A 'BIG Roach!
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 7:52 pm
Well I've only gone and dunnit, a two pound Roach from the cut! Yesterday I dropped by to check the water colour at Huddlesford. It was good so today I set off at 10.00am with a big box of worms and Perch in mind. The water was slightly clearer than yesterday and the sun showed itself frequently making for meagre results through the morning and early afternoon, just a handful of six ouncers.
By this time I was on my 'banker' Bream swim catching more small Perch. I backtracked to a swim I fish occasionally for short periods. Thirty yards from a bridge with a big Holly on the far bank, I stumbled on this spot after seeing small fry fleeing from a good Perch one Winters afternoon. I have had some nice Roach, Hybrids and Perch from here before. Today, just after feeding a small amount of mash and chopped worm a boat went through quite sedately, lifting the silt in plumes. Not long after the float dipped positively and I was into a nice fish, a Roach which flashed quickly to the surface and came off! I knew I would be unlikely to get another chance, that's the way it is here, the bigger Roach being few and far between. Nevertheless I stayed another half an hour just in case, getting a couple more little Perch.
With just over an hour to go I went back to the Sailing Club entrance and fed chopped worms in my two customary spots, a couple of yards to the right and tight to the bank and a rod length out in front. Two half pound Perch came quickly from the near swim then nothing. A cast to the outer swim sat there a while then the float slid away steadily and the strike met firm resistance with the fish surfacing quickly in Roach fashion. I thought Christ if that's a Roach it's a good un. It splashed again showing red eye and fins and my heart leapt into my mouth. The cane spinning rod bucked alarmingly but thankfully all held and it slid into the net. I gasped out loud "look at that" unable to contain myself! It was in pretty good knick too just a few rough scales and it had to be two pounds, my third over that weight and banishing the disappointment of the earlier loss.
I took a couple of snaps with my "Mickey Mouse" phone and slipped it back gently. Double chuffed! Next cast curiously a Zander that rolled off at the net. I've tried to copy the snaps on to the iPad but it's not very successful.
The pale protrudence by the anal fin is two inches of one of the fat plastic disgorger the fish was lying on.
By this time I was on my 'banker' Bream swim catching more small Perch. I backtracked to a swim I fish occasionally for short periods. Thirty yards from a bridge with a big Holly on the far bank, I stumbled on this spot after seeing small fry fleeing from a good Perch one Winters afternoon. I have had some nice Roach, Hybrids and Perch from here before. Today, just after feeding a small amount of mash and chopped worm a boat went through quite sedately, lifting the silt in plumes. Not long after the float dipped positively and I was into a nice fish, a Roach which flashed quickly to the surface and came off! I knew I would be unlikely to get another chance, that's the way it is here, the bigger Roach being few and far between. Nevertheless I stayed another half an hour just in case, getting a couple more little Perch.
With just over an hour to go I went back to the Sailing Club entrance and fed chopped worms in my two customary spots, a couple of yards to the right and tight to the bank and a rod length out in front. Two half pound Perch came quickly from the near swim then nothing. A cast to the outer swim sat there a while then the float slid away steadily and the strike met firm resistance with the fish surfacing quickly in Roach fashion. I thought Christ if that's a Roach it's a good un. It splashed again showing red eye and fins and my heart leapt into my mouth. The cane spinning rod bucked alarmingly but thankfully all held and it slid into the net. I gasped out loud "look at that" unable to contain myself! It was in pretty good knick too just a few rough scales and it had to be two pounds, my third over that weight and banishing the disappointment of the earlier loss.
I took a couple of snaps with my "Mickey Mouse" phone and slipped it back gently. Double chuffed! Next cast curiously a Zander that rolled off at the net. I've tried to copy the snaps on to the iPad but it's not very successful.
The pale protrudence by the anal fin is two inches of one of the fat plastic disgorger the fish was lying on.
