A few weeks back Pete, Dave and I stumbled upon some quality roach while targeting carp, and I made myself a promise that I'd return to the lake to fish intentionally for them. After all, if three anglers can catch four roach in excess of a pound while fishing for carp, surely armed with casters, maggots, hemp and sweetcorn I'd have a bag of roach to remember. The best laid plans ....
I met Jez, a friend and fellow member of our Church's Angling Club, at the lake and we dropped into neighbouring swims. Wagglers were cast, lines were sunk and loose feed introduced. I started with sweetcorn as hookbait, but couldn't buy a bite, and so switched to maggot. Castors, hemp and sweetcorn were regularly introduced, little and often, and the fish were soon voraciously taking the bait on the drop ..... only they were mostly rudd, with the very occasional roach, and a sprinkling of perch. Initially, when on sweetcorn, I fished overdepth and over-shotted using the lift method, but was forced to change and fish "up in the water" to get bites.
We fished until lunchtime on what may have been the hottest day of the year, and although no large roach made an appearance we enjoyed catching golden sided rudd, some- like the fish above- exquisitely beautiful despite their modest size. I was using a handsome handmade float made by Ian Lewis, one of the country's few full time floatmakers, and its pleasant appearance added to the occasion.
We came, we saw, we fished, we failed to conquer, but we had fun. However, I'm forced to conclude that at this particular lake it's easier to catch large roach by accident than it is by design!
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