Fish Nicknames

[Another Dave]

Bream - Snotty
Larger bream - dustbin lid
Chub - Chevin
Small eel - bootlace
Perch - The Sergeant, Stripey

For small pike we say 'Jack'. I wonder if it always meant just the small ones?

There must be loads more. How many species can you talk about without ever using their proper names.

 

[103841]

I’m just learning a few sea varieties having started sea fishing last Summer.

Schoolies was an easy one but had to ask what fish a Unicorn referred to.

I always remember as a kid calling a Ruffe...Pope

 

[stillwater blue]

Small perch - billy
Eels - snig
Zander - zed
Small fish - cocky
Really small fish - eyes

The French call a big pike a brocodile, mixing crocodile and brochet (pike) and often call perch zebras

 

[S-Kippy]

To me a small roach is a "Mumford" (after the late Ray Mumford who was phenomenal on small fish) and a gudjin is a "pongo" with a big pongo being a "bull"

Chub are " rub-a-dubs" for obvious reasons and I've always referred to pike as " esox" ....again for obvious reasons.

 

[flightliner]

Gudgeon = gonk .
Butts = Ruffe.
Greyling = ladies.
Big carp when fishing for Bream= a pest lol.

 

[Mark Wintle]

When I first caught ruffe they were known as 'daddy ruffe'. We called big chub 'dogs' as you could lead them in and smaller ones of around a pound 'pups'. Very small bream were known as 'razor blades'. I can remember Ivan Marks calling perch 'footballers' because of the stripes.

 

[Another Dave]

small perch - wasps

 

[103841]

The ones that I lose are called b*ll*cks.

 

[john step]

Not fish but crayfish called reggies or ronnies .....Krays.

 

[Keith M]

• Crucian Carp = ‘Bars of Gold’ (occasionally Rudd are also called this)
• Tench = Old Red Eyes and the Doctor Fish because it used to be believed that the Tench slime had healing properties when other fish rubbed against them.
• Grayling = Ladies of the stream
• Bullhead = Millers Thumb
• Ruffe = Tommy
• Barbel = Beards, Whiskers
• Sea Trout Sewin, Peel or Peal, Finnock.

Keith

 

[bracket]

I can add two more from the Midlands vocabulary:

Minnows are referred to as "Struts" and Bleak are called "Whittling"

Pete.

 

[mikench]

I had a pet newt once! It was called tiny; well it was my newt!

 

[markcw]

The fish I catch are usually called lumps or munters :wh

 

[barbelboi]

Anyone remember why a ruffe was aka a pope?

 

[ian g]

Anyone remember why a ruffe was aka a pope?

I think it was to do with the ruff around their heads , reminding people of Bishops/The |Pope in full dress . I ways thought it was a bit anti catholic

 

[daniel121]

I think much of it depends where you are in the country, I guess alot of it starts with a popular matchman and his mates and then things 'stick'?

Big rudd = Bar of Gold
Tench = Red Eyes, The Dr
Grayling = Ladies of the stream
Small Bream = Putty bream, Skimmers, Snotty's
Large Bream = Slabs, Dustin lids
Barbel = Old Whiskers
Perch = Glutton's
Big Chub = Dogs
Small Chub = Pups
Roach = Ronnie's
Minnows = Struts
Small Carp = Pasties

I'm sure there are many more.

 

[mikench]

Apparently Ruffe are prolific breeders to the point of being a pest!! They are also regarded as an efficient predator for its size! It is after all a member of the perch family. They should not be kept in a garden pond with small koi carp or goldfish.