2lb Roach Caps a Redfin Red Letter Day

The last day in February and it was one of those days.....

When I arrived at the river at 1pm I was happy to see my favourite chub swim empty but less than enamoured to see the trees on the far bank cut back quite hard. Undaunted I set up my lucky 4no4 stick which was starting to lose some of it's paint and was coming away at the stem, it was in need of a super glue bodge for the second time but at least I knew I wouldn't lose it in a tree today. It looked like It wasn't going to see any fish either as I remained biteless despite trying hard for an hour, although minnows don't count as I had plenty of them under what was left of the tree the chub used to like.

The chap below was getting chub on the feeder but he had more cover and I could just picture all the fish being there and only coming up to my shallow spot every now and then with the water pretty clear, he told me all his chub were down the bottom of the swim as I bade my farewell and wandered further downstream, any fish would do now I thought and I had designs on a nice dace or two.

I was delighted to see a good swim empty, one which usually has a really good mix of dace, chub and roach yet isn't as heavily fished as some of the others, I had wanted to get in here all winter and if I can't catch something here I wont anywhere I thought. After all this swim had no tree choppery and the weather was perfect, it was really warm and overcast although the ever increasing rain was a concern. I sat crossed legs on the deck, pinged my float against the rushes with a flick to get everything in line and after a series of lightning quick bites a fish was on and it was a nice roach.

I've been catching a few of these of late and they are really filling out nicely and are in tip top condition both to look at and physically, little did I know that 6-8oz roach would be the smallest of the day. Next cast I was slipping the net under a really plump fish.

It soon dawned on me that this could be one of those days as roach after roach graced the net, the bites were super fast and some were missed but when connection was met it was with that jag jag glide and the tell tale spin on the surface, as each roach cut through the current in the middle with ease.

Just when I thought all these roach were identikit perfection I caught this one with a big slice right through the anal fin, perhaps a cormorant strike unless it's the new ornamental fantail roach variety. It's certainly a recognisable fish for future reference.

Every now and then the far bank current would almost stop and other times it would surge through all boily just to keep me honest, but the roach were having it regardless as long as the float was close to the rushes. By now I was also getting them down the bottom of the swim but the ones under the rod tip were the most fun, holding back as soon as the float hit the water and trying to hit the quick dips when the float is released getting those 'on the drop' biters.

Lo and behold I actually had a chub get in on the action which gave me a few moments as I thought naturally is was a big roach, two pound chub do go like two pound roach and it won't be the first or last time I'm deceived and slightly disappointed when that that big gob comes into view. You can't love rivers and not love chub though and would never have believed it could be the only 'non roach' of the day.

Despite usually having plenty of dace and chub in the swim it was still all roach (not a bad problem to have) and they were all gorgeous fish so it was time to experiment with new photo angles where you can really see the 'bull' shoulders roach get when they fill out.

The rain was now coming down steady but I sat there with no brolly and even the poncho stayed in the bag, I was getting wet and I didn't care. It had been a great a couple of hours with over 20 roach which were around two to the pound when another angler came by for a chat. I explained that it was a roach a chuck and expected it to go dead as it does when you claim such things but two more identical fish followed as he watched.

Then I hit into a good fish. Sitting low down to the water I only noticed it was a large roach when I bought it to the surface, I then couldn't get my net under it quick enough and my friend standing above me must have wondered why the hell I was rabbiting on about small chub going like roach when he could see it turn in the clear water. From where I was I had no such viewpoint and it's one of the few big roach I have had that hasn't spun on the surface, safe to say even though it was all roach today it was still a surprise and a really welcome one at that.

I lifted out a deep but not very fat fish and it's always hard to gauge their weights, we weighed it and after the net was later deducted (It was heavier today due to the rain) I settled at 2lb 4oz

It really capped a magical winter's day, it seems there are days each winter when each species just take it in turns to dominate and I was lucky it was a roach day today. I can imagine all those 10oz fish getting to be low 'ones' next winter and pushing 'two' a year after. If they can avoid those cormorants of course.

I carried on fishing just to get rid of the last of the bait, on went a size 20 as my last hooklength got damaged with the large roach somehow, I had no 18's left as I forgot to tie any before today's trip using an old one all day and weirdly enough lost more fish on the 20s.

They still carried on feeding like there was no tomorrow (have they been watching the news too?) and it was once again more cracking roach even if they did seem small now after the 2lb'er. There was no way I was taking them for granted though and they were all lovely fish. A kite soared over really low and the evening bird song that was deafening stopped almost instantly but the roach just carried on.

My legs were now numb after sitting on the deck for a couple of hours in the rain, I wonder how long I can keep fishing like this but it keeps you nimble I suppose (he says, all aching joints the day after) I ended up crouching, playing the last few fish just to enjoy that side strain as I can't help but love being close to the water, then watching each roach swim off in the clear margins as they return to the darker waters.

I ended with 42 fish 41 of which were roach, not bad for 4 hours in the rain (spot the mistake on my bankside tally record, one fish less than I thought)

Now I remember I must go tie some hooks.