PB Roach 3lb 11oz - Highbridge Fishery

08/12/2016 - I have been targeting the big roach that call Highbridge home for a couple of years now and have been lucky enough to catch so cracking fish up to 2lb 10oz. Located in Norfolk the venue is not down the road from my Kent home and it takes me a good three and a half hours to get there but the trip is worth the effort for the possible rewards.

I had planned to do a three night session and set of on the Thursday trying to beat the darkness. Unfortunately I arrived on dusk and after scanning the lake it was almost pitch black so I quickly loaded the barrow and headed to a swim I had previous success when fishing. The rain was now moving in and it was a race against time to get the brolly but eventually my home for the weekend was constructed and I could start getting rigs tied up.

I stuck with what I knew best and I think its important to use methods that you are confident with. All three rods were tied up with really short 3-4 inch hooklinks of 5lb fluorocarbon trout leader helicopter style. On the business end was a size 12 Drennan wide gape hook and this was fish helicopter style in conjunction with a 30g oval stainless cage feeder. The feeder was filled with a dark hemp seed based groundbait mixed half and half with some dried bread crumb. The hook bait was sweetcorn and I baited up with a generous amount of dead maggot, sweetcorn and hemp before swinging the rods out to my spots.

I had joked  earlier in the day with the fishery manager Dale about catching a big roach and having to call him up early morning waking him from his sleep and little did I know that was exactly what would happen.

After have a few beers and a Tesco curry I conked out in the bag dreaming a massive roach. I was woken at around 1am by a screaming bite alarm with a take more like one from a carp ripping line from the spool. I jumped out of the bag and with savagae heartburn made my way to the rods. I wasn't too excited about the take at first as there are quite a few fish in Highbridge including a generous amount of bream that on light tackle take line but as soon as I picked up the rod I could tell it was a decent roach. After a hairy fight I finally netted my prize and looked into the landing net mesh to see a monster roach that clearly smashed my previous PB of 2lb 11oz.

I text dale immediately and he came down to do the pictures and weighing of the fish which went and astonishing 3lb 11oz. I decided then to cut my trip short and went beck to spend the weekend with the kids and have a few beers to celebrate. Fishing can be really unpredictable at times and this session proved that. All those nights and days targeting theses roach and then seven hours into my first session of the session I had caught a fish of a lifetime. The roach also netted me a Korum monthly win and Drennan weekly win.

Until next time tight lines