Location is everything in specimen fishing, as Ed Matthews discovered when he landed this 3lb 2oz roach.
He was fishing at Sutton Lake in Shropshire and had started the day in a swim that had been in good form. After blanking for an hour and a half, though, he saw a roach roll in a different area of the lake.
'The swim I was fishing had been getting lots of bites recently, and although conditions looked good, the fish just didn't seem to want to be in that area,' he told us.
'I saw a good fish roll in a swim that was vacant, and that was all the motivation I needed to get packed up and move.'
As Ed got into the swim, he saw another fish. Quickly getting the rods out, he was rewarded with instant action. Helicopter feeders produced the goods, with Ed using short hooklinks and maggots as bait. Through the feeder, he fed maggots and Sonubaits F1 Dark groundbait.
'These rigs are something I have ultimate confidence in for my roach fishing. The bolt effect gives great hook holds, and I rarely lose fish.'
Over the next few hours, he landed seven roach, six of which topped the magical 2lb barrier, with this 3lb 2oz PB being the highlight.
FLOAT FISHING FOR ROACH IS ALSO A VERY SUCCESSFUL METHOD, CHECK OUT OUR BUYER'S GUIDE FOR THE BEST RODS TO USE.
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