Giant Roach

There is no secret to catching big Roach just one simple fact, fish in a place that holds fish of a this stamp in numbers, we are very fortunate indeed living within this part of the country as there are many venues that hold Roach to specimen proportions in that I mean from the two to three pound bracket a fish that many anglers go all their lives without seeing not because they lack ability but because these fish are small in numbers across the whole country, I thought !, until I fished a private estate lake in Lincolnshire, for a fish to attain a weight of 2lb's plus it is probably around nine to eleven years old, a weary fish escaping all of life's challenges, personally I have caught Roach to 3lb's 4 oz, had more twos than I can remember and have exceeded a 100lb net of prime red fins from a local abandoned tile pit, many waters around here have given me two pound fish including The Ancholme, Canal at keadby and thorn, Barton pits, many disused ironstone pits around this area, the Warping drain and river Don to name but a few but they have all been fish in one's or two's if you were lucky enough to get amongst them at all.

Recently I have been awarded the immense privilege of fishing a private estate lake on an estate covering some 2500 acres steeped in history and surrounded by natural beauty, it just couldn't get any better than that , or so I thought, until I fished it for the first time, it is always a challenge fishing a new water especially of this size, looking out upon the huge expanse of water with little knowledge of the fish or methods previously used I called upon my own knowledge and watercraft skills to hopefully put me on some fish, with a good wind blowing from the south, south east putting white horses upon the water I decided to fish not far from where I had parked as I felt this would be the best area with food collecting and a strong undertow beneath, I set up a light feeder rod and a slightly heavier rod of the same , just in case, not wanting to ramble on with the days events I will cut to the chase, after catching nearly from the off I had employed many methods throughout the session catching Tench, Hybrids, Perch, bream and skimmers and of course Roach but what Roach in this first session I had caught two fish over two pounds and lost one at the net that looked the same sort of stamp, I was amazed that I had fallen upon these fish whilst on my first visit but over the next five sessions I caught many roach to two pounds plus a few at the thick end approaching three and attained weights of 70 pounds plus during a session, this place must hold a huge head of prime Roach for me to catch so many fish of this size from all areas on many methods, I have spent many years in pursuit of prime red fins but never have I caught so many in one place at one time and I look forwards to a bumper catch on my next visit.
 

                  A Good Brace Of Big Roach                           One Of The Smaller Lakes

 Wheat And Corn a deadly combo                         A good net of Specimen Roach

If big roach are your quarry then two of the police angling club waters hold them to specimen proportions, The Warping Drain and Flixborough Lake, the best method on the Flixborough lake is to fish tare over a bed of hemp or white maggot when it is a little harder, you may be able to catch them up in the water if conditions allow, this is the way to catch the bigger fish in numbers along with some fine Rudd, but that's another story, caster fished in this way feeding hemp or just a few casters will sort out the bigger fish, the best additives to use when Roach fishing are geranium oil, aniseed or caramel depending on the time of year, the later being more readily available to the angler as they can make their own deadly caramel from natural sugar at home.

The warping drain is much the same and many methods can be employed to catch the big red fins but the pole will work best here fishing as close to the bank as you can get them feeding, normally top three to hand with hemp and tare when conditions are right, corn will sort out the better stamp of fish on the long line over a little ground bait or of course hemp, the only problem can be the pike population, you may find yourself having one or two fish sitting in your swim waiting for the opportunity to strike at fish but this will put the larger Roach off and you may only catch one or two at a time before they scatter as the pike get aggressive, I can promise you that if you find a water with no pike then you will not find big roach either as they go hand in hand really the pike thinning out the small and sickly fish allowing the others to grow maintaining that all important balance.

If you catch a big roach then well done treasure the memory you will have achieved something that many anglers only dream of but if you don't then keep trying as you will never forget the sight of such an impressive fish, one of the most cunning adversaries that an angler will ever face and the favourite of most anglers as this was most probably the fish that they caught when they were just a lad marvelling at it's beauty from then onwards.
Good luck.

Tomo