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Roach on the Berry

Paul Hayes

Senior Member
For the last 4 seasons this time of year I have targeted a local still water for roach. Every year I take with me just 2 baits, hemp and elderberries. Size 16 or 18 hook less than half a pint of hemp and around the same of elderberries. Result this year in just 3 hours fishing was just over 12lb of roach. Very enjoyable session.
I enjoy fishing the Berry at this time of year, natural bait free but rarely used by a lot of anglers. Next session will be next week.:)
 
Great bait,last year i caught a lot of barbel fishing,elderberry.I was fishing a very pressured stretch of river and they seemed to prefer them to pellets.They were taking them on the drop,probably having never been caught on them before.
 
I was trying to catch the big Roach and fishing accordingly,very light.What was surprising,if you fed pellets the barbel, having been caught lots of times on pellet behaved totally different to when i fed the berries.They really wanted the berries taking them on the drop and chasing for them.When feeding pellets only the odd one behaved like this.The Roach did not get a look in.I ended up using a size 14 korum hook and 7.9 preston line and caught a lot
 
Mark i can assure you lots of the barbel there have been caught on berry, Keith and i used to fish hemp and berry for the roach. We caught more than our fair share!. To give the roach a chance you have to feed twice each put in, first heavy for the barbel to follow then lighter for the roach to fly back out for. Fish 2/3 depth and don't run it down to far.
 
Paul,I should have realised that you lads had used them before.I tried to use them today but sadly most on the trees had gone dry.Cheers for the advise.
 
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