✅ Difference between roach and rudd. Use in cooking. Interesting information about the track

Sorozhka fish (or common roach)

The roach or roach is the most numerous fish. Every day in Russia, fishermen catch several hundred tons of this fish.

It is found practically everywhere and is quite easy to catch, which is why the fish is a common ingredient in everyone’s favorite fish. Although most specimens are not large, sometimes you come across really large specimens, which are a pleasure to catch.

General information about the track

In Siberia, this fish has a completely different name, where it is known as chebak. It has several names - chebak, roach, roach, soroga.

The population of this fish is the largest in all of Europe. There are several types, but their appearance is practically the same. There are differences only in habitat, behavioral characteristics and slight differences in appearance.

What does a track look like?

The appearance of the roach is known to every self-respecting fisherman; only those who have never been fishing can fail to recognize this remarkable individual. The back of the collar is slightly darker than the body, with tints of blue or green. It has a small red fin.

Habitat

This fish is found throughout Europe. It can be caught in reservoirs of Siberia, in the basin of the Caspian and Aral seas.

It is very easy to find, because roach lives in large rivers, and even in small ponds and lakes. But, in order to catch it, you need to know the specific place where she spends her time.

To detect it, you just need to carefully examine the body of water in search of algae thickets in a place with a weak current. It can be found near trees or where it can find a lot of food.

First of all, you need to look for a path in lakes or rivers into which small streams flow or in those reservoirs on the banks of which there are many trees, especially willows. There are a lot of such places throughout Russia; you won’t have any difficulties finding them.

Sorogi fish nutrition

How to catch more fish?

This fish eats almost everything. The main diet consists of insects, which she catches when they land on the water or fall from a tree:

Mosquitoes
Midges
Grasshoppers
flies
Caterpillars
Insect larvae

Fishing

Previously, when only valuable species of fish were important in fishing, if a fish was caught in a net, it was simply thrown away, so it died in huge quantities. Over time, this fish began to be appreciated, especially when the fishing industry began to actively develop. Even large industrialists caught it; it was harvested in huge quantities, several million kilograms.

For sale, it was smoked, dried and dried. Roach was very popular, because its price was low and the meat was very tasty. The smoked carcass was a little more expensive, the salted carcass was much cheaper.

Interesting facts about roach

Some pretty fun facts about this fish:

The track is so common all over the world that in many countries its image can even be seen on postage stamps.
It is best to look for it in fresh rivers with a lot of algae. Usually specimens weighing 100-400 g are caught, but specimens weighing 2 kg have been caught several times in the lakes of the Urals.
It is often confused with the rudd. But the most important distinguishing feature is the roach’s eyes; they have a bright red rim.
The best time for fishing is when the reservoirs are covered with the first ice, and when it begins to melt at the end of winter.
The track grows very slowly, ten-year-old individuals weigh only 300 g.

Roach or sorog

Roach or sorog, as it is popularly called, is a very popular fish. Due to the abundance of roach, it is successfully caught almost all year round.

The body is wide, the scales are large. The iris of the eyes is orange, with a large spot at the top. The back is greenish, the sides and belly are silvery. The ventral, anal and caudal fins are orange to red. Coloring largely depends on age, habitat and other local conditions and environment.

In rivers, it prefers to stay away from strong currents - in creeks, oxbow lakes, backwaters among sparse aquatic vegetation. Avoids dense thickets. In lakes, it inhabits mainly shallow areas that are well warmed by the sun. Roach avoids heavily swampy areas of lakes and silted reservoirs, where death occurs, and is absent in mountainous sections of rivers.

With the onset of cold weather, like the vast majority of peaceful fish, it gathers in large schools and migrates to deep-sea backwaters with a slow current. It stays here throughout the winter; during the thaw, some of its individuals can approach the shores in search of food. After the opening of reservoirs and with the rise of flood waters, the roach leaves its winter shelters and enters the floodplain and floodplain reservoirs.

Fish reach sexual

Spawning in the spring begins with a water temperature of 8 degrees in the coastal zone. Its spawning occurs most actively at a temperature of 10-12°. During spawning, it forms flocks that approach quiet, heavily overgrown coastal areas of reservoirs. The spawning process proceeds rapidly. In calm weather, at dawn and especially with sunrise, splashes of water are constantly heard as a result of spawning games of spawners, some of them jump above the surface of the water. Before spawning, males are covered with a pearly rash, which gives a rough appearance to their body. Soon after spawning, this nuptial plumage disappears. The roach lays its eggs on last year's vegetation (stems, leaves), on its floating remains, as well as on the roots of willows, reeds and other plants. There is no water flow at spawning sites or its speed does not exceed 0.2-0.3 m/sec.

can be caught all year round.

