Roach (family Cyprinidae) is a common fish found in almost all rivers, floodplain reservoirs, reservoirs and lakes in the center of Europe and Asia Minor. This is the most common fish species and can often be seen entering ponds when they are filled with surface water sources. Due to its ubiquity, it is of interest to fishermen.
Description of the fish
The track fish is a common inhabitant of Europe east of the Pyrenees, southern England and the Alpine range, as well as the Aral and Caspian seas and rivers of Siberia and Central Asia.It prefers to gather in groups in bodies of water with weak currents near snags or overhanging trees covered with aquatic vegetation.
In lakes it tends to stay near shallow areas that are warmed by sunlight. It avoids swampy or silt-filled areas of reservoirs. Small roach fish are not afraid of people, while larger specimens are usually more cautious.
Before the arrival of winter, fish will accumulate in schools, trying to swim to deeper areas of the water. They will remain there for the entire winter season. When the ice melts and the water level rises, they can be seen on floodplains and in any adjacent bodies of water.
Body structure and its features
This fish can be distinguished from other similar ones by its pharyngeal teeth, which are located in one row on each side (from 6 to 5 teeth, respectively) and are devoid of serrations. The body of the common roach is covered with relatively large scales, from 45 to 40 along the lateral line. The mouth is located at the tip of the snout, and the dorsal fin begins near where the pelvic fins begin.
The back of the fish is dark, sometimes appearing greenish or bluish. Its underside and sides are silver in color. The pectoral fins are yellowish, the ventral and pelvic fins are red, and the caudal and dorsal fins are greyish-green with a faint reddish tint. The fish's eyes have a yellow iris with a red spot on it. Occasionally there are individuals with yellow eyes and fins, as well as golden scales on the back and sides with a reddish tint.
Rudd and roach are quite similar, the main difference between them being the color of the eye patch; in the roach it is blood red, and in the rudd it is simply red.The number of soft feathers on their dorsal fins also varies: from 10 to 12 in roach and from 8 to 9 in rudd. Additionally, there are hybrid varieties that exhibit characteristics taken from both species.
Classification
This fish species can live in freshwater, semi-freshwater and saltwater habitats. The most famous freshwater subspecies are Siberian, common and chebak. In non-freshwater habitats, the Azov-Black Sea roach (or ram), Caspian and Aral roach are found. At the same time, they all look approximately the same, with the exception of some features mentioned above.
Features of roach life
Roaches usually exist in schools, usually with one mature fish in the center and numerous juveniles around it. Schools of fish live along the coastline, and their fry can often be seen in shallow waters, where they prefer to feed. The level of fish activity is not related to the time of day.
Diet
The diet of fish includes both plant and animal flesh. They consume seeds, filamentous algae and other aquatic vegetation. After emerging from the yolk sac, the larvae feed on rotifers before moving on to insect larvae, crustaceans and higher algae.
The young then feed on softer aquatic vegetation in addition to crustaceans and small bloodworms. As they grow older, their interest shifts towards mollusks, and crustaceans, insect larvae, water mites and worms are of secondary importance.
The types of food roaches eat and the size of the food varies depending on whether the fish live in deep or shallow waters, and in rivers or reservoirs.
Spawning
Sexual development occurs within two to three years. Reproduction begins in spring when water temperatures reach 8°C and is most active at temperatures between 10°C and 12°C. Spawning occurs vigorously in quiet, densely vegetated coastal areas of lakes or rivers. Before spawning, males of this species are distinguished by pearl-like growths on their scales, which make them rough to the touch. However, after mating, this rash is no longer present.
Spawning occurs in places where last year's aquatic vegetation and roots of plants such as reeds and willows are present. In these places there is usually little or no water flow. The embryos in the eggs take one to two weeks to develop. After hatching, the larvae first remain in place, and then, having begun to feed, move to shallow water near the shores of ponds.
Where is it used?
In Europe, especially in the north, roaches have been regarded as trash fish since the 1970s and are rarely eaten. Only larger roaches are sold, and at a very low price. Most of it is used for feed and even for the production of biodiesel.
In Russia, the semi-anadromous subspecies is caught commercially, including ram and roach. This type of fish is caught in large quantities only in Siberia, while in other places it is used for recreational fishing.
Fishing Features
When the water is clear, the best time to catch ram is from May to June, when the fish lay their eggs, as well as in the days before and after spawning. In Russia, fishing is prohibited in most areas during this period.In the spring, it is more productive to fish in the afternoon because it gives the water a chance to warm up. When summer comes, roaches can usually be caught in greater numbers at sunrise.
Roaches are attracted to a variety of baits, such as worms and bloodworms. In the summer and early autumn months, it can also be caught using maggots, steamed wheat, greens, dough, semolina, pearl barley and even bark beetle larvae. Bread is a popular bait for catching these fish, but recently anglers have had success using corn.
Roaches can be found in spring, summer and autumn in bodies of water where the water hardly moves, near aquatic plants. She loves warm water with a sandy bottom. In reservoirs and lakes, it usually stays near the shoreline, hiding in depressions, holes or bays. When fishing for roach on large rivers during the summer months, it is best to stay close to the shoreline.
What gear to use
The most common approach to catching roach with a fishing rod is to use a light rod and thin line (0.2-0.1 mm) with a sensitive float, as well as hooks up to size 5 (depending on the bait). To catch large river roach moving with the current, it is best to do this from a boat or from the shore. Roach in large bodies of water, such as the Dnieper, is usually caught using bottom gear.
Winter fishing
During the winter, roach are a popular target for ice fishing as they are active throughout the year and are found in abundance in the waters.
Roach fishing activity usually begins three to four days after solid ice forms on the reservoirs.Large and medium-sized fish are found at depths of 1.5 to 2 meters in places with various ledges, holes and other bottom irregularities. It can survive the cold season near the mouths of small rivers, streams, near bushes, and around snags.
As a rule, fish do not like to move from their winter habitats. Therefore, it will be possible to find large roaches in the same places as last year.
If you catch roach in winter in an unfamiliar pond or river, then the best strategy is to throw several fishing lines into holes created at a distance of 10-15 meters from each other and lure the fish. December and February are particularly challenging times for ice fishing as the fish become lethargic and hold in the deepest parts of the water, so it is important to correctly identify where they are. Once this is determined, half the battle is likely won. However, whether it will be possible to interest her in the bait remains to be seen.
Fishing for roach in winter is highly dependent on weather conditions. You should not go out into the reservoir when there is a surge in pressure, as fish activity is lower. The most ideal time to catch roach is during the thaw. Roaches can be caught throughout the day, but they are especially active in the morning and evening hours with good bait.
In February, roach become more active and mobile, which forces more anglers to go out onto the ice, resulting in increased catches until all the ice melts.
Catching roach in winter requires delicate gear, since bites are usually not noticeable. The fishing line should be from 0.15 to 0.08 mm thick and only thicker at greater depths (up to 0.20 mm). The hooks should be small, usually size 3 or 2.5, and the sharpness of their point is of great importance; if they are not sharp enough, the fish can easily slip off them.
In winter, a jig with a single hook is used to catch roach. Many anglers choose float fishing with a rod that has a hard but light float that can detect even the slightest bite of a fish on the bait.
To attract fish to the fishing spot and keep it there, anglers use various mixtures of bait. This is due to the fact that fish usually look for food in the water column. Therefore, the bait used to catch roach in winter should be loose and create a food cloud in the water.
Groundbait, purchased or made at home, may include bread crumbs, millet and semolina, and bran. For holes with shallow depths, it is thrown directly into the water, but at greater depths, special feeders are used to “disperse” the bait in the lower layers of the water.
