Big Roach??!!

[Santiago]

I'm just wondering if anyone can describe to me how big Roach fight!?

The other night I lost a fish whilst fishing for bream and I'm not sure what it was. It didn't feel big yet put up a hardy battle for about 5 minutes before the hook hold parted, but I know it was no bream, chub, and the runs were not powerful enough for a barbel, and I don't think it was a tench.

And then last night I caught a roach of 1lb1oz (a new pb) and the fight reminded me of the lost fish, albeit over much quicker. Anyways, just wondering if I may have lost an elusive big Roach from the Thames!! Last year there were reports of quite a few being caught over 2lb!

[Beresford]

I'm my experience they don't. I've caught them up to 2 1/2lbs on the fly and they give up as soon as they are hooked although they can take flies quite firmly it's nothing like how aggressively a trout might take a fly. I've caught them up to 1 1/4lbs on worms and you can just about reel them straight in. That's using a 12oz T/C light avon rod and 3 lb line.

I'd guess that was something other than a roach perhaps a crucian or small carp or a really, really gigantic roach.

[MGs]

Bigger roach tend to have a distinctive pattern when fighting. Hard to describe in words. Normally a couple of hard pulls and a bit of a glide.
Not sure what bait you were using, could it have been a perch?

[Vole]

Jag-jag, jag-jag, swirl at the surface and the hook falls out...

[Santiago]

Thanks, I was using corn. From your replies I suspect it might have been a small barbel of about 5lb or so, or possibly a big trout. Obviously not a big Roach!

[Danny Boy]

Jag-jag, jag-jag, swirl at the surface and the hook falls out...

[Phil Arnott]

Big roach at the later stages of the fight tend to turn sideways on and viciously yank their heads away from the direction they are being pulled. Small hooks often come unstuck in the process.

I've caught them at other times when they are in a really frisky mood and they have jumped out and thrown the hook. Some of these fish have behaved like this in winter, in shallow water. Sometimes when spawning or cleaning themselves after spawning they are in a frisky mood.

[Gord]

just a thought but could it have been a small catfish as they are in the thames but i dont know how far up they have reached but i know they are breeding as i have seen a few in the 2-3lbs range caught at walton

[Shropshire Lad]

I have caught a few 2lb plus roach and they seem to fight with a jag - jagging feel on the line, just wish they were more common

[Santiago]

Thanks. I 've now this last week caught a few Thames roach at a about 1lb (weighed on kitchen scales) and lost a few bigger ones, but I suspect the fish I lost was either a barbel, tench, or possibly a trout since it did fight on the surface a fair bit ; either way I'll never know!