I caught some very big roach in the 90's from a still water that was unfished. The many many big roach were beautiful with no angling pressure , no competition and very few predators. They only saw maggots from me so anglers baits had no influence. Wilstone and Startops grew huge Roach with nothing other than maggots casters hemp used by the anglers at the time. Water quality is important but there is no denying that carp water do produce monstrous roach . The only issue is the cost to fish such places . I am happy these days to catch any roach as long is it's from a river and on the float . Thanks for you for the videos Mark , always informative and thought provoking.
It's a definite possibility. As you say, high protein baits and specialist waters that aren't fished for the species in question, offer intriguing possibilities. It's disappointing that specimens are so often caught by people not targeting that fish, but that's the reality we live in. I targeted a local pond that had a small head of rarely seen large roach, mainly using bread and traditional tactics. Had fish up to almost 2lbs, which was surprising given the water. One day a chap carp fishing in an adjoining swim had a 2 3/4 pounder on a boillie! Scale that up to Rutland Water or Chew, and there are probably giants we can only guess at.
Every possibility. You mentioned the high protein feeds we are using and that includes micro-pellets and oils so these will help. Back in the late 60s our mutual friend Graham Marsden was in the papers regularly with catches of bream just over 10lbs and as you say, the record is now over 20lbs. Back then the only groundbaits other than Silver Cloud, which from memory was mostly sand, was bread, either fine, medium, or course. It would feed the fish, but nothing like the stuff we chuck in nowadays.
Definitely mark. Like you said I think it will come from probably a carp water with all the high protein baits that are going in. Can't see it coming off a river. Very informative video mark 👍
Barbel are a totally different entity to Roach, that's because of all the high protein pellets & boillies which get piled in !! Roach are still on the more "Traditional" type baits (Bread, Maggots, Casters eg) so can only grow, exponentially bigger (if that's the correct terminology ?)
The way I look at big roach is the big roach are old and will show signs of their age as a result , scars and scale loss are undoubtably the identifying factors for me and you know as a fisherman if a roach is a roach and in my book a record breaker roach will never look pristine and another thing in my book is a captive roach that has been bred and then introduced into a fishery are not proper roach cause they look too fresh… I caught a 2lb 4oz roach from the Severn at ribbesford in the freezing winter and it looked like it had a tough old life to that point dodging all them pike for years and I believe it’s the same for the clonkers ,,, big roach are clever and have your free bait the second it hits the water ,,, it must feel horrible for the shoal when a big roach gets caught cause them small groups have probably grown up together so they are missed more until they are returned back so hanging about waiting to claim a record probably don’t help .
In 70 ties caught countless roach with my light feeder rod and most of them small or midseize format. In warm water outlets did caught bigger fish and remember one was one gigantic and a true roach no hybrid or other species. Do remember it upon today and the fish was sticking with its tail out off a eight liter bucket. Giants do excist yet it was one fish over 50 cm in then thousand catches. So cool question! Love to see another giant in the net.
I think that you're probably right but if the 4-13 fish is accepted then I can only see trout reservoirs having a chance of beating it and with virtually no access for serious roach fishing although massive roach may be present they're unlikely to get caught.
I caught some very big roach in the 90's from a still water that was unfished. The many many big roach were beautiful with no angling pressure , no competition and very few predators. They only saw maggots from me so anglers baits had no influence.
Wilstone and Startops grew huge Roach with nothing other than maggots casters hemp used by the anglers at the time.
Water quality is important but there is no denying that carp water do produce monstrous roach . The only issue is the cost to fish such places . I am happy these days to catch any roach as long is it's from a river and on the float . Thanks for you for the videos Mark , always informative and thought provoking.
Being a north West canal angler roach over a pound are what dreams are made of
A well balanced interesting video as always Mark.
Glad you enjoyed it
It's a definite possibility. As you say, high protein baits and specialist waters that aren't fished for the species in question, offer intriguing possibilities. It's disappointing that specimens are so often caught by people not targeting that fish, but that's the reality we live in. I targeted a local pond that had a small head of rarely seen large roach, mainly using bread and traditional tactics. Had fish up to almost 2lbs, which was surprising given the water. One day a chap carp fishing in an adjoining swim had a 2 3/4 pounder on a boillie! Scale that up to Rutland Water or Chew, and there are probably giants we can only guess at.
Every possibility. You mentioned the high protein feeds we are using and that includes micro-pellets and oils so these will help. Back in the late 60s our mutual friend Graham Marsden was in the papers regularly with catches of bream just over 10lbs and as you say, the record is now over 20lbs. Back then the only groundbaits other than Silver Cloud, which from memory was mostly sand, was bread, either fine, medium, or course. It would feed the fish, but nothing like the stuff we chuck in nowadays.
Definitely mark. Like you said I think it will come from probably a carp water with all the high protein baits that are going in. Can't see it coming off a river. Very informative video mark 👍
You did make me think …. Excellent video as ever
Barbel are a totally different entity to Roach, that's because of all the high protein pellets & boillies which get piled in !! Roach are still on the more "Traditional" type baits (Bread, Maggots, Casters eg) so can only grow, exponentially bigger (if that's the correct terminology ?)
Very interesting Mark ,lets hope the Carsington resivoir Roach is the new record.
The talk in the early 70's and earlier was "are there 4lb roach" Things have moved on. Shame no scale was taken.
The way I look at big roach is the big roach are old and will show signs of their age as a result , scars and scale loss are undoubtably the identifying factors for me and you know as a fisherman if a roach is a roach and in my book a record breaker roach will never look pristine and another thing in my book is a captive roach that has been bred and then introduced into a fishery are not proper roach cause they look too fresh… I caught a 2lb 4oz roach from the Severn at ribbesford in the freezing winter and it looked like it had a tough old life to that point dodging all them pike for years and I believe it’s the same for the clonkers ,,, big roach are clever and have your free bait the second it hits the water ,,, it must feel horrible for the shoal when a big roach gets caught cause them small groups have probably grown up together so they are missed more until they are returned back so hanging about waiting to claim a record probably don’t help .
In 70 ties caught countless roach with my light feeder rod and most of them small or midseize format. In warm water outlets did caught bigger fish and remember one was one gigantic and a true roach no hybrid or other species. Do remember it upon today and the fish was sticking with its tail out off a eight liter bucket. Giants do excist yet it was one fish over 50 cm in then thousand catches. So cool question! Love to see another giant in the net.
Doesn't matter how big they get. If you don't catch it in the winter, running a stick float down a river, it's not a proper roach
Most of the biggest roach I've had have been on winter rivers though usually on much bigger floats than stick floats.
Love the little rant about streching the arms in front of you when holding fish (Although i'm guilty of it sometimes)
I was tempted to switch lenses to show the effect with an ultra-wide lense.
it will happen by accident by a carp/bream/tench angler on a large gravel pit probably in southern uk
I think that you're probably right but if the 4-13 fish is accepted then I can only see trout reservoirs having a chance of beating it and with virtually no access for serious roach fishing although massive roach may be present they're unlikely to get caught.
Do big roach become loners as they get to these larger sizes
The only time I've seen truly exceptionally sized roach in the Stour (two over 3-8) they were in the company of more than 50 over 2lbs.
4lb roach caught on the big western loughs in Ireland. 3lb + being quite common
I'd love to see a really good pic of the 4lber.
@@MarkWintleFishing your correct… probably hybrid caught by trout men on the fly although I believe the new record in question was caught the same way
So just a scale needed now to prove authentic specie ?
No, a DNA test would corroberate the other characteristics (scale counts, fin ray counts, shape of mouth etc.) in determining identity.