Roach is an omnivorous fish and therefore can be successfully caught using various types of bait.

It is advisable to hunt roach using bait. For one catch, depending on the biting activity, you will need 1.5-3.0 kg of dry bait. Usually the bait consists of breadcrumbs, milk powder, crushed cake, oatmeal, etc. Ballast – clay and river sand. Roaches, like people, love freshly prepared food, i.e. This also applies to baits and groundbaits. Therefore, fishermen prepare bait at the fishing site on water from a given reservoir.

The largest specimens of roach are often caught in the spring and in small rivers. Among baits, preference should be given to baits of animal origin - larvae, pieces of worms, etc. We must not forget that roach is an omnivorous fish.

Catching roach in summer is much more difficult than in spring, but more interesting. In summer, the roach has enough food in the reservoir, so the main thing for the fisherman is to choose the right bait, and often in such cases the “greens” can help him out, although this bait is used quite rarely.

“greens” filamentous algae that grow at shallow depths, mainly on stones, piles and other objects located under water. The best “greens” are young, bright and thin. A supply of fresh algae collected directly from the river before fishing is usually stored in any container with water. Catching roach on “greens” has its own characteristics. Firstly, fish are caught only on the current during wiring. Secondly, you need to catch underwater algae downstream, because where “greenery” grows, the roach is most often well-fed. Thirdly, this hunt is very dynamic, and the tackle should be fairly light, but of a rigid structure. Before attaching, a strand of algae about 7 cm long and about 3 cm thick is pulled out from the total mass and bent in half. Then a double loop is made in the shape of the letter B. The hook is threaded through the hole, the loop is tightened and the ends about 3 cm long are cut off. The bait should swim in mid-water or near the ground. The optimal fishing depth is determined practically. The bite on this bait is fast, and the hook should be the same.

Another good attachment is a semolina chatterbox . “Chatterbox” is prepared as follows.

A handful of semolina is thrown into boiling water and stirred over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Then, after a short cooling, the mass is kneaded by hand, adding a little flour until a homogeneous mass is formed. The resulting “chatter” is placed in a medical syringe, and when fishing, it is wound by squeezing it onto a hook - and your hands do not get dirty, and the viscous mass does not dry out.

Fishing with a float rod

Roach fishing is usually done with a sufficiently long rod, which should be quite rigid, a fishing line with a diameter of 0.15-0.20 mm is used, medium-sized hooks are used, preferably with a short shank. The best float for catching roach is considered to be a goose feather.

When fishing for roach, the line must be constantly tensioned in order to make the hook in time.

When fishing, you need to look for roach, for which you change the fishing depth and bait; if after several casts there are no bites, then it is better to change the place.

The bite of a large roach is confident, the float seems to hit an obstacle and sinks, the small roach crushes the float. When fishing, you need to constantly carefully monitor the behavior of the float, since roach is a stealing fish and will quickly leave the hook bare.

Fishing in grass and snags

In places where fishing with a regular float rod is problematic, you can try fishing vertically, without a float, raising and lowering the nozzle to the bottom. You will feel the bite when you hit the line.

It is very interesting to catch roach from a boat using winter fishing rods, and you can fish with both a float rod and a jig. I don’t know why, but the jig attracts roaches in the summer, although it is not a gambling perch.

In autumn, roach prefers to peck on the same baits as in spring, and “sandwiches”. It is not uncommon at this time of year to bite large roach on fry or mini-spoon baits of various designs. But this is the exception rather than the rule.

Basically, roaches are active throughout the winter season. Sometimes for successful fishing it is not superfluous to feed the roach.

To catch roach, it is better to use not round jigs, but elongated jigs, like a small jig or an ant jig.

Bloodworms, burdock, and bread are used as bait. You can not use a nozzle at all, but hang a yellow or red bead on the hook.

The range of movements when fishing for roach should be quite frequent, just like in summer, you need to try to look for fish in different layers of water.

Many fishermen consider the “devil” .

