Rudd, a comeback?

[tigger]

A very underrated fish in my opinion. Its always been in the Roach's sort of shadow but I recon looks wise it knocks the spots of them.

I've always thought Rudd are much nicer looking fish also Philip.

I'm quite lucky really as there are lots of places full of rudd round my area. I've caught loads of them over 2lb and my best weighed rudd is 3.3lb. I found I caught the larger ones when I was targeting tench lol.

 

[Another Dave]

Just seeing a picture of a nice rudd transports me back to the early 1980s, a soild emotional link, like hearing a pop song from the time.

 

[Philip]

I'm quite lucky really as there are lots of places full of rudd round my area. I've caught loads of them over 2lb and my best weighed rudd is 3.3lb. I found I caught the larger ones when I was targeting tench lol.

Thats a clonking Rudd anywhere Ian. Actually it does not surprise me when you say you catch them when your Tench fishing. I assume your fishing on the bottom ?

I recon Rudd feed on the bottom far more than we think and although the "standard" method seems to be a sort of mag and wag spraying maggots approach I recon fishing a good sized bait hard on the bottom could sort out some big ones.

I've had some good ones right in the middle of the night, 1am sort of thing whilst Carp fishing.

 

[tigger]

Thats a clonking Rudd anywhere Ian. Actually it does not surprise me when you say you catch them when your Tench fishing. I assume your fishing on the bottom ?

I recon Rudd feed on the bottom far more than we think and although the "standard" method seems to be a sort of mag and wag spraying maggots approach I recon fishing a good sized bait hard on the bottom could sort out some big ones.

I've had some good ones right in the middle of the night, 1am sort of thing whilst Carp fishing.

I do like float legering for tench and this method has also caught me many rudd as a by catch. The rudd have been a mix of all sizes. I've caught them on the bottom in both shallow and quite deep water. The theory that their short top lip is because they're surface feeders is a little suspect!

 

[silvers]

Rudd are beautiful fish without doubt - a couple of anecdotes:

I "stocked" my parents pond with 4 or 5 two ounce rudd from a marshy pond by the Great Ouse ..... about 30 years ago. There's still a healthy population in there, despite the lack of genetic diversity. They've never grown to more than about 6 oz, but it's always lovely to see them when I visit.

Although there are not many in the rivers that I fish - there are plenty in the Fenland drains - including some proper ones. I had 16lb on the waggler next to a certain Mr Nudd about 3 years ago.

My biggest two came from a farm reservoir on the Luton AC book - again about 30 years ago. Whitty may remember it? I caught them on a slow sinking feeder ..... 2:15 and 3:6. I only went the once strangely.

 

[tigger]

Rudd are beautiful fish without doubt - a couple of anecdotes:

I "stocked" my parents pond with 4 or 5 two ounce rudd from a marshy pond by the Great Ouse ..... about 30 years ago. There's still a healthy population in there, despite the lack of genetic diversity. They've never grown to more than about 6 oz, but it's always lovely to see them when I visit.

Although there are not many in the rivers that I fish - there are plenty in the Fenland drains - including some proper ones. I had 16lb on the waggler next to a certain Mr Nudd about 3 years ago.

My biggest two came from a farm reservoir on the Luton AC book - again about 30 years ago. Whitty may remember it? I caught them on a slow sinking feeder ..... 2:15 and 3:6. I only went the once strangely.

I know a few small ponds over the fields that no one ever even thinks about fishing and they have perch and rudd resident. I've known about these fish in the ponds from being a little kid and used to go catching them with my brother when I was about 6yrs old.
As with the fish you stocked into your parents pond these fish have never got very big and are pretty thin which makes their eyes look huge lol. One of the ponds also has some superb little tench which have again have stayed small. I think all three species, the rudd, perch and tench have all maxed out at about 1lb. On a light quiver tip rod the little tench give barbel hook ups in miniature .

 

[silvers]

My best ever tench came out of that same pond - behind the "deeps" at Radwell on the Ouse. ...... all of four pounds!
It's fair to say that I don't catch many tench :wh

 

[Molehill]

I haven't seen a decent rudd (over 1lb) since I was a kid, those days there were great shoals of fish to 2lb in the Chichester (W. Sussex) gravel pits which provided great sport until they died out after a few years, simply disappeared, but I think angling pressure may have been partly responsible.
Have to remember in those days after-care of fish was not as good as today and quite normal to see a punt towing a couple of keepnets stuffed with fish for weighing.
I also fished for them on the bottom a lot, especially evenings time, ledgered bread was always the bait and very successful especially close in during the autumn months. Contrasted with taking them off the surface on a dry fly during the summer and in the trout lakes they would hit a lure (fly) pretty hard, must have been quite aggressive/predatory fish.

 

[steve2]

All my best Rudd were caught when fly fishing on trout lakes. I was looked on a bit strange when fishing for Rudd and trying not to catch trout.

 

[tigger]

My best ever tench came out of that same pond - behind the "deeps" at Radwell on the Ouse. ...... all of four pounds!
It's fair to say that I don't catch many tench :wh

You can only catch what's there, some places a 4lber is a specimen .

 

[Philip]

All my best Rudd were caught when fly fishing on trout lakes. I was looked on a bit strange when fishing for Rudd and trying not to catch trout.

Know exactly what you mean...that was like me when I used to fish Bewl ...I wanted to catch the Perch not the Trout ...

 

[tigger]

My best ever tench came out of that same pond - behind the "deeps" at Radwell on the Ouse. ...... all of four pounds!
It's fair to say that I don't catch many tench :wh

You can only catch what's there, some places a 4lber is a specimen .

 

[mikench]

Any one caught an Amber Rudd? mg:

I believe AA Milne did!

 

[no-one in particular]

Its funny reading this thread but it has made me think. I have never caught or seen a rudd feeding on the surface, I am not even sure I have seen the little ones pecking a lump of floating bread; usually roach I think. Nor have I ever seen them take a fly from the surface, cant be positive just from memory but it appears that way. I catch them on the bottom nearly all the time although to be fair that's where I am usually fishing. However, it's still odd for a fish which is supposed to be specialized for surface fishing with an upturned mouth.
Its usually bread and sweetcorn, and often after tench as well but they don't seem to mind picking up sweetcorn off the bottom.
And the other thing, looking at my statistics for rudd caught in clear, some colour, fairly coloured and very coloured water; the last two come out best by quite a long way, which is 10%,15%,30% and 43% respectively which suggest a fish used to looking for food by scent and not dabbling about looking for flies.

 

[Molehill]

I think possibly rudd are a little like carp, happy to feed top or bottom. Certainly the rudd I used to catch off the surface (on fly) were from very clear water pits and usually in the evening when shoals would patrol around the weed beds "dimpling" the surface.
Others were caught when trout fishing, but frequently on a lure type fly (something like a sinfoils fry in those days) dragged through on a sinking line.
Then again most of my static fishing was with ledgered baits. I can't conclude anything from that, other than like carp, they could be feeding top or bottom depending on conditions.

 

[thecrow]

yRudd make terrible livebaits always trying to swim to the surface and tangling your rig up, I gave up trying with them.

 

[no-one in particular]

yRudd make terrible livebaits always trying to swim to the surface and tangling your rig up, I gave up trying with them.

The barstids..
Try anchoring them down with a sea casting 8oz grip lead, makes a good bolt rig as well....