The question of 2lb Roach

MarkV · #1

Just how very rare are these fish outside of the southern hotspots ? For instance... in the West Midlands and surroundings, where I fish.

Have you caught one ? ...Or even seen one ?

I'm really interested in peoples experiences over the years, and there must be LOADS of experience on here.

Personally I have done neither, nowhere near it.

Any input at all very much appreciated.

#2

I once had 3 roach over 2lb.... 2lb6, 2lb 2 and 2lb dead, in a match on the Teme at puddleford... all on the stick float and maggot, and lost a couple more dog roach too ( won the match into the bargain

)

#3

I've seen 3 weighed, the largest of which was 2lbs 9ozs if my memory serves me right.
I've never had one, but have had something like 7 that took the scales round to 1lb 15ozs over the years.

joffmiester · #4

two of these beauties were over 3lb unfortunately i caught them in Holland a couple of years back
never caught them again

all over 2lb

gaz sadler had the biggest of the day 3lb6oz

and the venue couldn't look any better

#5

Looks like that woman behind you Joff thought they might be ok in the wok !!!!

#6

ad 2 in2 swims down 2 10 an 2 9 0 best in a match 3 1 0 all from severn at stourport or bewdley still a few their m8

MrV · #7

Only ever had one over the magic mark in this country in a club match on the River Trent at Muskham (Walter Bowers stretch) when in my youth, stret pegging down the edge in a blizzard in the middle of January

Brings back a lot of memories, and if the old grey matter is working right, another chap had 2 over 2lb in the same match.

However, they were fairly "common" on the Bacon Factory stretch of the River Blackwater at Cappoquin over in Ireland in the seventies, although you needed to have a broken nose or no smelling abilities at all as the place stank if the wind was blowing at you

#8

from 2007 to 2009 you could catch roach to 2lb 10 oz from the free section above bridgnorth town bridge , but only from feb to the end of season , for some reason they came into the town waters then , i had several bags to 55lb on float fished turmericed bronze maggots plus the odd chub and barbel , one sessoin never had a roach under 1lb 6oz , however they never turned up in 2010 or last year

as for a stillwater , willow farm near fladbury theres a few up to 2lb 4oz only ever caught them on chopped worm

MarkV · #9

Hmmm thanks for the input lads.

Some cracking catches there.

I'm going to try and see if I can find a fish or two to get me nearer the mark. Fishing time is limited, but I really would like to do it some day.

Fish from natural type waters are the ones that would really be the jackpot for me.

And up here rather than from a southern chalk stream, if possible. ( Although Id do it if I had to lol)

Don't want much do I !

Any further tales really welcome... :)

#10

there was 2 2lb plus roach weighed in last sunday at the tacaroo just outside cannock.....thing is these 2 pools were pit head ponds suppling water to the pit not so long ago and with them being leased by locals they are really looked after...and at £4 a day good value,the roach fishing can be that good i ignore everything else in there fishing just bread for them hoping that eveything else ignores it

#11

Try the River Mease, a good venue to fish and good for roving ! Loads of little pools and bay's

Just take a small quiver tip and some bread, flake on the hook and either a small cage with some mashed bread in it or loose feed it with bits of mash. You can often see the fish so it does pay to adopt the stalking approach. You don't need much kit just a bag with a few bits, landing net and a flask ! I use to go at least once a year for a break from competitions and wonder why I don't seem to go now as it's great !!!!!
You will also catch chub but there are certainly some 2lb plus roach on that river.
Measham DAC have a cheap ticket as do other's.
A nice part is when you come off the M42 and head for Overseal (2nd on left if you are coming from Brum) A444, you will drive over it after approx 1 and a 1/2 miles. You can park your car right next to it off the road just on the left over the bridge.
Roam down stream

LarryTeepot · #12

i had one over 2lb up the dead arm at alvechurch....magic fish never had anything like it since

#13

I have caught two 2 lb roach. One weighed in 2 lb and next run down I had one of 2-3-4, then the whistle went, honestly.
I had six roach in all for 10 lb 8 oz to finish second in a sellout Shrewsbury Open on the Quarry section of the Severn. I was right at the bottom end with a car park behing me, caught both on stick and caster, deep peg if I remember.

