quality roach during their sessions. He decided a return trip was necessary to see just how many roach were in the lake and whether they could be targeted.
“Everyone thought the roach had been eaten by cormorants during Covid, so no one had been fishing for them," he told us.
“The lake used to have a great pedigree for roach, so I thought I’d give it a try. I was excited, but I'll be honest—I didn't expect it to be very good."
"I used a feeder with corn and hemp, casting between 8m and 16m, alternating the lines if carp became a problem," he added.
"The fishing was excellent from the first cast, and despite the hot and bright conditions, by the end of the day, I had amassed a weight of 52lb of quality roach."
“Reflecting on the session, it was crazy and well beyond my expectations. The roach in Shearwater are still there in numbers, which is excellent to see."
A SHORT FEEDER ROD IS PERFECT FOR CATCHING ROACH ON BIG LAKES LIKE SHEARWATER.
