Catching big fish demands several things to happen. (I'm reading a few snippets from Marks Roach book and his amazing tally of 2lb plus fish.)
First you have to have availably to waters that still produce fish in the size and numbers you require. Most rivers have declined, or suffered pollution like my local river Witham did recently.
Second, nowadays you also have to have tim, health and travel costs, as many of the current waters with such fish in numbers are all South around the Avon and Wye rivers.
I'd like to ask Mark when he last had a 2lb+ roach from any river. I took my last one over 2lb, 30 years ago from the River Bure. The Bure fish were fast becoming more scares than the Wensum Roach and Dace.
I've had many such big fish, but they were simply about in those days. You could match fish in the Norwich Town River and take several 2lb+ fish in a bag, maybe 5/6 if you were good. I've old pictures of me with such bags, taken on feeder, after dark on bread flake. During those years you could turn up, bait, fish and have a realistic chance of a two pounder.
Unlike Mark, I've never had a 3lb er. But two fish of 2lb15oz+ my fishing mate would not allow me to push anything weight wise. I lived in Norfolk and could be on the river in ten minutes, transport was cheap, and old mini estate doing 50 mpg, a mate doing repairs and a trip to the garage once a year. The river Yare turned up a few two's for me, but not many. There were loads of better roach 1lb+ and the fishing was brilliant for roach. But maybe being tidal had some restriction on upper size?
In the day, Norfolk had several rivers all during a decade that produced big roach, the Wensum, Bure, Yare, River Tudd and several smaller ones. Now for me it's the Trent, but unlike the other rivers spoken of, the Trent has some real problems in finding these big fish.
Hope!! One evening in high summer 5/6 years ago I was barbel fishing and a big hatch of buzzers appeared, just like we use to get at Rutland. Big beast over an inch long, for about two hours the river came alive with big roach. 1lb plus fish taking the pupa just under the surface, some much bigger fish to, rolling like carp and bream do at times. I've fished that same piece of river over again many times, but never had a roach over 10oz from that area, should I persist? I've never seen it happen again several seasons on.
I still live in hope that I'll catch another big roach, but I think my best change will be a still-water sitting behind a bolt rig feeder at range? Do I want one that badly?
Rich.
First you have to have availably to waters that still produce fish in the size and numbers you require. Most rivers have declined, or suffered pollution like my local river Witham did recently.
Second, nowadays you also have to have tim, health and travel costs, as many of the current waters with such fish in numbers are all South around the Avon and Wye rivers.
I'd like to ask Mark when he last had a 2lb+ roach from any river. I took my last one over 2lb, 30 years ago from the River Bure. The Bure fish were fast becoming more scares than the Wensum Roach and Dace.
I've had many such big fish, but they were simply about in those days. You could match fish in the Norwich Town River and take several 2lb+ fish in a bag, maybe 5/6 if you were good. I've old pictures of me with such bags, taken on feeder, after dark on bread flake. During those years you could turn up, bait, fish and have a realistic chance of a two pounder.
Unlike Mark, I've never had a 3lb er. But two fish of 2lb15oz+ my fishing mate would not allow me to push anything weight wise. I lived in Norfolk and could be on the river in ten minutes, transport was cheap, and old mini estate doing 50 mpg, a mate doing repairs and a trip to the garage once a year. The river Yare turned up a few two's for me, but not many. There were loads of better roach 1lb+ and the fishing was brilliant for roach. But maybe being tidal had some restriction on upper size?
In the day, Norfolk had several rivers all during a decade that produced big roach, the Wensum, Bure, Yare, River Tudd and several smaller ones. Now for me it's the Trent, but unlike the other rivers spoken of, the Trent has some real problems in finding these big fish.
Hope!! One evening in high summer 5/6 years ago I was barbel fishing and a big hatch of buzzers appeared, just like we use to get at Rutland. Big beast over an inch long, for about two hours the river came alive with big roach. 1lb plus fish taking the pupa just under the surface, some much bigger fish to, rolling like carp and bream do at times. I've fished that same piece of river over again many times, but never had a roach over 10oz from that area, should I persist? I've never seen it happen again several seasons on.
I still live in hope that I'll catch another big roach, but I think my best change will be a still-water sitting behind a bolt rig feeder at range? Do I want one that badly?
Rich.
