The Ever Faithful Roach.

 Fishing for Roach on the surface is not something you'd initially associate as a go to method for them, that said, I was feeding some crust on the surface to see if any chub or trout were present and within a short space of time I had roach well over a pound, a couple close to two pound confidently taking large lumps of crust just downstream of me. I was in awe at just how many were at it.

 Needless to say I got myself ready fairly quickly and within ten minutes I had built up a little bag of Roach before they got weary of my presence and they backed off downstream. A quick mat shot of the ones I had coaxed to the net, nothing big mind you.

 Once I released those guys back I tracked the trail of curst going down and could still some very big roach taking pieces of crust off the top, first cast had a large specimen of possibly 2lb swirl at the crust but didn't take it and continued down the run unhindered. A couple of free-bees went out and this large roach once again showed itself as the third piece of crust went down, so it was obviously being selective and for some reason wasn't confident in my offering but would wilfully take others.

 A slightly smaller piece went on just covering my size 8 hook went out and the same big roach came up and again swirled at the crust and I struck thinking it had taken it, but immediately it was obvious that it hadn't and the crust came off and was eaten by a roach further down the run. I felt my chance had passed me by and tried again after resting the run for a couple of minutes and feeding a couple of pieces of crust every thirty seconds or so to get them competing.

 The swirls started to increase in appearance and hoped this was my time, third time lucky I thought and as my crust went by the lair of the big one with no response I guessed that strike irritated it enough to drop away from that spot knowing now that it was certainly being targeted, five yards down the run a healthy swirl appeared as my crust carried on down the crease and then vanished, the line pulled tight and roach on!

 Not the biggest I'd seen surfacing but a roach all the same! Around a pound in great nick.

 After that one, two more roach did also fall foul to the floating crust but the prospect of a big roach seemed to end pretty quickly after that first miss. Another time I guess. When I back up and running.