Only a few years back I weighed in one of 1-15-15 in a match on caster on the T&M at Hoo Mill, - there has always been some massive roach in that area and I am sure it can produce a 2 lb fish. My roach was ancient and was minus its tail so it was much heavier at one time. Several 2 lb roach have also come from the Cov Canal in the Grendon area.

MarkV · #14

Given how much some have you have fished, it just shows how rare they often are in an angling career.

Very interesting how more than one in quick succession shows how shoals survive together as well.

They're out there then, just a bloomin needle in a haystack job

.

I'll be trying the mease if I can find the time and I'd heard about big roach in Bridgnorth as well, so its good to have it confirmed.

Location, location, location is going to be the key, to improve the odds in my favour because i'm not going to be spending weeks camping out for them, more the usual short sessions. A river fish would be brilliant.

MarkV · #15

I lost an absolute monster Roach today on the Severn today.

Got it to the top twice, but it went back out into the main river and the line parted by the hook aaaaaaargh

All i'm left with, is wondering if I saw what I think i saw etc etc etc.

I had it on so long I was thinking what the hell am I going to do now i've caught a 2lb'er from the Severn.

In my heart of hearts its the only ambition I really have fishing wise. The sort of thing I want to do before I croak it.

That said, I don't spend my time chasing them, just now and again' try to find decent ones and hope.

I was catching roach of no major size intermittently on stick and hemp but not happy with the presentation so decided to try a link ledger.

Maggots bought the odd roach along with small dace and bleak so I put a grain of hemp on the link ledger.

Couple of small roach and then it took.

At times I could hardly do anything with it and although I made gains it was taking more line than I was gaining. Bloody massive it was. Surfaced downstream twice.

I was conscious of not rushing but it was taking ages and I was fishing a 22 hook ! I'd tied on a hook I use for the Avon, not expecting much.

I'm told the peg I was fishing is not unknown for big roach, in fact a local who has a cottage on the river asked me who had put me on this specific peg.

Now i've bored you all to death i'll try and forget about it

grover · #16

2.14 my biggest! on a lobworm as big as my arm! in a flooded weir,it rained all nite and i couldnt get me dough bobbin to settle properly,so after a minutes i decided to reel it in and recast it, well imagine my supprise when i shone the torch into the landing net!! it must've had summink to do with the flow as i didnt really think there was anything on the end? ive had a few bigguns but not as big as the above, i once had 4 or 5 roach for 6lbs on the pole!! at ware on the lea,but these catchies were in the 70s-80s

Arch · #17

My biggest went 1lb 15oz. No matter what i tried i couldn't get it to go to 2lb. That was caught on the aformentioned River Mease at Overseal, peg 11, Ashby AC waters at the time. Was a battered old thing too.

trypewriter · #18

2 lb 3 oz River Dove about 40 years ago. Single caster. I bet there's still the odd big roach in there. That length of canal near the Lime Kilns pub on the A5 near Hinkley is reputed to hold some very big roach.

joffmiester · #19

going back a few years we used to fish Davies lake at cossington great bunch of lads and nothing too serious and once in the match series we could fish the big lake which was full of roach and bream plus great big carp and tench
i went for a practice on a Wednesday and fished a waggler i had a roach more or less every Chuck and ended up with a big weight .i couldn't wait for the weekend to come
but when it did none of use could catch a roach

but i did win the match with three bream
11lb 5oz 10lb 15oz and 9lb 10oz

richard hall even took a video of the catch i lost one thinking it was a carp as well

31lb 11oz i'l never do that again all on the pole as well

MrWright · #20

I once caught one on bloodworm 2lb on the nose from the gloucester canal and then went in next chuck and caught one 1lb 15oz! Couldn't believe it!!

I do know a lad that fishes the trent for barbel a fair bit, he caught a roach below clifton bridge this season on maggots.... it went 3lb 14oz!! And he has had other "smaller ones" from the same peg