Fishing For Roach In The Wilderness

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Fishing Academy

January-February is rightfully considered the middle of the so-called deaf winter - the time when frosty, calm weather is sometimes replaced by long blizzards. High snowdrifts poured over the thick ice of the reservoirs. It is gloomy and uncomfortable under water. Oxygen is supplied from the atmospheric air very little, so oxygen starvation begins for most fish. And, as a result, there are deaths. They are especially destructive for small closed reservoirs.

During this period, the biting of many fish (bream, pike perch, pike and even the usually restless ruff) noticeably weakens. This is the off-season time when few anglers venture out onto the pond. And in vain … Even in this seemingly bezleless time, you can successfully fish. But for this you need to know where and what to fish.

It is well known that the oxygen regime in rivers is much more favorable than in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. This is due to several factors: a later freeze-up, a large number of springs, a current that agitates the water. All this allows river inhabitants (including fish) to lead a more active lifestyle than in other places. This primarily concerns roach. Therefore, in the wilderness, it is necessary to adjust the tackle specifically for this fish.

You can catch roach both with a float rod and a jig. The main nozzle for fishing roach is a bloodworm. Worms can also be used. Willingly takes this fish in the wilderness for burdock moth.

If there is a strong current on the river, then a float rod should be preferred. Equipping it is a snap. You need to take a short fishing rod, a line with a diameter of 0.10-0.15 mm (preferably tinted to match the color of the water or the bottom), a small light float 3-5 centimeters long, which should be sunk with a sinker. At the end of the fishing line, a shot-sinker is attached, above which there is a 15-20 cm leash with hook No. 4 (see Fig. 1).

Practice shows that it is better to use two hooks: No. 4 on a short reins 6-7 centimeters from the lead, and 14-15 centimeters from it - the second No. 3-5. Why two hooks? Roach in winter more often takes from the bottom. Therefore, almost until the very end of winter, you can do with one crochet. But at the beginning of spring (usually in March), the roach becomes more active and begins to take the bait even at half the water. Therefore, during this period, a second hook is needed.

On rivers in winter, fishing for roach with jigging tackle is quite successful. But only with a small current. Since the jigs are too small (and they are the most catchy), the current carries them away, and they quickly find themselves under the ice. A larger one is also not suitable: although it will be at the bottom, it can alert the fish. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the best option: the strength of the current is the weight of the jig. It is well established that for fishing on the river, especially near algae, the shape and color of the jig are important. It can be assumed that they remind fish of the living creatures that they usually feed on: beetles, crustaceans, various larvae.

The vibration amplitude of the jig in winter should be minimal, and the frequency should be very high. And the most, perhaps, the main thing: the jig must be slowly moved vertically near the bottom. It should be noted that most often the bites occur at the moment the jig detaches from the bottom and during its slow gliding descent.

A universal tackle for catching winter roach should be recognized as a hybrid of mormyshechny and float tackle, where instead of a float there is a nod. The main line is 0.2 mm, at its end there is a heavy sinker, and above it there are two leashes with a diameter of 0.1-0.15 mm with hooks. The length of the leashes is regulated by pieces of rubber, into which both the leash and the main line are passed (see Fig. 2).

In winter, roach bites are so careful that they should not be expected. It is necessary to react even to a slight movement of the float or a nod and immediately hook.

And although our great naturalist MM Prishvin argued: "Roach is a dreary fish", in the wilderness, when no fish is caught, this statement hardly matters. After all, it is not for nothing that folk wisdom says: "There is a fish for lack of fish and cancer." And even more so roach! So good luck to you anglers …