It is no secret that fishing on the River Wensum has become increasingly challenging in recent years. Since the glory days of the John Wilson and John Bailey era, the river has been in steady decline, largely attributed to predation on its fish stocks by cormorants. Once celebrated for its specimen roach and abundant chub, the Wensum now rarely produces anything close to what it once did, with many locals regarding its decline as one of the greatest tragedies in angling.
However, as nature often does, there remains a beacon of hope. Specimen ace Stephen Gibbons achieved an incredible milestone when he landed this superb 2lb 8oz roach, one of the last remaining big fish from the Wensum, after years of dedicated searching.
"I have been on a quest for a two-pound roach for the last few years but hadn't come close. They are so incredibly rare on the Wensum now that locating one, let alone landing one, is a real challenge," Stephen said.
"After spending a biteless few hours on the Fens fishing for perch, I decided to drop in on the Wensum. The levels were up slightly, but the colour was running out nicely."
As with most rivers, dropping levels coupled with a reduction in flow and clearing of suspended solids often means that fish will be feeding, and Stephen knew he couldn't pass up on these conditions
"I ventured onto a stretch near where I used to work in the army. I would occasionally spot a shoal of good fish there during the closed season," he explained.
"As is often the case, though, I could never find the shoal come winter, when I was finally able to wet a line for them!"
Feeding heavily with hemp and maggots, Stephen got his first bite after an hour, and several well-stamped fish followed with most bites coming as his float drifted toward a raft of weed downstream.
"I then hooked into a much better fish, which I initially thought was a chub. It held deep but didn’t head for the weed raft as I expected a chub might."
"When it surfaced in front of me, a thick-set roach, full of character, was staring back at me. I was lost for words—the excitement made me feel like a kid again," he recalled.
"On the scales, the roach bounced between 2lb 8oz and 2lb 9oz, so I settled—very happily, I might add—for 2lb 8oz. The fish is a dream come true for me and makes all the time I spent searching worthwhile."
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