A 2lb roach is still a fish that is held in high regard by the majority of anglers because it is such a special fish to catch. There is nothing quite like seeing the enormity of a roach that big sliding over the landing net, and if you haven't experienced that in your angling yet, now is a great time to try.
Rivers up and down the country have been in fine form recently, producing some superb roach for anglers old and young to a variety of tactics and baits offerings. If you were waiting for the leaves to fall from the trees before heading out after roach, you might just be missing out on some sensational fishing.
Young Dylan Dean caught a roach many anglers never manage to catch, when he banked this superb roach, and although he had no scales at the time, it was clearly a fish around the 2lb mark.
“I went to my local river to leger corn for big roach, and managed to land a few fish around the pound mark early on," he told us.
“I was pleased to catch these, but I knew there were bigger ones out there, as I could see them in the swim."
“It wasn’t long before the quivertip rattled and I struck into what I knew was a better fish. In fact, at first I thought it was a small chub, as it stripped line from the drag."
“But, as it neared the net,I was shocked to see this huge roach. I didn’t have any scales with me at the time, but I imagine it must have been over the 2lb mark.”
IF YOU PREFER FISHING STILLWATERS, CHECK OUT THIS GUIDE TO CATCHING SPECIMEN ROACH FROM LAKES!
Another angler who tricked a fine fish with legering tactics was Lee Rackstraw. Using an ever faithful roach fishing hookbait, he managed to tempt this immaculate 2lb 1oz roach from a stretch of river close to his home.
"I have managed to catch a few quality roach over the last couple of years from a stretch of river I know quite well," Lee explained to us.
"Alot of the fishing involves staying mobile to try and find the shoal of bigger fish as in this river, roach are few and far between, let alone fish over the magical 2lb barrier."
"However with some hardwork and determination they can be caught, which makes it all the more worthwhile when you finally get one in your landing net," he said.
"On this trip I found a few fish, and proceeded to lower my breadflake hookbait down through a hole in the weed onto a small gravel strip."
"Thankfully it didn't take long, and I was really chuffed to see a fish of this quality on my mat, I never tire of catching fish like this, especially in such a challenging river."
A PAIR OF THE BEST FISHING POLAROIDS WILL HELP YOU SEE FISH SO MUCH EASIER WHEN STALKING!
The River Thames is a venue that has hit form lately, with reports of big perch, barbel chub and least of all roach as Roger Mellon proved with his 2lb 10oz fish caught a couple of weeks ago. He has been having some real success with the roach on this river, on a bait that is used for others species but often overlooked for roach.
"After locating a shoal of big roach on a stretch of the Thames and catching fish to 2lb 3oz on maggots and small pellets, alongside plenty of smaller fish, Iswitched to feeder fished 12mm pellets in a bid to single out the largest members of the shoal," Roger said.
"As the light faded his rod tip wrapped confidently round and, initially, Roger wondered if he’d connected with a small barbel."
"However, when the fish surfaced, he was shocked to see a huge roach! At 2lb 10oz, it’s a massive fish for the summer, and one that Roger reckons will easily top the three-pound mark come winter."
STAY COMFORTABLE WHILE WAITNG FOR ROACH TO COME ON THE FEED WITH ONE OF THE BEST FISHING CHAIRS.
