CRYSTAL-CLEAR WATER – BREAD

Rather like when the water is extremely coloured, you can only rely on certain species for guaranteed sport in crystal-clear conditions, and roach have to be at the top of that list. Bread is the ultimate bait, due to the high visibility it offers. When lots of small roach are on the agenda, a small piece of punched bread hookbait works particularly well, with small balls of liquidised bread fed regularly to create a cloud that draws in the shoals. If you are looking to catch a personal best roach, however, switch to breadflake to fend off the attentions of the smaller specimens.