Roach (Rutilus rutilus)

One of the most popular fish among anglers

Widespread and abundant, happy to take a wide range of bait, it’s no wonder the roach is one of the most popular fish among anglers.

Roach is probably the commonest fish species caught by anglers in this country, and is the mainstay of many match fisheries.

It is tolerant of a very wide range of environmental conditions and is therefore widely distributed in Britain, from the clear, cold waters of the Tay to the murky waters of the Rother, and from Scottish lochs to muddy farm ponds. It is even found in brackish conditions.

Roach are quite tolerant of many forms of pollution, which accounts for their abundance in the rivers Trent and Calder when they were more polluted by power station, industrial and sewage effluents than they are today.

They are most abundant in slow-flowing or still waters where they usually occur in shoals close to areas of vegetation

The roach has variable characteristics

Although young roach are slim, adult fish are relatively deep-bodied, especially in waters where feeding conditions are favourable. The body is laterally flattened, with a small head and a small, slightly oblique, terminal mouth. A single row of throat teeth helps to distinguish it from some close relatives, which have two rows.

The body colour is variable but is usually dark on the back shading to a white underbelly. The dorsal and caudal fins are usually dark brown but the colour of the pelvic and anal fins may range from orange to a vermilion red.

The iris of the eye is red and has given rise to a common name of redeye and probably the Latin name of Rutilus rutilus, which means ‘golden red’.

The roach resembles a number of closely related species, such as common bream, silver bream, chub, rudd and bleak. Firm identification can be difficult at times, as the roach often hybridises with these other fish. Only the one species is recognised in Britain, but in other European countries its variable body form has led to descriptions of a number of subspecies.

The roach is a shoaling species that is active throughout the year, even in the coldest weather. It will feed throughout the day, although like many other species, it is more active at dusk and dawn. These characteristics endear it to anglers, because good catches of roach can be made most of the time.

Spawning and growth in roach

Male roach reach maturity after two-four years, while females take about a year longer. They usually spawn between April and June, commonly on marginal vegetation such as willow roots and willow moss.

There is often quite a shoal of fish in a small area and spawning may be accompanied by splashing as they break the surface. The males at this time have small white tubercles on the head, fin rays and on each side. The eggs, about 1-1.5mm in diameter, stick to the weeds, and hatch after about ten days at 12-14^oC, or longer at lower temperatures.

In most waters the fish do not move far to spawn, but a limited migration has been observed towards shallow, weedy areas in some locations.

The growth of roach varies greatly according to the type and quantity of food available and the temperature. Competition for food in a dense population can result in stunted growth of individuals. A condition often seen in densely stocked fisheries.

Feeding and growth in roach

In warm, rich waters roach can grow rapidly, but the fastest growing stocks tend to have a short life, with the result that the largest fish may be found in the rich, but relatively cooler waters of chalk streams, where they may live longer.

Recruitment of roach may vary greatly from year to year, for example the warm summers of 1975, 1984, and 1989-91 led to strong year-classes which have dominated stocks over subsequent years. Competition between fish as a result of strong year-classes can reduce growth rates and breeding success in subsequent years..

Roach are very adaptable in their diet and eat a wide range of plant and animal material. In the face of strong competition for animal food, they can get most of their nourishment from detritus and filamentous algae.

The small fish eat diatoms and small planktonic crustaceans, larger fish eat a range of insect larvae, especially chironomid midges, filamentous algae and higher plants, and the largest fish include a large proportion of water snails and pea mussels in their diet

Methods of Capture.

Float fished and legered baits will catch Roach. Steady loose feeding will tempt the shoal to feed and become confident. Popular baits are maggot, castors, small redworms and bread either punch or flake. Other baits that can be used are hempseed, tares, sweetcorn and bloodworm.
A float such as a waggler with small shot (no.6 or 8) spread evenly down the line and plumbed to allow the hook to sit on or just off the bottom, will allow the bait to fall gradually with loose feed through the water. Initially bites may well come once the bait has settled but as the Roach starts to feed often bites start to be taken whilst on the drop. Once this happens keep up with the loose feed, little and often, but shorten the depth of the main line. Be prepared to have to return it to it's original setting though should the shoal become spooked. Groundbait used sparingly can also tempt a wary shoal into feeding.
Stick floats work equally well in flowing water, again with a similar set-up.
Legered baits also need loose fed samples around the hook-bait, this is where swimfeeders come into their own. Either a closed feeder for maggots or an open ended feeder with a mix of groundbait and samples of hook-bait, cast repeatedly into the same area is an effective method.
Roach initially tend to be shy and the bites may often appear as little more than a knock or dip of the float but once they become confident the bites will become more positive.  Pole fishing is particularly effective, again with a float set as above.

Fast, sucked out maggot, roach bites can be turned into fish in the net by simply side-hooking the maggot instead of through the blunt end as we normally do. As the fish possibly gain confidence through loose-feeding, they compete more and take quicker leading to positive but hard to hit bites. Experiment and see if it works for you. 

Tip: When fishing for Roach feed the swim  heavily before fishing. For hook bait use a cocktail of one maggot and one caster, and you will be catching both rudd and roach all day long. Though you must keep baiting the swim.