Often called the ‘redfin’ the roach is one of the most abundant and popular species in the British Isles with its slim silver body, greenish blue back and distinctive red fins a familiar sight to most fishermen. It thrives in a wide range of aquatic environments, from the murkiest looking urban canals and ponds to huge clear reservoirs and grand fast flowing rivers, making it readily available to fishermen all over the country.
It breeds in the spring time producing its yellowish sticky eggs in shallow weedy water where the fry find shelter in their first few weeks of life. The roach sheds up to 20,000 eggs per pound of body weight which partly explains why they are so numerous and widespread in UK waters. It is heavily predated by pike, perch and other predators and in clear waters the percentage of fry that survive to adulthood can be low however if you are looking for big roach large clear waters, like reservoirs and gravel pits, with a good head of pike and perch are good places to try with the lower survival rate leading to remaining roach growing to specimen sizes. In smaller coloured waters with no predators the population can become stunted with too many roach competing for too little food.
The roach is closely related to rudd and bream and as these species spawn at the same time and often in the same places their eggs can be cross-fertilized leading to hybridisation with roach-rudd and roach-bream hybrids often growing much bigger than true roach. In waters where two or all three of these species co-habiting identification of true roach can be a problem.
Diet
The roach’s slightly protruding top lip tells us that it is predominantly a bottom feeder however it often feeds up in the water and can sometimes be found feeding on the surface. In the wild it feeds mainly on insects and insect larvae algae and other plant matter but on heavily fished waters anglers baits provide a large portion of their diet with maggots, casters, hemp, tares being particular favourites on natural fisheries. On commercial fisheries carp baits like pellets, sweetcorn and boilies are eaten with gusto with some surprisingly large specimens having been caught by mistake by carp anglers.
Catching Roach
Whatever method you choose to target roach you must fish with as light a line and hook as you can to catch these tackle shy fish with any consistency.
i ve fished my local pond most of last week.its really good normally it is stocked with just about everything.but at the moment its really quiet struggling to get a bite. wot shall i do is it the change of weather?
I reckon its probably the change in weather, after all it dropped down to minus nine from being relatively warm didnt it!
Is groundbait allowed? If so, fishing a low feed content groundbait such as Van Den Eydne Supercup along with small baits such as squatts, pinkies and maggots should get you a few bites. Try to fish light, with 2lb (0.10) hooklengths or lower.
If its really hard, it might be worth investing in some bloodworm and joker, but hopefully now the weather has warmed back up there will be no need to do this!
just reading about using a bolt rig to catch roach. Is it best to have a fixed bolt rig or running? I have been using a running rig and not had a lot of luck, was was wondering if I fixed the rig would I see/get more bites?
thanks
john
If anyone is around kirkby liverpool leeds canal and happens to have their fishing gear, I would recommend you try fishing it. The venue has been fishing well these last couple of weeks with roach to 3lb and pike to 15lb
The best water ive fished fr roach is bradleys ponds at ford in sheffield.
Notify me of followup comments via e-mail
Home
Contact
Forums
RSS Feed
Jason
