With most big roach on the River Trent caught by barbel anglers these days, Martin Abonyi has been targeting the species with scaled-down feeder tactics this season, using small pellets on the hook, and had great success.
Over the past three weeks he’s landed a hat-trick of two-pounders, the biggest this 2lb 10oz specimen landed on a recent session. Additionally, he’s managed others of 2lb 5oz and 2lb 4oz. Targeting the river’s tidal reaches, Martin has been fishing a cage feeder packed with halibut and hemp groundbait plus a few pellets, with an 8mm pellet hookbait on a size 14 Super Specialist hook.
Using a match-style quivertip rod, he’s been fishing a swim where there’s an inviting crease in the river, with regular casts of his dry groundbait mix, which explodes out of the feeder quickly when it hits bottom, drawing fish in.
Well done Martin!