To catch medium-sized roach in places up to 3 m deep, it is enough if the bait is no more than one centimeter long and with a diameter in the thickened part of about 1.5 mm with a tee made of hooks Nos. 2.5-3 according to domestic numbering. When fishing for larger fish and at a depth of over 3 m, a “devil” 1.5-3 cm long with a diameter of up to 3 mm and a tee made of hooks Nos. 3-4 is used.

For hunting with a “devil”, a standard winter fishing rod for jig fishing is suitable, but the nod is longer – up to 20 cm. The fishing line is 0.1-0.12 mm in diameter, and there are two multi-colored beads on the fishing line above the bait. The working length of the nod is adjustable; only such a nod allows the angler to achieve the desired game when the “devil” works well.

During the lack of biting, some fishermen attach a variety of baits to the hooks of the bait - small bloodworms, maggots and other larvae.

The roach is usually tempted when the “devil”, having touched the ground, begins to rise in spasmodic movements. It happens that the fish grabs the bait when it is led with a smooth sway at a slow pace with pauses and “trembling” at a certain height. You need to hook sharply, at the slightest hint of a bite.

You can hunt for roach with “devils” not only in winter, but also in open water using a fishing rod with a side nod. The main detail of such tackle, of course, is the side nod itself, the design of which consists of: an anchor ring, a bushing, a guard plate, a supporting ring, a bright “beacon” and a tulip for passing the main fishing line. The working length of the guard is selected depending on its elasticity and the weight of the bait. “Devil” fishing rods with a side nod can be replaced with summer jigs of any type. Summer jigs differ from winter jigs mainly in their size - they are much larger. The fishing line should always be the thinnest one so that the sensitivity of the gear does not suffer, because the bite is usually cautious and barely noticeable. The load should be such that the guard deviates from the horizontal line no more than 1/3 of its working length when playing, and the fishing line goes vertically into the water. You should choose the lightest rod with a fast action, because it has the necessary sensitivity and rigidity to give the artificial bait the necessary style of play during the hunt. When fishing each section of the reservoir, you need to go through all the floors with bait, right up to the surface.

During the game, it is useful to occasionally stop the bait for a few seconds, place it on the ground or knock on the bottom. You need to hook sharply at the slightest hint of a bite, because... The roach often first tastes the bait and, sensing deception, spits it out. After catching several fish, a school of roach can move to another area, so for successful fishing it is necessary to scatter a small amount of bait in several places at once. You can return to your previous areas.

When and what to catch sorog?

The most active roach biting time occurs a few days before and after spawning. This moment falls at the end of spring, beginning of summer. It is better to go hunting for a magpie in the evening or early in the morning. It will be caught on almost any tackle; there have been cases when this fish was caught on tackle that was not intended for it.

She was even caught on spinners and donks. Roaches will even attack artificial baits that imitate small fish found in a pond. Especially when she starts to feel hungry. Using any tackle, there is a chance to catch a trap instead of the intended trophy.

The best time of year to catch roach

You can catch it at any time of the year. She is especially insatiable at the end of May and beginning of July, when the spawning period begins. At this time, she attacks the hook herself and the biting practically does not stop. Larger specimens can be caught in winter near deep holes, where they like to hide from the cold.

Fishing methods

One of the most popular gear used to hunt for roach is a regular float rod. The fishing method is very simple, because it is a schooling fish. You just need to find a suitable place. They usually stop near willow trees, or in a place with a lot of vegetation. The fishing spot needs to be fed a little.

Suitable for this:

Small pieces of worms
Bread crumb
Cake
Flour
Semolina or wheat groats

After this, you can already cast the fishing rod with bait and tighten the line a little. This will help attract the attention of the roach and provoke it to attack.

It is better if the fishing rod is equipped with several weights, then they will be able to play favorably and interest you. You can cast in a place with a weak current, which will move the bait itself, or near thickets of algae.

Fishing Tips

The track is very careful, so you need to behave very quietly.
It is better to use inconspicuous gear so as not to scare away the prey.
The area needs to be fed, but in small quantities.
You need to play the game as naturally, smoothly and accurately as possible.
The track often moves around the pond, so it is better to take several gears with you and install them in different places.
You should not use large floats or sinkers; the fish are very shy, and upon noticing them, they may not take the bait or swim away altogether.

What gear, lures and baits are used for autumn roach?

The roach's caution and timidity increases when the water becomes clearer with the onset of cold weather. If the line on your fishing rod is too thick, the fish will notice it. Unnatural bait is also recognized. The most convenient are fly fishing rods.

