How to catch big Roach

Ask any course angler their favourite fish and many will name the roach.  The roach has provided many an afternoons sport for many a schoolboy icluuding many of us aults that fish today.  One our most common fish but some swims that were once home to many roach are at times taken over by large chub. Sivery scaled with a tinge of blue, scarlet finned and vermilion red, the handsome roach is a fish to be admired. It's not all show either, for the roach haas a cunning to match its sharp appearance. Delicate tackle will presented is needed to bring on the bites. The ulta fine technique of roach poles and dainty stick floats was developed by the London anglers to catch the shy roach of the Thames and its tributaries. then followed the Sheffield style of the Northern matchmen of light floats and centrepin reels.

   Whatever style you adopt, and there are many that will take roach, this sought after species will give you many hours of enjoyable fishing. Catching a good bg of average sized roach is always fun, and a big roach can only be described as an ultimate thrill for most anglers.

Techniques

The roach is a delicate feeder and your tackle should allow for this. There is often no need to fish far out. Roach like cover and if there is cover in the side this is where to try. For general river fishing the stick float is hard to beat. Made from light materials such as plastic, cane or balsa it is ideal for smooth running waters where the bait needs to be tripping along the bottom. Personally I prefer a stick float made of balsa as I find it is better balanced than the cheaper plastic version. the best way to fish this float is to hold the float slightly back in the current so the bait will flow downstream slower than the flow of the river. this way the fish have no need to chase after the bait, and can take it while still maintaining their chosen position in the swim. This can be of benefit in hot summers when large roach are lethargic due to the lower amount of oxygen in the water. In winter it is effective as it slows the bait down when the river could be running much faster than usual due to the increased amount of water, after flooding.

    The stick float is the modern replacement for the more traditional crow and porcupine quill floats. I still sometimes use quill floats, especially in shallow water.  In stronger currents such as the Hampshire Avon, the Severn or in winter you will need a larger all balsa float that will not be pulled under by the stronger current. Also a larger float will take more shot/weights, which you will need to take your bait down to the fish. Other floats have been developed to catch roach such as the Drennanwire floats, but I have found a balsa stick float has served well. the most important aspect of catching big roach is to keep the tackle as light as you dare and to loose feed little and often. Big roach will always be curious to what the smaller roach are feeding on.

    On the wider, deeper rivers such as the Thames or Nene you may need to fish at a distance. or this you can use one of the many differnt antenna or waggler floats.. The bouyant body at the base of the float was designed to overcome the effects of wind and drag. these floats i attach by the bottom ring only with the line sunk beneath the surface to avoid any wind. With shot pinched around the float it gives you a good weight for casting. As the bait sinks , look for roach bites 'on the drop'. If the float does not settle in the water then strike it is likely the bait has been taken during the drop, before the bait has reached the bottom. The waggler has been deadly on such rivers as the Trent and Warwickshire Avon, the float is also useful on gravel pits and lakes where a long cast is necessary.

    For narrower canals and drains small antennas and stick floats . For roach always remember to fish with your tackle as light as conditions allow. Hook lengths need to be around  one and a half pounds. But while pinkie will require a size 20 hook, apiece of flake or cheese will require q size 10.

Location

    The roach is the most widespread of all our freshwater fish and having a high tolerance of pollution will be found in almost all of our waters. Before disease decimated stocks in the 1960s, the largest roach caught came from the London reservoirs, or the Hampshire and Wiltshire chalk streams such as the Avon, Kennet, Wylye and Nadder. The famous roach rivers of Norfolk the Wensum, the Bure and Waveney have now recovered and are producing fish of over 2lb regularly. The Fenland drains, Romney marsh, the river Welland of Lincolnshire are great sport in winter and the Nene is best in autumn. The Thames can provide excellent roach fishing but this is one of the rivers where roach have been pushed out of certain stretches, along the higher Thames, by big chub. Often the largest roach reported today are caughyt on still waters, often by anglers after other species. deep gravel pits having the best results.

When to fish

The finest river roach fishing has always been winter when the fish group up in large shoals, often over clean beds of gravel. Find a smooth glide shallowing up between between rush beds and the roach will not be far away. In summer the large roach are often out of condition and can be difficult to catch. Try oxygenated water such weirpools fishing close to the sill, where the water comes over the weir. In lakes I find summer roach fishing better in early morning or dusk, and late evening with a slow falling bait, such as bread.

Baits

I believe one bait in particular has revolutionised roach fishing. That is the caster, the sinking chrysalid stage of the maggot. The experiments by Benny Ashurst and other Northwest matchmen that by either fridging chrysalids, or immersing them in water shortly after the maggot turned, their developement was slowed down. And at this stage they would sink to the bottom. the big advantage over maggots of course wqas they could not crawl away. Before this casters were use on the hook, but were unable to be used in groundbait as they simply floated away. Bronze maggots seem to atract roach more than any other colour. Although difficult, well almost impossible, to use on the hook one bait than can atract roach quickly is hempseed, boiled with sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Once boiled add a bit more sugar to give them a shiny gleam. groundbait with hemp and use a caster on the hook. other seed baits are also effective in late summer autumn such as tares and wheat.

   Probably the best bait for big roach has to be the cheapest and most readily available as we all take along a few sandwiches, bread. especially in summer even the sliced variety works very well. A small hook with a pinched piece of sliced bread will often outfish any other baits. Especially on canals, lakes or shallw or slow moving rivers. A piece of bread flake can be legered on a size 10 hook foer larger roach. in winter when the water is high try a tail of lobworm in legered slack water.