Happy New Year all, and here's to a great year of fishing!
My year has got off to a good start, a couple of days on a new Roach water saw me bank another fish over the pound barrier of 1lb 3oz. It's another water stuffed full of Roach, but the Carp anglers on there assure me that it does contain some very good fish, almost certainly over 2lb...
The fish I had was landed on feeder and mini boilie, this may well be the way forward on this water instead of pole tactics, as the hordes of tiny 'eyes and tails' make it very hard work indeed, as I found out yesterday, and as it's a little way from my home I cannot introduce bait regularly enough to feed them off nor guarantee to get the swim I want as I could with the other water which is just a few hundred yards from where I live.
The water also contains specimen Perch along with the other lakes on the complex, and it is these that have captured my interest along with the Roach, so I have been 'mixing it up' a bit in the last few sessions with some good results. Last week My son and I had upwards of twenty Perch in two days, from other lakes on the complex, with me taking 8 or 9 over two pounds, to 2lb 10oz, none of the others were less than a pound and a half...and yesterday I had fish of exactly 3lb's and 2lb 14oz from the 'new' water. This brings my total of 3lb plus Perch to 4 now, so I'm definitely looking towards a 4lb'er as my next target.
1lb 3oz Roach
3lb Perch
The quest continues for big Roach, 'big' being a pound or over as a realistic target. Persistance and adjustments in bait, feed and methods has seen the stamp of fish in the stillwater I am targeting go up recently, also a drop in temperature has probably helped in keeping the smaller fish at bay.
A couple of good sessions recently have boosted my enthusiasm to keep at it, some bonus Perch over a pound really stretched the elastic in my pole the other day and were great fun on such light tackle, and a couple of Roach of 10oz or so convinced me yesterday that I am on the right track and hopefully not too far away from achieving my goal. Today I was even more justified to be so confident as the stamp of fish was even better and I managed to creep close to the mark with a nice 14oz fish, that magical pound barrier is within sight, but once I achieve that, my task becomes even harder. I feel sure the water i'm fishing contains fish in the upper pound bracket and just might hold a two pounder, I know this because I have had them to 1lb 13oz from here before, plus I have caught some big Roach while fishing for Tench and Carp using meat for bait during the warmer weather, but of course the feeling of acievement wasn't there due to using tackle far too strong, and I like to catch particular species on my own terms using appropriate tackle and bait.
Appropriate tackle and bait in this instance is an 8 metre Whip, pole float, 3llb line and 2.5lb hooklink. Bait is hemp, maggot, corn and tares. You really do get the best from this species (Roach), by using a pole or Whip, I'm using a 1-5 elastic which to me seems just right and you get a great fight from even 4oz fish! anything over half a pound really gives a good account of itself, and they can really be appreciated on this tackle, so catching one of a pound or more will be a proper buzz! The Perch have already tested the gear to the max so i know what to expect from a decent Roach.
Looking forward to the next few sessions!