A fly rod is the most suitable tackle for catching roach

Catching autumn roach on a donk

At the height of Indian summer, roaches can live in coastal waters where there is a lot of turbidity and algae. Reservoirs with weak or no currents are usually surrounded by algae thickets.

It is not possible to fish in such an area with ordinary float tackle, but donks help out.

It is important to choose a fishing rod based on the criterion of sensitivity. The length of the rod should be 4-5 meters, the fishing line should be thin with a diameter of 0.17 mm, and the float should be lightweight and very sensitive.

When fishing, the float (if present) should be on the surface of the water, and the line should bend slightly. A leash 15-30 cm long can be attached to the tip of the fishing line. Hooks sizes No. 12-15. Bait for autumn is standard, in addition to the mentioned animal baits - pearl barley, oats, white bread crumb, pasta.

For fishing, you can also install a special combined attachment on the donk.

Types of donks for catching roach in stagnant fresh waters:

Zakidushka - the simplest version of the gear. It can be used at a short distance from the shore. The classic hook has a line 50-100 meters long and 0.25-0.4 mm thick. A sliding or blind sinker can be attached to the tip of the fishing line. Leashes for throwing are also made of fishing line with a width of 0.16-0.25 mm and a length of 20-50 cm - you need 2-3 of them. The hook can be selected to any size, since this element of the hook depends on the volume of the bait and the weight of the prey that lives in a particular body of water. Such a donk needs to be secured on the shore on pegs installed in the ground. It is important to attach a bell to the bait on land so that when a fish is caught, a signal will sound.

Classic snack
Rubber suitable only if the angler is sure that there are a lot of fish in the reservoir. You need to attach an elastic band to the end of the main line. The elastic band should be two and a half times shorter than the fishing line. Example – the length of the fishing line is 5 meters, and the elastic band is 2 meters. A nylon cord with a weight must be tied to the opposite end of the rubber shock absorber. There can be up to 10 leashes. It is better to install a donk with an elastic band by sailing on a boat to the place where the roach is baited.

Elastic tackle
Bottom tackle with a feeder - the shape of the tackle and its weight can be different at the request of the fisherman. Advice to fishermen - the further from the shore the fishing place is, the heavier the feeder should be taken. You can make a kormak for placing bait in it from wire or mesh material. A spinning rod length of 2.1-2.4 meters is optimal for a large donkey. The rod can be equipped with an inertial or inertial-free reel. In order to lower the equipment only to a specifically selected place in the water, it is recommended to secure the line with an elastic band or clip. Instead of clips, you can use a waterproof marker to highlight in color the section of fishing line that needs to be cast a certain distance.

Feeder installation
Tackle can be made from the following materials:

fishing line;
sinker;
hooks with leashes;
bite alarm.

Stages of gear assembly:

Dimensional reels or pegs, which are driven into the shore, can become a convenient fishing rod for a while.

Reel on stand
The fishing line should be selected based on the expected catch and the chances of bycatch of bream. Usually the main line when fishing for sorog with a diameter of 0.3 mm is more than enough. The length of the fishing line depends on the fishing conditions. You shouldn’t take a fishing line longer than 40 meters for objective reasons.
Weight weight it is necessary to select according to the strength of the current in the reservoir. Universal weight 60-80 grams. For current, you can take weights with hooks, or combined weights - feeders with hooks to the ground.

Grouser feeders for fast rivers are the best choice
2-3 leashes are enough to rig a donkey. If there are more of them, the lines will get tangled with each other.
The hook for the tackle is suitable No.12.
Alarm To trigger a bite, a bell is most often used, which can be attached to the gear on the shore.

Donka can be the most primitive - a rod, reel, hook and alarm

Feeder tackle

Feeder gear is ideal for fishing in the current, but in a still body of water the feeder is not very effective and is not always better than a much simpler donkey.

The optimal length of the rod is up to 3 meters, and the weight of the feeder is up to 40 g.

The fishing reel is suitable from the Shimano 2000-2500 series. The rod and reel should not pull each other, but be in balance.

Roach goes well to the feeder in the fall

For a leash, it is enough to use a fishing line with a diameter of 0.12 mm and a length of up to 25 cm. Standard hooks are suitable for attaching worms, peas, corn and pearl barley. You need to throw the bait in a certain place without changing it.

Autumn sorog

Worth knowing! It is important to attach the clip to the reel spool exactly after casting the tackle into the water - not before.

