Hello again out there in cyber space land, here’s a very quick update on recent fishing that almost does not mention the ‘P’ word at all. Well, that is apart from a short section about a recent visit to one of our different Lake District venues.

As mentioned in the last ‘catch this blog’ I have more or less give up fishing for perch till next year as they have moved into deeper water, but have had a few sessions recently out on the lakes hunting Roach. Now it is not that well known but we do have some really good specimen roach in several of our local waters and they offer great sport to those in the know. While I appreciate they may not be every ones ideal target species for a day out on the lake, the almost humble Roach do grow to spectacular sizes up here and very few anglers ever seem to go and fish for them. Judging by the ones we meet which are beautiful scale perfect creatures most of these fish have never met an angler before. But then maybe not many anglers go out equipped with a bucket of compost heap bottoms, a bag of groundbait, half a pint of maggots, one heavy feeder to get the bait down there and a light quiver tip rod to catch the roach when eventually they move in. It can sometimes take a while to get them feeding but once they do, the fun begins and they would appear to be Manchester United supporters (sorry you city fans) as they show a definate preference for a red and white maggot combo.

Introduced a few years back by pike anglers releasing their unused baits, the Roach have spread throughout the area and we have had two pounders from Bassenthwaite, Derwentwater, Grasmere and plenty of pound plus fish from many other lakes. Along with bream in Windermere they do very well and will ulimately change the ecology of many of our lake district waters quite radically over the next few years. Be that as it may, they do offer some fabulous sport in autumn and winter when perch are elsewhere and while vertical quiver tipping in 30 feet of water can be a real challenge on draughty days, the reults are well worth it.

Phil Done and I had a day out last week with some belters to well over a pound as well as (wait for it, here’s the ‘P’ word)…a near three pound perch and a few pike as well – almost a Lake District coarse angling Mc Nab! So here is the proof in pictures of quality roach from the lakes, as part of a couple of dozen over a pound as well as plenty of smaller ones and some bigger ones lost on a lovely calm day when it was simply a delight to be out there drifting the day away on a quiet lake amongst stunning Autumnal colours.

Meanwhile back in the real world of big fly rods and wild rivers, I’m out salmon fishing again as part of my seasonal madness and started a week of fly fishing by lifting into this hen salmon on the Derwent. What another fabulous way to spend an autumn afternoon, casting a salmon fly rod on a delightful stretch of the Cumberland Derwent in search of perhaps the best of all fishes.

And I’m doing it all again on a different beat tomorrow. Trouble is…I’m beginning to like this fishing caper!!

tarra,

Eric

Phil Done does it again

Autumn Roach with Autumn man

Atlantic salmon still in the water just before it swam away to continue its journey upriver