The beginning of the spring stroke of roach — an event which waited not only Astrakhan, but also the lovers of fishing, annually coming on the Lower Volga from other regions. About roach — Astrakhan “the second bread”, which for centuries allowed them to survive the hard times, knows a lot, and little. Many professionals and Astrakhan local lore. Little, unfortunately, young Astrakhan fishermen not to mention newcomers.
Roach — a fish of the Caspian sea, the same species that ordinary river roach. From the roaches that live in Central Russia, roach is more variable (up to 30 centimeters or more) and some minor morphological features (fins gray with a black rim and the iris of the eye silvery color with dark spots over the eyes). The age limit of roach — 11-12 years.
Usually throw the roach in the Volga Delta begins between 20 March and 5 April when the water temperature is 2-3 degrees. The migration intensity is increasing gradually, and in the last days of April or the first days of may at a water temperature of 7-9 there is usually the midst of a stroke. Migration ends by mid-may.
Roach spends the winter at sea. In autumn its huge shoals approach the coast and overwinter in the pits before the mouths of the Volga, which never included. In the Ural river, the Caspian roach winters in pits in large numbers.
In the early spring or even late winter, when other fish still lying in the pits, roach starts to go in the river. And every year the Astrakhan fans are sea shoals of roach in late February — early March. And the “pros” have noticed that on the way out of the roach of the sea into the river is strongly influenced by the weather. When Morane its output begins earlier, and the cold weather delays the move.
Eggs of roach scientists have counted: the 4-year –38-51 thousand, a 7-year — up to 159 thousand. In the spring the number of eggs ranges from 14 to 23% of the total body mass of the fish. In the Northern part of Caspian roach in the age from 2 to 11 years with the predominance of the 3-5-year-old individuals.
The catch in the river and in the sea in the fall usually consists of 2-8-year-old roach, in the spring of 3-6-year-old. The total duration of the stroke of roach in spring is approximately 65 days, kosyachny same move is performed for 17-40 days and averaged 27 days.
After spawning, at a temperature of 17-20 degrees ROE of roach develops within 4 days. From the eggs the larvae of roach length of 4.9-5.5 mm. Ten-day fry of roach already has a length of 7.2-7.5 mm, and a two-week – 9-9,5 mm.
During the first half of may roach spawned in the Caspian sea extends to depths of 5.5 m In the second half of may and in June, the roach moves further into the sea. In the sea it feeds intensively, fattens and grows.
Fishing enthusiasts born in the fifties of the last century, still remember the stories of our grandfathers about the former fish wealth of the Astrakhan region. Our grandparents and great-grandparents born at the turn of XIX and XX centuries, remembered the Volga, which was not in the power of people who by their dams and reservoirs has stopped its free life in harmony with nature. Remember they are natural and not regulated people Volzhskiy spring flooding.
Even us who were born in the middle of the 20th century, memory has left countless paintings, as it seemed to us, stocks of roach, bream and carp, hurrying in the spawning places…
Now everything has changed. The last three years in a row to see his native land during the spring floods. Rather, what is now left of it. No former spring water, the course of roach, which is very little, goes at different times. Yes, and who came from the Volga to the low-lying floodplains roach not a big as I child had a chance to catch…
This year the course of roach began in mid-April. Roach, while in the mass residential, local, beginning the move to the North of the region. April 14 and 15 encouraging messages about the beginning of the course of the roach started to come everywhere. In Gandurina Erik Bows with 7 16 am to dried fish were caught mixed in with borðoy and bream. As she pecked at the worm, and the larva of the may beetle. Things almost was not. In the Krasnoyarsk area fished many reservoirs, including river Algar. On the Kigach, in the area of Baibek, roach took mostly a decent size. Well caught roach on Kisani, Chagan, Gandurinski and Nikita banks, on the Black river, Bakhtemir and the Volga. Caught within the boundaries of Astrakhan.
Some of his secrets spring fishing roach on the larva of the may beetle experienced the Astrakhan fishermen have shared with the author. It is believed that the larger the cylinder, the bigger she gets the roach. The hook needs to be completely hidden inside the nozzle. For the best cuttings, it is advisable to leave the tip bare. Get the hook, the coils covered with the skins along the entire length of the forearm, very similar to fly fishing flies.
Actually living roach in the region begin to catch before the start of a massive stroke. This year in different parts of the Delta, it began to catch from the beginning of April. Small flocks of local roach appeared in shallow areas of reservoirs. 2-3 hours was able to take a bucket and a half of large and medium roaches. Moreover, some individuals managed to spawn up to 14 April, i.e. prior to the beginning of the turn.
Sea the roach, as it is called Astrakhan — way, we should expect later. This large roach comes to Kharabali and Akhtuba districts. It is noticed that the largest specimens of roach of the sea go first.
While the size of roach caught not encouraging: a lot of small. Some Astrakhan Profi rumor has it that running roach this year will also be small. If at all — after last year’s low-water flood.
The first shoals of roach sea every year appear in the Eastern part of the Delta. Revitalization progress of the sea roach directly connected with the supply of water from the Volgograd hydroelectric.
