Wednesday 8 February 2017

The Plan(s)


How do you catch a two pound roach from a stream chock full of hungry trout?

Me and James had discussed it in length, and we had a plan... Well, we had a plan each as James was armed with his body weight in liquidised bread, and I had a small tub of worms and one of maggots.

My plan was to wander about and find fish on the stick and pin with very little feeding to keep trout activity to a minimum. It didn't work! The first couple of dozen fish were all trout! And James was having the same problem.


Eventually we found some gaps in the trout (caught them all once?) and started catching our secondary target - grayling - I eventually lost count but had 10 over a pound with the best (weighed) one going 1lb 9oz. And James caught even bigger grayling.

But by chance - and not by any plan - I caught our target species. Not a two but a spectacular looking 1lb 11oz roach, an ancient warrior - battle scared and beautiful. And despite fishing on well into dark this was to be our only roach...


What a fantastic looking fish, and for once James was going to be the photographer - this is just a quick self-take - I'll add James' photos when he send them across tomorrow...

Yeah, I know, just one roach between us and for once I caught it..!

4 comments:

  1. If you ever find the secret please share it with the rest of us.
    My gut feeling is to feed heavily at the top of the swim and trickle a small bait down the edge or end of it. But once those trout are on the prowl, it's mainly down to good fortune.

    Nice roach though. Just think how big they'd grow if the trout were removed ;o)

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    1. I don't think there is a secret, a temporary fix is floating bread - attracts the trout to the surface and moves them downstream - but they're soon back and often with birds!!

      Lovely roach and I saw her bigger sisters...

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  2. Too many trout and grayling, and not enough roach.... You have rich man's problems ;) Interesting post (& special mention for the first pic - beautiful!).

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    1. A season ticket on this river is thousands of pounds, I'm one of only a lucky handful who get to fish it out of trout season.

      The trout were mint condition and fighting fit - have to remember them when the season opens and I'm trying to catch one!

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