Jump to content

Big roach


tiddlertamer

Recommended Posts

Yes Tiddler, 1.7lb and a size 18 with 2 white maggots :) and a pole :)

 

Den

"When through the woods and forest glades I wanderAnd hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,And hear the brook, and feel the breeze;and see the waves crash on the shore,Then sings my soul..................

for all you Spodders. https://youtu.be/XYxsY-FbSic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 76
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I haven't been on here for ages so hi everybody again!!

 

What a great post to see, I am planning a trip (1st one in 2 months, much needed) to the teme/severn meet this sunday and am targeting roach!! I am taking feeder gear and trotting gear..... but the thing that I am really interested in using is fake baits oooooooooooh i am told the eels are not fussed on these and I have been plagued by these on previous trips!! lets hope a decent roach comes my way!!

 

I haven't been on here for ages so hi everybody again!!

 

What a great post to see, I am planning a trip (1st one in 2 months, much needed) to the teme/severn meet this sunday and am targeting roach!! I am taking feeder gear and trotting gear..... but the thing that I am really interested in using is fake baits oooooooooooh i am told the eels are not fussed on these and I have been plagued by these on previous trips!! lets hope a decent roach comes my way!!

wait wait wait, dip, strike, net, wait wait wait.....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Tiddler, 1.7lb and a size 18 with 2 white maggots :) and a pole :)

 

Den

 

Hiya Den

 

I can live with all of that - even the 1.7lb hook length - with one exception.

 

The pole.

 

No, no, no... :o

 

I'd be laughed off the Hampshire Avon. :D

Actually I wouldn't. :rolleyes:

But I wouldn't get around the five mile stretch I normally roam around.

And I love to escape the urban sprawl and explore the river in the heart of the countryside which is so much central to the appeal of fishing for me.

Edited by tiddlertamer

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days without taking a fish. (Hemingway - The old man and the sea)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to know a very accomplished match angler who used to say you could get a barge in on a 1.7lb bottom. ;)

 

I'd rather not use lighter line than strictly necessary to get bites - but I wouldn't use heavy line straight through to target roach. Maybe it isn't so for the really big ones, but I've always found roach to be more tackle shy than chub or perch. Trundling a lobworm round a slack on 6lb line and a big avon or chubber is a different game to proper trotting - I'd put away my Avon and fixed spool reel and get out my match rod and centrepin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With balanced tackle and a relatively snag-free area you can use very light lines/hooklengths. As a kid my regular hooklength was 1.1lb, and I managed to land some decent fish on that (on a match rod) - including a 2lb roach :o

 

These days I usually start off as heavy as I dare in terms of line and hooklengths, and then scale down as necessary. Hooklength line is much thinner now than it used to be anyway, so we have that luxury.

 

All other things being equal, I would probably start off with a 3lb bottom for big roach, whether float fishing or legering - that nice thin, clear, strong Drennan stuff on the blue spools - and then go down to 2lb if I needed to. But the difference in diameter between the two is tiny, and I'd much rather have that extra strength, just in case.

 

I wouldn't go above 3lb unless I was casting into a very snaggy spot and there was a chance of big chub, etc. However, perhaps on some stretches of famous rivers where the roach get fished for a lot (like the Test or Hampshire Avon) scaling right down is the best option.

 

The hook would match the bait, so anything from a 20 (caster/maggot) to an 8 (flake).

Edited by Anderoo

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While we are here, what are your thoughts on trotting with a pole? When I fished the R Cray, the trots were only a few yards long, and a couple of feet deep. I watched in horror as my pal wound back after each trot, float and hook causing a nice wake. My instinct was that any self respecting fish would dive for cover, or at least be on their guard from then on. He never seemed to catch more than one or two fish.

 

I opted for the short pole, sat back and trotted the few yards, shipping out a few sections,and then quietly lifted off and shipped back, and started again.Worked extremely well, resulting in multiple catches. Similar tactics worked on the Test for the grayling.

 

Obviously there is a limit to how far etc, but it does mean less swim disturbance. And on small rivers and streams the ability to place the bait quietly can be a real asset.

 

Den

 

 

Den

"When through the woods and forest glades I wanderAnd hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,And hear the brook, and feel the breeze;and see the waves crash on the shore,Then sings my soul..................

for all you Spodders. https://youtu.be/XYxsY-FbSic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously there is a limit to how far etc, but it does mean less swim disturbance. And on small rivers and streams the ability to place the bait quietly can be a real asset.

 

 

Totally agree with you! I have been using the pole this season to do exactly that with lobs when fishing short trots for big perch, the advantage being you can twitch the worm very effectively too!

 

Oh and I think you can go much lighter with a pole too. One problem of the stream I was fishing for perch is lots of near bank reeds and snags. With a rod and line you just pull the fish into them, with a pole you can keep them well away until you want to net them and then ease them into the net in full control!

 

Rich

Edited by Richard Capper
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While we are here, what are your thoughts on trotting with a pole?

 

An old school friend of mine, another accomplished match angler and in fact the son of the "pull a barge in on 1.7 bottom" angler went through a phase of fishing the pole almost exclusively. He was a superb stick float angler, so I remember being a bit surprised when he attacked a small river swim with a pole, but using it to push a stick float rig right under the opposite bushes he did very well for chub.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While we are here, what are your thoughts on trotting with a pole?

 

No reason at all why it wouldn't work. A pole would eliminate the 'problems' with using FS reels for trotting in the same way that a centrepin does, just more limited for range and perhaps a bit cumbersome if you get too ambitious.

 

On the subject of retrieving I always try to retrieve along a different line to that which I'm trotting. It's not always possible from the bank but if you're wading it can be done just by swinging the rod to the other side.

It's never a 'six', let's put it back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.