SHOW ROACH SOME RESPECT

GEORGE WORBY, HERTFORDSHIRE

Even though we're not able to get out on the bank right now, reading IYCF is feeding some of my fishing hunger and getting me thinking about priorities when getting back out there! Thanks for the fantastic content and keeping the interest high now as much as ever.

Are roach the most under- appreciated fish? It is often the first fish any of us will ever catch or play an important part in our fishing education.

However, many of us will soon regard roach as nuisance fish and set our sights on the bigger species. We do everything we can to not catch roach! I think it's time to set the record straight and give roach the respect they deserve.

I am missing the opportunity to go fishing with spring in full swing, but I am using this time to really think about why I love fishing and what my priorities will be when we can get back on the bank.

The desire to catch a big tench, bream or carp remains, but the ' Know Your Species' and feature on PB roach in the March/ April ( IYCF 361) issue got me thinking: I want to catch monster roach!

I have caught big roach before, but few and far between. I go for quantity over quality a lot of the time, just to impress people when they ask "how many" and not "what" at the end of a session, before turning my attentions to tench or F1s.

The season best at my society is often no more than 1lb as people don't bother to catch or record big roach. Well, not any more! When the time comes for us to return to the bank, I will be going back to my first love. Roach.