The Gardner loop is a reliable method for installing feeder equipment parts. The feeder will be fixed in the right place due to the tapping unit. The catch can be caught even in fast-flowing waters. The only disadvantage of the feeder is that during operation the line on it constantly overlaps.

Gardner's sliding loop

Feeder manufacturing stages:

First, a Gardner loop with a diameter of 2 mm is made. It is needed to securely attach the leash.
Having retreated 20 cm from the loop, you need to make a second one with a diameter of 10 cm. This is required so that the feeder is securely fastened.
From the prepared fasteners you can already build a leash and a feeder.

Catching roach in late autumn with feeder gear - video instructions from the pros from collecting gear to feeding and tactics for finding a path:

Catching roach in late autumn with float tackle

It is advisable to fish in rivers using floats that float steadily on the surface of the water. To independently build a float tackle for fishing in areas with weak currents, you will need the following materials:

stopper;
hook 12 cm with leash;
float with fastening and fastening on a swivel;
swivel;
cargo.

Stages of assembling the float tackle:

You can rig a float rod on a fishing line:
Place a stopper on the line and pull it up.
Attach the float swivel at the second stage of making the float.
Secure the swivel to the end of the line with a Palomar knot. Tie a leash to the swivel.
At a distance of 30 cm from the lower swivel, attach 4 pellets. This will be the main load of the structure.

You can equip a fishing rod for roach with a float in this way - very sensitive equipment for the current.
Catching roach in late autumn (float) - video report from the shore of a reservoir:

Catching autumn hornbill in the wire

If the fishing took place in late autumn, starting in mid-October, then it is better to catch roach with wire or, as fishermen call it, with Bolognese tackle. If the reservoir is too deep, then the track can only be caught with bottom tackle.

In small and shallow water bodies in October, the track swims in the middle water layers.

Manufacturing of equipment:

The diameter of the main line of 0.12 millimeters must be wound on a wire reel.
You should choose the smallest float weighing up to 2 g.
The equipment can be loaded with several pellets spaced in height from the float to the under-grazing.
For a small bait you also need the smallest hook.

Float shipment

Worth knowing! The roach pays attention to the bait in motion. The selected good bait spot should be the main area for the float to move.

Delicious roach recipes

Roach has very tasty meat, especially if it is cooked correctly.
This fish can become the main dish at any feast. Having caught 237 kg of fish, the poachers were not punished!
During interrogation, the detained fishermen revealed the name of the secret bait. Read more.

Baked roach with cheese

For five servings you will need the following ingredients:

Roach – 1 kg
Potatoes - 5-6 pcs.
Onion - 1 pc.
Sour cream - 300-400 g
Half a lemon
Hard cheese - 200 g
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

The carcasses need to be washed, cleaned and cut into small pieces.
All pieces need to be salted, spices added, poured with lemon juice and left to marinate a little.
The potatoes need to be peeled and cut into medium-thick rings.
Cut the onion into half rings.
Grease a baking dish with oil and place the potatoes on it in several layers.
Place pieces of roach on it, and put onions on top.
All this needs to be poured with sour cream and baked for 30-40 minutes.
After the time is up, you need to take it out and sprinkle everything with grated cheese, and put it back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
Cut the finished dish into portions and garnish with herbs on top.

Track in foil

Ingredients:

Fish - 1 pc.
Potatoes - 3-4 pcs.
Onion - 1 pc.
Lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
greenery

Preparation:

The fish needs to be washed, cleaned of scales and entrails. Rub with salt and pepper, sprinkle with a little lemon juice.
Cut the potatoes into thin rings, and also cut the onion into rings.
Place some of the potatoes on foil.
Stuff the carcass with onions and small pieces of lemon, place on potatoes.
The rest of the potatoes are placed on top of the roach.
Drizzle everything with olive oil and wrap it in foil.
Bake for about half an hour, sprinkle the dish with herbs on top.

Roach cutlets

Ingredients:

Roach – 1.5 kg
Potatoes - 1 pc. (or 2 tablespoons flour)
Onion - 1 pc.
Egg - 1 pc.
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Loaf – 100 g
Breadcrumbs
Salt
Spices

Preparation:

The roach needs to be cleaned, washed, and the backbone and large bones separated.
Fillet, potatoes, garlic and onions must be passed through a meat grinder.
Before the minced meat, add the loaf crumb or flour and egg. Mix all this thoroughly, add salt and spices.
Form small balls and roll in breadcrumbs.
Heat a frying pan, pour oil and fry over low heat with a lid.

