Bag-up roach fishing in winter

[The Flying Tench]

This is the time of year when, for me at least, the number of blanks increases and I occasionally look for a fishing 'shot in the arm'. 'Do not fear!' say the angling magazines. There are wondrous places, often town centres, where the roach shoal up in winter, and you can't fail to bag up. The reason they shoal up in town centres is not clear to me. Some say it is to get away from cormorants, but that seems to be based on some research in Denmark where it seems the roach from a big lake abscond in winter to the little rivers that flow into the lake - a bit different.

But for whatever reason there are places where it seems you can bag up on roach in winter. Not necessarily monsters, but good sport nevertheless: the old river Nene in March; the Wye in Hereford; the Welland in Spalding; the Forty Foot Drain at Ramsey St Mary's, near Huntingdon.

Has anyone had any experience of these places, or similar ones, in winter? Is it really as the angling mags say? 

[Martin56]

It's probably no co incidence that Roach, & other species shoal up in town centres alongside where the Ducks, Geese & Swans gather for the easy pickings fed to them by members of the public. The fish might not normally feed that much in winter, but have learned that being close to these birds, it's easy when they want it.

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Martin56

[BoldBear]

In built up areas in towns and cities it is often a degree or so warmer than in the countryside away from built up areas which is why the fish can sometimes congregate and feed a bit more often than their out of town brethren.

Plus as Martin says; any bread or other feed which is put in to feed the ducks or swans etc. can also attract feeding fish.

However in wet weather when the rain water is running directly off of the road surfaces in towns then the opposite can also be true.

Keith

Edited November 30, 2021 by BoldBear

[Peterjg]

Logically you would think that in the winter when supposedly natural food is scarce that the roach would spread out looking for it?  They obviously don't though, they do the opposite, they shoal up in which I think is a safety in numbers strategy.  It definitely pays to move until you find them, whole bits of river or canal can be fishless.  There is a long section of the K&A canal which in winter is empty of roach because they are tightly shoaled very near a lock.

[The Flying Tench]

14 hours ago, BoldBear said:

In built up areas in towns and cities it is often a degree or so warmer than in the countryside away from built up areas which is why the fish can sometimes congregate and feed a bit more often than their out of town brethren.

Plus as Martin says; any bread or other feed which is put in to feed the ducks or swans etc. can also attract feeding fish.

However in wet weather when the rain water is running directly off of the road surfaces in towns then the opposite can also be true.

Keith

There's a swim on the Thames near me where some warm water comes in. When I took the temperature a few days ago it was 10degC warmer than the main river, so I fully expected to bag up. But I blanked!

[The Flying Tench]

6 hours ago, Peterjg said:

Logically you would think that in the winter when supposedly natural food is scarce that the roach would spread out looking for it?  They obviously don't though, they do the opposite, they shoal up in which I think is a safety in numbers strategy.  It definitely pays to move until you find them, whole bits of river or canal can be fishless.  There is a long section of the K&A canal which in winter is empty of roach because they are tightly shoaled very near a lock.

As an ex Newbury person this is fascinating. 20 years, and I never discovered! Though to be fair I didn't try for roach often in the canal. But I knew it was true for perch, and you had to find their 'winter quarters' though I think it wasn't as extreme as you're saying with the roach. I'm not aware that big sections were perchless, and the shoals of perch were quite small. With the roach, would you say the phenomenon is more extreme on the canal than the river or lakes?

[Peterjg]

Flying Tench, it's probably the same with rivers.  As for lakes I don't know as I mainly stick to the rivers and canals in winter.  One thing for sure though with roach is that they are so fussy about light or/and water clarity.  I appreciate that there will always be exceptions but generally light or/and water clarity is so important for roach.  

The problem is  that my enthusiasm always over-rules common sense and I still go roach fishing at the wrong times and conditions!

Edited December 1, 2021 by Peterjg

[The Flying Tench]

33 minutes ago, Peterjg said:

Flying Tench, it's probably the same with rivers.  As for lakes I don't know as I mainly stick to the rivers and canals in winter.  One thing for sure though with roach is that they are so fussy about light or/and water clarity.  I appreciate that there will always be exceptions but generally light or/and water clarity is so important for roach.  

The problem is  that my enthusiasm always over-rules common sense and I still go roach fishing at the wrong times and conditions!

So presumably you are saying there should not be much light, and there should be a reasonable amount of colour in the water?

Incidently, it's interesting that they shoal up near a lock. I wonder if that is often the case. I'm thinking that they might go as far as they can in a given direction until they come to a lock and can't go any further. I'm thinking this might shorten the time needed to find out where they are.