TOP ROACH BRACE & NEAR-RECORD!
It’s been one of the best years ever for specimen redfins
IN MAY 2017 one of the greatest roach catches of all time was recorded by specimen angler Phil Spinks. Fishing the 33-acre Homersfield Lake in Suffolk, the Korum and Angling Direct-backed all-rounder landed six fish – 3lb 12oz, 3lb 10oz, 3lb 8oz 8dr, 3lb 6oz, 3lb 5oz and 3lb 2oz – during his historic visit. In order to avoid the small roach that occupy the privately- owned 33-acre fishery, the 36-yearold fished groundbait feeders in conjunction with helicopter rigs that he baited with 12mm Sonubaits Code Red boilies.
The biggest fish sets a new personal best for Phil, whose roach fishing CV makes for impressive reading. At the time of his Homersfield haul he’d landed 37 roach over the 3lb mark.
“This was the best day’s fishing of my life… it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Phil told Angling Times.
“I’ve had some exceptional roach fishing at this stunning venue over the years, but to land six over 3lb in one session is absolutely incredible.
“To my knowledge the 3lb 12oz and 3lb 10oz fish make up the biggest brace of roach ever caught.
“I had loads of fish over the 2lb mark during the same session, but I was unhooking them and slipping the back without even weighing them. That’s crazy, and just shows the sheer quality of the roach fishing here… I still can’t believe I’ve had six fish of a lifetime in one session.”
If you didn’t think that was impressive enough, roach fanatic Ken Fuller fished Homersfield in the same month to bank a 4lb 3oz specimen – a roach that fell just one ounce short of the current British record!
The 66-year-old from Norwich hooked the roach on his first cast at the Suffolk complex.
He’s been fishing for the species for 60 years, and his dream came true when he fished a Method feeder loaded with softened pellets and coupled that with a 5lb hooklink and a 12mm boilie… what a superb catch in roach fishing history!