|
Roach
Common name:
Roach
Latin name: Rutilus
Rutilus
Family: Cyprinidae
Current UK Rod Caught Coarse Fish Record
ROACH (Rutilus rutilus) 4lb 4oz - 2006 - Keith Berry, Northern Ireland Stillwater
Description and habitat of Roach:
A moderately deep bodied fish with silvery white sides, dark brown or
grey back with a bluish or greenish tint, red/orange eyes, large
silvery scales and red lower fins, hence the nickname, 'Redfin'. An
average fish will be 6 - 8ins. Grows to 4+lb and a fish over 2lb is
considered a good fish and a 3lb fish considered a fish of a lifetime!
Found just about everywhere. Lakes, ponds, rivers and canals.
Fishing Methods for catching Roach:
Various methods including float, ledger or feeder but the float seems
best. Light tackle is the order of the day with small hooks. Roach
love casters and many a match has been won with this bait but ...
roach have a crafty habit of stealing casters and leaving you with an
empty half shell. Bury the hook totally inside the caster; you will
still be left with an empty half shell a few times but stand more
chance burying the hook than hooking it through the end of the caster.
Another way I have tried and found works, with maggots as well, is to
hook the caster through the middle. Darker casters are more buoyant in
the water, so choose the darker caster to balance out the weight of
the hook. This makes the hooked caster fall through the water at the
same rate as your loose feed. Heavy or pre-baiting with groundbait is
unnecessary. It is best to feed groundbait sparingly and use a fine
groundbait to cause a 'cloud' in the water. Add a few hook bait
samples to the groundbait and adding crushed hempseed seems to attract
roach. Roach bites are very fast so you have to be ready to strike.
Bread flake about the size of a thumbnail squeezed onto a size 16 or
14 hook often tempts the larger roach. Don’t squeeze the flake onto
the hook too hard because you want little bits to flake off to tempt
the fish and if you retrieve your float and the bread is still on the
hook you’ve squeezed it on to tightly!
Baits for catching Roach:
Hempseed, Tares, bread (either punch, flake or paste), castors,
maggots, pinkies, stewed wheat, cheese, small red worm, brandlings and
bloodworm.
|
