Chasing roach... a different approach.

[TrentFisher]

Hello Gents,
back out on the Trent again after the roach .I was hoping a couple of sessions over the bank holiday,however life had other thoughts and it was Monday afternoon before I wet a line!

To cut a long story short I had an unexpected repair job at home and after spending a long time on the old knees I didn't fancy standing trotting a float for 4-5 hours.
The Trent was slightly up and there were a number of bivives still set up when I arrived so I opted for the deeper slower part of the section.
I had decided to use Liquidized bread in a small cage feeder and bread discs on the hook.
Touch ledgering was to be the method for bite indication and the trusty Hardy matchmaker and Mitchell 300 made up the tool kit.
Now I had not fished a feeder for a while nor touched ledgered so I was expecting to take a little time to get settled.
The swim itself was a little short on casting room so it called for patience and a side-ward underarm type of cast to land the filled feeder slightly up stream .
I am pleased to say that part went well and with the rod pointing towards the said feeder.The wait began.
The river was looking good and the first bite came within 5 minutes.To be honest I noticed the tip knock first and was into a six ounce roach.

At this point the trip was also to test out the bread discs.I have used these for float fishing but was waiting for chance to try them with a feeder.
The idea is not mine I followed Jeff Hatts -Idlers Quest website and was taken with how he described how he used bread for his roach fishing .
Basically the discs are punched from sliced bread in larger sizes 10-20mm.I use broken/off-cuts of fiberglass rods for this purpose.Once punched out they can be frozen for future use.on the bank you lightly compress the disc fold the disc and gently pinch the edges.The hook is hooked straight through the fold.Once in the water the bait expands to conceal the hook and leaves a soft bait.

Back to fishing.....more bites followed and I managed to bag around fifteen roach the best being maybe twelve ounces and a bonus bream in the 3-4 pound bracket.


The touch ledgering at times proved effective and as previously mention I just saw the tip of the Hardy knock.
Not sure if the depth (10-12 feet) of the swim comes into play or at times the limited space in the swim to get the angle consistent .
Food for thought and I will try again using my quivertip rod....that's for another day.

Best regards
Nige.

useful links re the bread discs and similar

http://idlersquest.blogspot.com/2012/01 ... bread.html

[Moley]

Roach are always on my mind; can't explain why they have such a hold on me but they do.

Had a lovely time last week on the Blackwater using the waggler and pellet, running the float between the weed beds. Slowing the waggler, without it sinking, is a skill that takes time to learn and once learnt gives you a real edge. Roach are suckers for this presentation throwing themselves on the hook whilst others blank; and if you have the skill to edge the float slowly along the weed edge.......





......some decent ones drop the proverbial and visit a fat, grinning Pie, tea and roach fanatic!

Don't tell Matron though.


As ever,.....

Moley

[Dave Burr]

At last, a use for fibreglass rods

Good fishing chaps

[Lea Dweller]

At last, a use for fibreglass rods

Good fishing chaps

I must confess that I have owned and used some exceptionally good fibreglass rods from various makers. Traditional certainly, under rated certainly!

[Dave Burr]

At last, a use for fibreglass rods

Good fishing chaps

I must confess that I have owned and used some exceptionally good fibreglass rods from various makers. Traditional certainly, under rated certainly!

I'm in! Get the net....

[TrentFisher]

Moley,

you have just reminded me of that waggler tactic...many thanks.

I seem to remember Trent match angler Roy Toulson writing a series of articles in the Angling Times (70's) including waggler fishing describing something along those you have described.
Another set of floats to find and put back into service,normally a stick float fisherboy
This fishing lark keeps us busy!

All the best
Nige.

[Moley]

Moley,

you have just reminded me of that waggler tactic...many thanks.

I seem to remember Trent match angler Roy Toulson writing a series of articles in the Angling Times (70's) including waggler fishing describing something along those you have described.
Another set of floats to find and put back into service,normally a stick float fisherboy
This fishing lark keeps us busy!

All the best
Nige.

The Trent was the mecca for all roach men in the 1970's and this very Mole used to visit it most weekends for the matches, sometimes to fish but mostly to just watch the skills on display. The skill set of these matchmen, using running line float tactics, will probably never be equalled; certainly whilst the ubiquitous pole has such hegemony.

Don't get me wrong I personally love using the London Pole for roach when I can but the waggler on the river is the tactic that gives me most pleasure especially as it has taken me all this time to learn the skills I used to watch with open mouthed admiration back in the day

The stick is a satisfying way to catch roach too but seems to me less versatile than the waggler which presents me with a challenge but always provides a solution after a pie and tea for fortification of the inner Mole.

Glad to hear you are reviewing tactics and reviving old skills Nige....love it!

If memory serves Roy Toulson used to fish with some really large waggler type floats to get the distance out from the bankside to give himself part of the river not fished by the others.....until he started winning that is.

As ever,.......

Moley

[TrentFisher]

Moley,

you have just reminded me of that waggler tactic...many thanks.

I seem to remember Trent match angler Roy Toulson writing a series of articles in the Angling Times (70's) including waggler fishing describing something along those you have described.
Another set of floats to find and put back into service,normally a stick float fisherboy
This fishing lark keeps us busy!

All the best
Nige.

This post has helped bring back some happy memories.
Me and my pal made some large or should that be huge bodied wagglers from thick peacock quills and cork bodies.We would extend the stem at the base so we could add some coils of lead wire making them loaded.Boy did they fly!!!!!

Thanks again all the best
Nige.

The Trent was the mecca for all roach men in the 1970's and this very Mole used to visit it most weekends for the matches, sometimes to fish but mostly to just watch the skills on display. The skill set of these matchmen, using running line float tactics, will probably never be equalled; certainly whilst the ubiquitous pole has such hegemony.

Don't get me wrong I personally love using the London Pole for roach when I can but the waggler on the river is the tactic that gives me most pleasure especially as it has taken me all this time to learn the skills I used to watch with open mouthed admiration back in the day

The stick is a satisfying way to catch roach too but seems to me less versatile than the waggler which presents me with a challenge but always provides a solution after a pie and tea for fortification of the inner Mole.

Glad to hear you are reviewing tactics and reviving old skills Nige....love it!

If memory serves Roy Toulson used to fish with some really large waggler type floats to get the distance out from the bankside to give himself part of the river not fished by the others.....until he started winning that is.

As ever,.......

Moley

[Duebel]

Very inspiring read!
I just had to try and catch some roach today. Let's not talk about tackle (I had to try a new telescopic rod), but at least I was properly trotting a stick float. Feeding hemp, sweetcorn, maggots and caster I got bites from the first trott. 2 hours, 20 fish, most of them roach (a couple of chub and dace). 6 roach of about a pound.
Next time I'll try to fish a waggler ...