Fried roach

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Carcasses should be washed and removed from scales and entrails. Cut off the head and tail. Place the fish in a deep bowl, add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes. Dip the carcasses in flour and place in a heated frying pan with oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides.

What is the difference between roach and rudd

3 minutes Author: Konstantin Pavlov 0

Roach and rudd are common inhabitants of our reservoirs, fishing for which is popular among domestic fishing enthusiasts. Experienced fishermen can tell them apart without any difficulty, but beginners often have questions and cannot always determine who got hooked.

In this material we will look at how roach differs from rudd, what features each type of fish has, and what characteristic places they live. For novice fishermen, this information will help them better navigate the reservoir and accurately recognize the caught representative of the ichthyofauna.

What do roaches eat?

As usual, roach is a fish whose food preferences and characteristics depend on the type of reservoir and the annual season. Plant food predominates in summer and in “southern” reservoirs. In northern latitudes and in autumn and winter - animals.

Sorog usually does not go hungry. The basis of nutrition is gastropods and algae. Definitely - many representatives of invertebrates. Therefore, the stomachs of roaches are constantly full of larvae of mosquitoes, caddis flies, and mayflies. In addition to algae, fish are not averse to feasting on the soft tissues of higher plants.

Winter roach also comes out to feed. However, not so actively and in many ways coordinating with weather changes.

Numerous roaches are a natural food competitor for many fish - bream, peled, grayling, and whitefish. However, it itself is included in the food chain. Therefore, it is a favorite baitfish among gherlings.

It’s unfortunate that roaches are a popular target in the life cycle of parasites that are also dangerous to humans.

Habitats

Roach and rudd can also be distinguished by their habitats. Rudd mainly loves water areas without a current or areas where the water flow slows down and there is no need to spend effort fighting it. For this fish, the presence of algae is important. You will never meet her on a clean day. You should look for this underwater inhabitant in the following locations:

Oxbow lakes, backwaters, closed branches from the main channel.
Sleeves and ducts.
Coastal strip of algae in locations with slow currents.
Extensive shallow water areas, abundantly covered with aquatic vegetation.

The rudd inhabits not only rivers and reservoirs. It is successfully caught in many lakes, swamps, toad beds, ponds and quarries.

Roach can also be found in the listed places. Moreover, during fishing, these fish can be found interspersed. This applies to small-sized individuals. Medium and large specimens prefer the following characteristic locations:

Pits and dumps with a muddy, sandy or pebble bottom.
Extended grooves with aquatic vegetation or single shelters in the form of flooded logs or snags.
Hydraulic structures.
Wide reaches with uneven bottom relief.

These representatives are distinguished by the fact that roach can live calmly in weak or medium currents. In addition, this fish is characterized by seasonal migrations - in the spring before spawning and in the fall before wintering.

The diet of roaches consists mainly of bottom invertebrates and plant foods. Rudd, in addition, willingly eats insects falling into the water, and large individuals love to feast on small fish, which is confirmed by many experienced spinning anglers who successfully catch this underwater inhabitant using ultralight.

Common roach features and habits.

Common data.

Common roach

(
roach
,
ram
,
roach
,
soroga
,
bagel
,
carp
) (lat. Rutilus rutilus) is a species of ray-finned fish from the carp family (Cyprinidae). It has many subspecies, some of which have their own names: ram, roach.

In Siberia, at least in its western part, and in the Urals, the common name for roach is chebak. Chebak has yellow eyes and is narrow, Soroga has red eyes and is wide. In the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Kirov regions and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the commonly used name for the common roach is “soroga”. In Eastern Siberia, for example on Lake Baikal and the Yenisei, the commonly used name is “soroga”, “sorozhka”.

The roach is found throughout Europe east of Southern England and the Pyrenees and north of the Alps; in the rivers and lakes of Siberia, in the basins of the Caspian and Aral seas.

The roach differs from the species closest to it in its unserrated pharyngeal teeth located on each side in a single row (5-6 on each side), relatively large scales (40-45 scales in the lateral line), a mouth at the end of the muzzle and the position of the beginning of the dorsal fin above the bases of the abdominal ones. The back is blackish, with a blue or green tint, the sides and belly are silvery, the dorsal and caudal fins are greenish-gray with a reddish tint, the pectoral fins are yellowish, the abdominal and anal fins are red, the iris is yellow with a red spot. There are also specimens with yellow eyes and fins, golden scales, and a reddish tint on the sides and back.

