The River Taw is well known for its game fishing but there are a few local anglers in and around Barnstaple who will treasure memories of a time when big silver flanked roach with crimson fins where caught on a regular basis. My book ” I Caught a Glimpse’ contains several recollections of big roach.
Whilst at the Dulverton Anglers Association AGM I got chatting to a fellow club member called Chris Arnold. It turned out that he once lived close to Barnstaple and one of his best friends is also a good friend of mine who I have fished with on numerous occasions over the years. Martin Turner is a keen and successful match angler who also applies his natural angling talents across all disciplines.
Following on from our chat Chris sent me this account of a day fishing the River Taw close to fifty years ago.
There are still roach and dace in the River Taw though it is several years since any specimens as big as Martins have been caught though there is always the chance that lurking within Barnstaple & District Angling Clubs waters descendants of those silver flanked still remain and will once again grow to exceed that magical 2lb weight.
In 1976 there was a drought with no rain for many months.
The river levels fell and the big roach in the River Taw gradually dropped down into lower and deeper waters. They eventually found themselves in Bridge Pool, Newbridge which is the top of the beat owned by Barnstaple & District Angling Association.
I can’t remember why (maybe we spotted them off the bridge) but it was a weekday evening in August 1976 that we both raced to get there first. Martin and I were both 17. He had a motorbike whilst I relied on my father for lift. I arrived around two minutes after Martin, so gracefully yielded the peg to him.
There was no point in me bothering to fish even the other side of Bridge Pool as we knew exactly where the fish were.
Roach Poles had only just been invented. I had not yet bought one, but Martin had done so. I just sat behind Martin and watched him fish a big lump of bread flake with a float on his pole with a sized 10 or 12 hook. There was no groundbait – just some scrunched up bread that he threw in from time to time. If it had been me, I would have probably trotted down a single maggot on a size 22 hook. Martin’s talent for fishing is unique – in knowing what to do and when to do it. He is the most naturally talented angler I have ever had the privilege of fishing with.
What happened then was probably the most significant catch in UK coarse fishing history since Georgina Ballantine in 1922.
Within a couple of hours I seem to recall that Martin caught around 9 roach. Three of them were over 2 lbs (not sure but think the best was 2 lb 10 oz), There were another three which we didn’t bother to weigh certainly over a pound and a half and some tiddlers of maybe around a pound.
I went back the following day and fished the same peg. Caught my best ever river roach at 2 lb 1oz and still have the photo, but alas, the shoal had moved on.
I didn’t realise the significance of Martin’s catch until a few years later.
CHRIS ARNOLD – February 2026
