The disappearance of big Roach is particularly noticeable in the non-tidal stretches of the Upper Waveney from Ellingham to Diss over the last decade. At the deep and slow Fuller’s Farm, Flixton stretch opposite the Otter Trust at Earsham, it was common for anything up to five, two pound plus Roach to appear in Club match bags.

Richard Patrick, today President of the much famed Cherry Tree AC, done just that on the stick float and caster one fine August Sunday in the 1970’s with a best fish of 2 lbs 5 ozs. Biggest roach recorded in a match was at 2 lbs 15 ozs falling to John Bedwell also in the late 1970s though.

In the faster and shallow stretch below the wier at Earsham Fen more huge Roach dwelt (see picture). Higher up river than this, at Brockdish and Mendham, equally good Roach were taken regularly by master anglers such as George Wilby and Billy Crisp from Redlingfield who made a name for himself as “the Roach Raider”.

These days local Club’s Specimen Roach Cups struggle to find a pound fish from the River and are usually won with fish from various gravel pits in the area or well stocked commercial fisheries.

Without any doubt at all, the planned release of the Otter along the Valley as part of an agreed programme has had an effect on the species. Most serious though has been the illegal releases by Animal Rights Activists of mink from the Eye Life Science Research plant on to the River Dove Tributary jusyt over a decade ago. Now almost a total decimation of specimen Roach and Rudd has taken place on these non-tidal reaches of the River Waveney.
We have an Environment Agency which appears to totally ignore the control of mink and has virtually no record of opposition to Otter releases.

Fortunately the Broads Authority in its intended 2004 review acknowledges the damage done by these pesky breeding mink cats to all sorts of small aquatic creatures. Water voles and moorhen amongst them. Welcome news comes that it intends to launch a control programme. The absence of these magnificent heavyweights are sad times indeed for the improving River in every other way.

Restored riffles and much stronger flows give us now an abundance of small fish in several species apart from the Rudd. Dace are growing on once again and becoming their former dominant selves in the faster shallow reaches. This huge glass case fish which graces my front room was caught by Cherry Tree Club founder Bob Olley, now deceased, from the River Ant on the Broads on 21st July 1939 and weighed 3 lbs 5 ozs – a true giant!

But who knows – there may just be one waiting for your next cast? _ Dave Gladwell

These pictures were taken in December 1973 and show a young Dave Gladwell in action (see photo right) and the resulting catch (left)

The report in the Angling Times reported Dave as saying "The big Waveney roach are on the way back."