So, if you start getting plagued by little roach or the bites are coming miles down the peg, that’s the time to feed again.”“Don’t be tempted to feed too much of the bread mix as this can make the peg worse rather than better,” he revealed. But If the air temperature is predicted to be 4°C or less, I know the fishing will be very hard, so I won’t go until the temperature lifts.Float fishing for Roach has always been a delicate affair, more so perhaps in the clearer waters of winter. “In that time the slice will have dried out, whereas a quarter won’t last as long and so is perfect. Failing that, you may spot them making small swirls or breaking the surface. RIVERS & CANALS. Roach fishing on canals has got to be one of the biggest angling classics there is and I’m sure it’s where many of us started our fishing careers, typically while mum does the shopping! What they all have in common is that … Bread mash
“However, it has to be right, and the acid test is whether the piece of punch stays on after the strike. But as autumn turns to winter and the temperatures fall, the other
Prices: £2.50 from Chris Roberts Fishing Tackle, Mirfield AC There’s plenty of food and lots of shelter from over hanging trees, shrubs or boats. Contact: Chris Roberts Tackle 01484 545032 . BIG CANAL ROACH and the WINTER CHALLENGE - An Update and Summary.
Bread punch, maggots and casters score for roach, but keep feed to the minimum. It’s gone from an attacking method with regular balls of feed thrown in, to a more austere feeding and fishing ‘in-out’ line of attack.Many fish on his local drains and rivers respond to bread so he took the Angling Times cameras to the River Welland in the Lincolnshire market town on Spalding to run through the do’s and don’ts of winter punch fishing.Alex’s advice was a bit of an eye-opener on a venue packed with so many fish!“The first thing to say about punch fishing is that it’s not about throwing in a ball every chuck, even on pegs that are full of fish!” Alex warned.
I microwave each slice for 10 seconds on full power in the morning and then pop them in a plastic takeaway tub with the lid on,” explained Alex. Then in the morning I spray it with an atomiser to bring it back to the right consistency. A waggler, ideally an insert waggler, or perhaps a canal grey, is The Roach often reside in mid water, so have your hook bait stop at their depth. For the winter match and pleasure angler, a bag of Warburtons sliced comes into its own on rivers, canals and drains when roach are on the agenda. On frosty days, perch are often the only fish feeding. In the summer, other species are active and will bully the Roach away to take the bait. Aire & Calder Canal, Altofts, W Yorks .
This may be over a dead weed bed, which can offer shelter and provide a little warmth from the decaying vegetation. “Punch crumb is heavier, goes straight down and gives off little in the way of particles, so it’s ideal when you’re on a lot of fish that you want to keep on the bottom and catch fast.
“If there are few little fish about, fishing off deck can work well and this is when the pencil float is best – but on the SF2 pole float I fish this just overdepth to help slow it down,” he said.“There’s nothing very complicated about my rigs, and I tend to fall back on two types for different jobs,” he said. Appearance: the roach is a shoaling fish, silver in colour with grey-brown to orange fins. You should be able to squeeze a ball with one hand easily. Wind and rain can also play a part in where the fish might be.
If the fish change depth, then follow suite.
Best punch sizes are 4mm or 5mm,” he added.“You can go down two routes here, either using liquidised white bread or punch crumb – both have their place,” Alex said.
Winter fishing Pike, perch and roach are the fish most likely to feed in winter. Winter is the best The pencil allows me to work the bait by lifting it up and down in little flow and even fish just off bottom, whereas the SF2 is designed to be held back slightly and run through the swim at roughly half pace.“By keeping a tight line I can see every indication. Winter is the best season to float fish for Roach in a lake. Actually, canals are perfect habitats for fish of all shapes and sizes.