Big roach continue to be caught on the Linch Hill complex at Stanton Harcourt the latest a cracker weighing 3.5.8.

Wantage-based Danny Dance has been trying to catch a big roach from the venue since 1997 and he finally cracked it when he presented maggots on a size-16 hook attached to 4lb bs line.

Over the years, I cannot recall a local water which has produced so many three-pound roach.

Whether the water contains a roach big enough to beat the record (4.3.0) remains to be seen, but it is certainly an exciting water to fish.

A report in a national angling magazine that a monster chub weighing 8.11.12 a fish which would have toppled the current record had been taken from the River Taff in Wales caused much comment in the specimen world.

The massive fish was taken by two schoolboys but, unfortunately, died when it was dropped onto rocks and was so taken home and stored in a freezer.

The fish, still frozen was eventually taken to a local tackle shop who confirmed it was a chub.

Now a can of worms has been opened by another magazine whose fish biologist says it is a grass carp. Someone is going to have a lot of egg on his face!

A carp angler was put under considerable stress when a swarm of wasps attacked him while he was playing at 31.0.0 carp. Mark Mooney was on his first trip to a private lake when the swarm struck. As Mark played the big carp fellow angler Mark Howard dashed along with the landing net to assist.

Howard said: "I noticed Mark dancing about and waving his arms in the air and I then realised what was happening. Then the wasps attacked me. Luckily I had my waterproofs on and they couldn't get to me. I managed to net the fish and then walked out into the lake to my head so they could not attack me any more".

A few weeks ago while walking past an old oak tree I noticed several hornets emerging from a hole in the trunk. Wasps are one thing but hornets now I understand on the endangered list are something else and I beat a hasty retreat to a swim further along the bank.

The biggest barbel taken from the Kennet a monster weighing 14.4.0 has been taken by an angler whilst walking his dog.

Local angler David White has been catching several big barbel from Thatcham AA's reach of the river this season. Said David: "I decided to take my rod as a week before I'd had two thirteen pound barbel and it paid off as this is my first 14-pounder. David tempted the great fish with three halves of Hinders Scopex boilies on a size 7 hook and a 1oz running lead.