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.
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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.
hi I started fishing a few months ago and my local pond is full of roach and dace along with bigger fish like barbel and carp but i can’t tell the diffrence between roach and dace help!
as a beginer 80 yr old just coaght 3 roach 1lb 8oz using swimfeeder pellet and sweetcorn waiting for my 1st carp dave
Mate , i heard your having a bit of trouble fishing for roach at the moment . So have i , untill today i think its just the change of weather . But try using a lighter line or a smaller hook . Hope this helps , Ben
Try using caster or bloodworm as roach and rudd love this bait in the cold weather also when fishing try going about 25cm deph as this is were they are, and by the way were is your local pond?
hi im wonderin whether there are any roach in ladybrook bramhall
hey if any1 lives near manchester, stockport or reddish then try fishing at the duck pond on reddish vale farm it costs £2.50 to fish there and u can catch carp perch roach catfish and occasionally rudd wiith little effort. also there is many different fishin sites right next to it like the river literaly 30 seconds walk and pebble beach and 5 mins walk and many more. Great place to fish.(great nightfishin) any1 wants to set up a fishin day wiv me at reddish vale farm then email me at I_Like_Ponies@hotmail.co.uk
bradlys fishing pond is brilliant for exsperianced fisher men and begginers there is loads of silver fish and big carp and the odd masive cat fish i would reccomend bradleys to anyone infact im going tomorrow 15.8.09
yes matey your dead right i love it at bradleys but im going to carter hall tomorow seeing as you want to go
i fished my pond last week and it went really quiet couldnt figure it out, until i was tol d to fish light so the last time i went there i fished light gear and it worked so im happy now and i tried some punched bbread that works too
well it simplae realy dace have narrow pointed heads yellow eyes silver flanked and a tail fin is deeply forked and daces fins are much darker than roaches. Plus dace are much more streamlined than roach. What you also hav to watch is dace may represent a small a chub but once again they can be easlily be told apart!!!!. Hope this helps good luck fishing Tom
u should put more bait out and try different methods
i am 81 years young been coarse fishing just over a year just got mitchel 13ft match rod for xmas going to fish for roach wiht waggler 3lb line 3/4 lb hook is this ok dave……
could anybody tell me wheres fishing good in manchester i use the waggler,any information would be greatly appreciated thanks
west lake lodge peterborough 15lb roach very good sport
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