Biggest roach
of the season is banked
THIS year’s Avon Roach Project annual fundraising match has been a massive success, highlighted by the capture of a spectacular 3lb 2oz redfin.
The specimen was caught by Dr Mark Everard from a stretch at Winkton Fishery, on the Lower Hampshire Avon, and secured victory for the lifelong roach enthusiast in the ‘friendly’ match.
Mark said: “‘Match’ is perhaps too strong a word, as these muchanticipated occasions are really a meeting of old friends and roach ‘obsessives’.
“I was stood on an exposed bank trotting all day. The pain was worth it, both for a fantastic catch and to support the great cause.
“The big roach sank the float decisively and, like most good roach, rolled straight away. I had to navigate it through two weedbeds before finally bringing it to net. It looked enormous!”
Mark trotted breadflake under a 5g Avon float and fed liquidised bread, a tactic that accounted for a further seven roach to 1lb 1oz.
The fundraiser took in matches on other stretches of the Avon and raised £5,500 for the Avon Roach Project to help continue its work of replenishing roach stocks and habitats along the river.
The project’s Trevor Harrop said: “In the early years of the event roach never featured in catch returns. Now they are doing so in increasing numbers each year. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?”
Trevor also revealed how the project plans to build on its success. “As well as growing on roach, habitat improvement continues with the excavation of a huge fry bay at Sopley, on the lower Avon,” he said. “We’ll also be spearheading an initiative to increase the effectiveness of gravel spawning sites in the Avon in partnership with the EA.”