NAME

Roach (Rutilus rutilus)

AVERAGE WEIGHT

Roach do not reach the large sizes attained by other coarse fish, a fish of 2 lbs (0.9 kg) would be considered a fantastic specimen.

ALSO KNOWN AS

Common Roach and Red Fin

IUCN STATUS

LC – Least Concern

A NOTE ON SPAWNING

Roach are closely related to both Rudd and Bream, as such they spawn around the same time, usually between April and early June, when water temperatures are around 18°C, usually on sunny days. Females often return to the same areas every year to spawn. When they do actually spawn, they often do so with a lot of energy, as the larger male fish follow females. The result is a lot of splashing, with some fish being seen jumping well out of the water.

Healthy females can produce up to 100,000 sticky yellow eggs per kg of body weight. These eggs are generally laid on weeds, usually in the upper levels of the water. The fry which emerge, just like immature roach, are easily targetted by predators. Waters with many predators and limited food sources produce few fish which are large. An anglers dream!

SO HOW DO WE CATCH ONE?

BEST BAITS

Their natural diet is made up of insects, aquatic vegetation, small water snails, bloodworms and fish fry.

Roach will continue to feed throughout the year and are known to take almost anything, but maggots, casters, bread baits, hemp, sweetcorn and worms are amongst the most effective baits. For large roach, bread flake is very effective.

SEASONS

Roach can be caught throughout the year. In summer they tend to move closer to the surface to feed on insects which are found there. In winter, roach shoals journey to deep water, where they form large, crowded shoals. In fisheries, these shoals are known as ‘hotspots’ and can provide much action once the season has ended.

METHODS

Catching small roach can be done with almost any rig, rod, bait and technique. Therefore, we will be focusing on how you catch large roach, by which we mean anything which is 1 lb or more.

Swims which have cover, such as overhanging trees or bushes, and where the river deepens and the flow slows are fantastic spots for large roach. Slacker waters just off the main current, along reed beds are also good roach spots.