There's been no shortage of big roach catches over the past years, and Neale Woodward has become the latest angler to enjoy the species’ welcome resurgence by slipping the net under this specimen weighing 3lb 10oz.
It was landed during stormy weather conditions at a southern gravel pit that’s been in good form for redfins in recent seasons. Prior to this catch, Neale had already been enjoying a season to remember, landing bream over 16lb, an 11lb tench, two 17lb barbel and a 3lb grayling. But he says that this roach is not only the highlight of his campaign, but the best fish he’s ever caught.
“My first roach trip here was back in the autumn, but there were still lots of carpers fishing then, so I didn’t stay long!” Neale told us. “This time, in colder conditions, it was much quieter.”
After locating a flat area at around 12 wraps (45-50yds) from the bank where there was a good depth, he introduced just two Spombs full of hemp and casters, keen not to overfeed the swim.
IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A SPECIMEN ROACH, THIS ARTICLE IS FULL OF GREAT TIPS TO HELP YOU.
“I went for feeders and helicopter rigs incorporating short 3lb fluorocarbon hooklinks. My hookbait was three maggots, flavoured with Scopex,” he said.
“My plan was to cast regularly, to keep a bit of bait going through the water, but I alternated between a maggot feeder and a window feeder.
“I filled the latter with groundbait and a bit of hemp, to avoid introducing too many maggots. Big roach feed for only short periods of time, so I didn’t want too much bait on the spot.”
On the first night of his session, a brutal storm rolled in, soaking Neale’s kit and blowing his bivvy off its pegs at two o’clock in the morning.
“I ended up sleeping in the van, and the next morning I decided to stay another night so I could dry my kit out. The stars aligned, because it was that night that I caught the big ‘three’!”
That fish fell after he’d been ‘done’ by what he suspected to be a big roach, so Neale decided to fish with tight lines to assist the self-hooking properties of his set-up.
“The change worked, and the next fish I hooked was clearly a big roach,” he added.
“After landing it, I called former Drennan Cup winner Lee McManus, who was also on the bank, and a friend of mine from Liverpool who was there too.
“We stood looking at the roach in awe,” Neale added.
CATCHING BIG FISH REQUIRES SPECIALIST TACKLE, CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST SPECIMEN RODS.
