Flavours for roach groundbait

This is the place to discuss the fishing baits.
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Santiago
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Santiago »

If one wants to catch big roach, regardless of bait, it helps enormously if they're known to be in the water in question. And then, or so I have read, and have confirmed on the Thames, it helps if one fishes deeper than one would normally when trotting, and slower, or alternatively ledger. Certainly, on the Thames I have found that most quality roach are caught after adjusting the floats depth to anywhere between 1-2' deeper than that which catches the average shoal fish.

LA Parker recommends pre-coated crust from a cottage loaf. It's a fiddle to make and hard to cast, but works a treat. Regardless, I don't think bait is so important compared to the end tackle and location.
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Dave Burr
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Dave Burr »

Troydog wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:15 pm Thanks a lot gentlemen - flavouring is new ground for me. I watch the match men mixing up all sorts of expensive proprietary brands such as Gross Gardons and I can imagine that you have try and compete with anglers around you to be successful. I just pleasure fish and rarely have other anglers nearby - turmeric - I could nick a jar of that from Shaz's kitchen - she's in Goa this week.....
How much do you put In , for say a kilo of dry crumb and soil please?
Judging the amount of flavour additive is a broad subject Tim. When flavouring carp/barbel baits, some put 10-15 mls of liquid flavour to a one egg mix whilst I tend to put no more than 10ml to a 6 egg mix. Both baits will catch.

A teaspoon of fennel may be enough, you can always add more to it. I have spread about a teaspoon full over maggots to good effect.

A really good roach bait is luncheon meat but on the Wye it will doubtless attract chub and barbel. My lad had a half pound roach on a sizeable piece of gammon steak left over from a meal! It is true that roach will fall for big baits fished on basic crude tackle. I used to use a big Harcork float whilst silkweed fishing and they'd tow that around and sink it like a pike bung yet we fish for them with tiny floats and little baits and find bites hard hit. Roach really are a fish for all occasions.

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Tengisgol
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Tengisgol »

Kevin wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:59 pm Troydog
You could crush your own,probably have more oil in it.
One conclusion is Richard Walkers advice for lobworms for big roach still works.
You can buy crushed hemp in bulk bags from the likes of Haiths http://www.haiths.com/haiths-baits/crushed-hemp/

I get mine locally at Marriages in Chelmsford, again in great big bags.
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Ian
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Ian »

Theres more to be said on the fishing venue than what bait to use.a still water with hardly any cover will force the roach to seek safety in numbers,the angler can take advantage of the competition factor within the shoal and catch loads and who knows what the average fish size the shoal may be made up of.the down side to this is that a big shoal of roach feeding can attract pike and no big roach will tolerate being in the presence of a predator.a good way of tackling this situation is to cast a sleeper rod outside the shoal range,all in all a great situation to use groundbait.
A still water with lots of weed also comes with advantages and disadvantages.they dont need to shoal up the same so they will be in pockets dotted around the venue,the advantage of this is being able to search different areas with a big hook baits targetting smaller shoal sizes,covering more water and the pike will be more dispersed too.a disadvantage of this situation is the amount of natural feed preoccupying the roach and that can make it a hard day to catch a fish never mind a big one.this is not a good day for groundbaiting.
Don’t cast doubt,cast out.

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Kevin
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Kevin »

Tengisgol wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:24 pm
Kevin wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:59 pm Troydog
You could crush your own,probably have more oil in it.
One conclusion is Richard Walkers advice for lobworms for big roach still works.
You can buy crushed hemp in bulk bags from the likes of Haiths http://www.haiths.com/haiths-baits/crushed-hemp/

I get mine locally at Marriages in Chelmsford, again in great big bags.
The pantry of a roach fisherman. :Hat:

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Troydog
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Troydog »

Well gentlemen, thank you. You have turned this into a fascinating and very helpful thread. I will definitely gear up into a more proactive mind-set regarding flavours for roach groundbait for what remains of the river season. The forecast for the month looks to be dry and cold, but the fish are still in the river. With so many options above to choose from it seems that there is no magic bullet here - all the flavours have a track record of success for different folk at different times.
I think you are right about the river - there have to be decent roach in it. Even Mark Everard when he came up for a couple of days last Autumn said that you have to be on the right rivers at the right time. Apparently the Bristol Avon roach population have been decimated and even Mark would struggle to catch a '2' there now.

I love Dave Burrs idea of chucking a gammon steak into the Wye - I'm just not imaginative enough that's my trouble. I copy and paste some of these gems above into a file called 'TFF wisdom' and it makes great reading on freezing cold icy nights......
Trouble is, the fish just don't read the books......
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Troydog
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Troydog »

Five pound roach MaggotDrowner ? now your talking......
Trouble is, the fish just don't read the books......
John Harding

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MaggotDrowner
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by MaggotDrowner »

Troydog wrote: Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:20 pm Five pound roach MaggotDrowner ? now your talking......
Record smashing! :Wink:
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Troydog
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Troydog »

Bring it on - just show me the swim and the fish, make sure their feeding, taking lob tails on my Sussex Mickey slider float AND I'LL BE THERE......
Trouble is, the fish just don't read the books......
John Harding

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Olly
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Re: Flavours for roach groundbait

Post by Olly »

European record - Roach - Rotauge / Mört / Gardon / rutilo (rutilus rutilus) 2.625 kg 5 lb 12oz M. Müller 1981 Weser Germany

You will have to talk to Herr Muller!

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