How far out are the roach?

[The Flying Tench]

I went fishing with a friend for roach in a park lake recently. I fished a couple of rod lengths out, he was 4 or 5 rods out. He outfished me by miles, although I must say on a previous occasion I did fine less than 2 rods out. But we had a bit of a discussion on how far out you would expect the roach to be.

 

The arguments for casting well out were:

 

1. Predators are likely to lurk near the bushes, and the better roach will have learned to keep clear

 

2. Carp may cruise round the margins, though I do know of a lake where the carp stick in the middle and the roach stay well in.

 

3. In some park lakes the walkers might scare the fish from the margins, though in this case there were not many walkers and the water was quite murky

 

The arguments for fishing one or two rod lengths out were:

 

1. There is likely to be food from some of the trees (a bit, anyway?)

 

2. Don't all fish like cover? Though unless they are literally below the cover, maybe that doesn't apply?

 

3. It's easier to fish close in, particularly accurate feeding.

 

 

Any views? I am particularly talking about still water, though comments about running water welcome too.

 

John

[Phone]

Tench,

 

Cyprids are, more distinctly influenced by their physiological conditions than many other fishes. The importance of temperature in sustaining the boundary is critical not only for the fish but the food source biomass. I would suspect the "conditions" you site are dynamic.

 

Phone

 

(now someone is going to tell me dace are not dink carp(?))

[Ken L]

At this time of year, roach location in a Stillwater has probably got more to do with depth and water temperature.

In the summer, roach will often be right in close looking for terrestrial insects and nymphs hatching in the shallows but there's not much to draw them in in winter where the shallows are devoid of food and where they will often be exposed to predators in water that is clearer than it is in summer.

On a warm winter day, I'd still happily fish for the roach at a couple of rod lengths but only if the wind was blowing right at me and bringing warm surface water and all the food to my side of the lake - otherwise, I'd be plumbing around a bit further out, looking for deeper water, and preferably a drop off into deeper water.

[poledark]

John, did you plumb the depths?

 

Den

[The Flying Tench]

John, did you plumb the depths?

 

Den

Yes. Where I caught them further in previously it was about 4ft, but for various reasons we ended up this time in a rather shallow area where it was 3ft at best. Perhaps 6 inches deeper where my friend was fishing, a couple of rods further out. So this would all tie in with what Ken is saying.

 

Re predators, I haven't heard about any pike in this small lake. There are big perch, which I am told are to be found close in, but I don't know how much they would trouble a 1lb roach?

[Ken L]

"Re predators, I haven't heard about any pike in this small lake."

 

Of course, there's also grebes, herons, cormorants and otters - all of whom will find it easier to hunt in relatively shallow water.