Freshwater

Roach

Rutilo

Rutilus rutilus

FreshwaterBrackish

At a glance

Typical size

4–10 in.

Depth

2–15 ft.

Best time

All day; dusk is best for big roach.

Found in

8 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A small, bright silver fish with a blue-green back, red eyes, and red-orange lower fins. The dorsal fin starts right above the pelvic fins (in the look-alike rudd it starts farther back).
Typical size: 4–10 in.
Maximum size: About 18 in and over 4 lb; a 2-pound roach is a fish of a lifetime in England.
Diet: Insect larvae, snails, plankton and plants.
Behavior: A schooling fish of lakes, rivers and canals; the most common catch for match anglers.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Northern & Central Europe, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan, Black Sea & Caspian, Italy & Malta and Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries). Lakes, slow rivers, canals and brackish Baltic waters across Europe and western Russia; introduced to Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Habitat: Lakes, slow rivers, canals and brackish Baltic waters across Europe and western Russia; introduced to Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Depth: 2–15 ft.
Fishing depth: Mid-water to the bottom.
Best season: All year; winter roach fishing on rivers is a British tradition.
Best time: All day; dusk is best for big roach.
Best tides: No tide.
Best weather / conditions: Mild, overcast days; cold clear weather slows them.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Maggots, casters, bread flake and punch, hemp seed and sweetcorn.
Best artificial lures: Rarely used.
Tackle setup: A pole, a 12–13 ft float rod, or a light feeder rod.
Hook size: Size 14–20 barbless hooks.
Line: 2–4 lb mono.
Leader: 1½–3 lb hooklength.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

Also at Bass Pro Shops: Rod Reel Line Feeder Hooks Float Net

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Lakes, slow rivers, canals and brackish Baltic waters across Europe and western Russia; introduced to Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Rig up: A pole, a 12–13 ft float rod, or a light feeder rod. 1½–3 lb hooklength.
Pick your bait: Maggots, casters, bread flake and punch, hemp seed and sweetcorn. Lures: Rarely used.
Fish it: Feed a few maggots or hemp seeds every cast and fish a light float so the bait falls slowly through the water.
Time it: All day; dusk is best for big roach. No tide.

Fishing techniques: Feed a few maggots or hemp seeds every cast and fish a light float so the bait falls slowly through the water.
BigJoe's tip: Light lines and small hooks catch far more roach. Little and often is the rule for feeding.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Bony; eaten fried or smoked in Eastern Europe and Russia (dried 'vobla' is a Caspian roach), but mostly used as bait or released.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Harmless.
Regulations: A license plus a local permit. In England and Wales rivers close from March 15 to June 15. Freshwater fishing in Europe always needs a permit: a national or regional license where one exists (for example the rod licence in England and Wales or the French carte de pêche) plus a permit or day ticket from the club, lake or river owner.
Conservation: Mostly kept in a keepnet and released at the end of the session.

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Sources & photo credits