As an angler, it is hard to comprehend the sheer number of big fish that Matt Adams is currently landing from southern rivers. His recent dace and roach captures are truly fish of a lifetime, and he has now somehow surpassed them with a brace of fish from the Dorset Stour, the largest roach weighing an incredible 3lb 10oz.
Adopting his ever-faithful float fishing tactics, Matt targeted a spot where he had seen roach swimming contentedly during the summer months. Noticing a few bigger fish among the shoal, he knew he had to return when the fish were in their prime condition.
"Upon finding some roach, I decided the best approach would be to prebait a little upriver, to an area I could fish with the float under the right conditions, and wait for my chance," Matt told us.
"After weeks of patiently walking, watching, and baiting, the day finally arrived. I woke to find the perfect wind direction, overcast skies, and a dropping river, so I headed off to my Stour spot feeling confident of catching a fish or two," he added.
Matt arrived at the river at dawn, just as the light began breaking over the horizon. As he set down his gear and assessed the river, he noticed a set of rings caused by a fish rolling right where he had been baiting, which further boosted his confidence.
THE BEST FLOAT FISHING RODS WILL HELP YOU PRESENT A FLOT WITH THE PRECISION NEEDED TO CATCH BIG ROACH.
"The river looked even better than I had hoped. After gauging the flow and depth of the water, I opted for an 8 x No. 4 DH No. 2 hybrid stick float, which would give me the presentation I wanted."
"As with all my float fishing sessions, I baited the swim thoroughly for half an hour with hemp and maggots . While doing so, I set up my trusty 15ft Premier Match rod paired with a Daiwa TDR reel loaded with 3lb DH mainline, a 2lb bottom, and a size 16 carbon match hook," he said.
"The first few runs through produced a few small dace, but then all went quiet, which wasn’t exactly the start I was hoping for. However, not one to be discouraged, I kept feeding and fishing through the next biteless half hour."
Continuing to fish, Matt realised a change in tactics was required. He rested the swim briefly and made small adjustments to the shotting and depth of his rig. The change proved effective, as the very next trot down resulted in a bite—but he wasn’t immediately sure it was the species he was after.
"As the float neared the end of the run, I got a bite and hooked into a strong fish that felt like a chub. I’ve caught a few from this swim in the past, and they always get the heart pounding when you’re targeting roach," he said.
"However, this fish stayed mid-river, shaking its head, without attempting to dive into any of the snags nearby," he recalled.
"As the fish approached my position, it rolled before taking off again, forcing me to backwind. I still wasn’t certain what I had hooked, but by this point, my heart was in my mouth."
"I stayed patient, keeping steady pressure while the fish tired itself out in the flow. All the while, I fought to remain calm after catching a glimpse of the biggest roach I’ve ever seen from the Stour—undoubtedly the 3lber I’d spent years and countless hundreds of hours pursuing."
THE BEST FISHING BOOTS WILL KEEP YOUR FEET COMFORTABLE WHEN WALKING THE RIVERBANK!
Matt managed to shuffle the magnificent roach into his landing net and immediately fell to the ground to catch his breath. After composing himself, he weighed the fish, and the scales exceeded his expectations, reading 3lb 10oz, realising it was likely the big fish he had spotted earlier in the season.
"Still in shock, after a few pictures and watching that huge roach swim off strongly, I sat down with a coffee to look at my photos. That’s when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another fish roll," he said.
"Twenty minutes later, I’m in again—this time, right under my feet, fishing along an inside crease line. And boy, did this fish take off!"
"I honestly thought I’d hooked a sea trout with the way it tore off, but soon it surfaced. When I caught a glimpse of those red fins, I knew it was another big roach!"
"Although not as big as the first, it was a fin-perfect stunner of a roach that tipped the scales at 2lb 8oz," Matt added.
This capture rounded off an incredible few weeks of angling for Matt. With his second 3lb roach from two different rivers and his record-shaking 1lb 3oz dace, he is undoubtedly on a roll.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A FORTUNE ON A REEL, CHECK OUT THESE FISHING REELS UNDER £50.