The easiest way to distinguish them from a rudd is the color of their eyes: the rudd has orange eyes with a red spot at the top, while the roach has blood red eyes. Another difference is the number of soft feathers on the dorsal fin: the rudd has 8-9, while the roach has 10-12. Sometimes there are hybrid forms of these fish that have characteristics of both species.

It usually lives in flocks in places with weak currents under the protection of snags, hanging trees or aquatic vegetation. At the same time, in a school of medium and small fish there may be single large specimens. Small and medium-sized fish are not shy.

The maximum body length is over 50 cm, and the weight is up to 3 kg, the maximum life expectancy is 21 years. The world record is considered to be the national record of the former GDR - a roach weighing 2.58 kg was caught and recorded there. Close to the record and sometimes mistakenly considered to be a world record is a roach caught in Finland in 1939 weighing 2,550 kg.

Classification.

There are many subspecies of roach, some completely freshwater (the so-called resident roach

), others live in brackish water or are semi-anadromous. The most significant freshwater subspecies:

common roach ( R. rutilus rutilus
)
chebak or Siberian roach ( R. rutilus lacustris
)

Roach fish: appearance, habitats, spawning

Roach. Here on the Angara it is usually called soroga or sorozhka. You can get caught on the hook of a fishing rod or spinning rod in the current or in a quiet lake backwater. The fish are numerous and weedy. The last statement is true if the places of its usual habitat are correctly characterized.

It was never possible to catch such large specimens close to the record (2.58 kg). However, fish of 500 - 700 grams periodically make themselves felt. Especially when it comes to reservoir fishing. The usual size of a soroga does not exceed 18 - 22 cm and a weight of up to 250 grams.

Appearance of soroga (roach)

The roach is easily distinguished from other representatives of the large carp family by the irises of its eyes. They are orange-golden with a noticeable red spot at the top.

The oblong body is slightly compressed laterally. Covered with large scales. The belly and sides are light, with a silvery tint. The color of the back varies from greenish to dark brown. An almost straight line can be drawn between the beginning of the dorsal and ventral fins.

The gray dorsal and caudal fins contrast with the reddish ventral and anal fins. The body color of the track can change depending on the habitat and age-related changes.

Puberty and spawning

Sexual maturation of roach varies depending on habitat. On average it is 3 - 4 years. In the northern regions of Eastern Siberia, the sorog begins to spawn at 5-6 years of age.

Females and males mature at the same time and are capable of spawning several times throughout their lives.

Roaches begin to spawn from the end of May until June. Its course directly depends on weather conditions. The roach chooses spawning sites in channels and oxbow lakes. In lakes that have connections with streams and outlets to large river waters. In reservoirs, roach spawn near the shore on last year's flooded vegetation.

Before spawning, males “dress” in nuptial plumage. The body becomes more contrasting. The fins are bright. The head and area of the body along the lateral line are covered with a “pearl” rash. It can be easily felt with your fingers. The female looks more modest. The brightness of the color appears less, and the “pearly” rash appears rarely.

Spawning occurs at the same time for the entire group living in the reservoir. Sticky eggs are swept onto plant debris at a depth of up to 1 meter.

Depending on the age and size of the female, the eggs can range from 8.9 to 89 thousand. Sorog caviar is small and opaque. Diameter 1 - 1.3 mm yellow.

At the end of spawning, the fish rolls down from shallow water to depth. The larvae and fry linger for some time at the spawning site. Here, in sun-warmed areas with shallow water and vegetation, there is plenty of shelter and food. At the end of summer, juveniles follow the adult fish to the deep open areas of the reservoir.

Habitats

The roach avoids places with very cold, fast water. As well as areas with a muddy bottom. Prefers areas with slow, calm currents. However, in closed lakes the lack of natural water flow does not bother the sorog. However, everywhere it prefers a sandy-muddy or rocky bottom with shallow waters and deep places. It can often be found among thickets of aquatic vegetation near the coastline, driftwood, and flooded snags.

Roach is a fish prone to sedentary life. It does not make long migrations across the reservoir. Closer to autumn, it gathers in large flocks and strives to go deeper. Here she lives until spring. However, with changes in weather (thaw), it periodically enters shallow waters.

With the opening of rivers, roaches leave their wintering areas and gather in flocks at the mouths of rivers and large streams. According to which she subsequently leaves to spawn.