Zander in Bristol's Feeder Canal....

[David Marrs]

That said though, they're spreading extremely quickly and that perhaps isn't the best thing for all waters.

Kind regards,
Dave

 

[Steve Spiller]

As a fellow Bristolian, you've got me thinking now Jeremy!

I've caught quite a few ruffe. When you attempt to unhook them they really close their gobs hard and flair out their gills, which are very sharp and spiney. Did yours do that?

 

[ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)]

CLAUDIA'S RUFFE

 

[Steve Spiller]

"Claudia's Ruffe"

That's a bit harsh Ed, I reckon she's loverly!

 

[The Bone Collector]

Hands that do dishes......



Look like John Merricks....buy some Fairy!!!

 

[Jeremy]

Mine were a bit plumper (Claudia's looks strangely "Dali-esque"
(The red maggot lips in Claudia's photo are a slight distraction ;-) ) and very spiky .. almost pure silver, with golden "freckles" - no brown ... the dorsal was permanently erect and had no freckles .. yes, Steve, it had spikey gill-covers and puffed itself up ..

Not shaped at all like big zander, distinctly more rounded than a perch .. more the shape of some "Long Spined Sea Scorpions" I caught in Weymouth harbour as a kid.

It's two weeks before I hit the river, so hopefully I will catch another one, or see someone else ...
The same chap who called them "baby perch", swore he'd caught 5 rainbow trout further along the canal ..

 

[Steve Spiller]

Deffo sounds like a ruffe to me Jeremy and the guy has caught some sea trout. We used to catch em all the time when we were kids on worms during the closed season, on a trout license.

 

[Jeremy]

Wow !

I was all set to try out my fly rod on some coarse fish .. what a cach? to catch sea trout in the Avon !

 

[Steve Spiller]

They go all the way up to Keynsham Jeremy, that's the last weir that stops the tide. It does have "Salmon" steps built onto it, but I've never had any sea trout above it. The biggest sea trout I've seen was 7lb during a match on St Annes side.

 

[Claudia Crowther]

Ed,

Thanks, ruffe shell, soft centre ;-)

Aww thanks Steve for jumping to my rescue.
(Great to see Wendi finally joined the madhouse)

BC
Maybe you could have mercy with me and buy me a dishwasher ;-)

 

[Mark Elstone]

Hi Guys
talking of eating Zander from the Avon,our eastern european friends from Poland are eating the lovely carp caught from St Georges Park!!!!!

 

[Jeremy]

They must be pretty desperate.

I can't believe it tastes better than Alaskan Pollack from ASDA.

... though the enthusiastic way the bivvy crew fish those waters, I wonder if they taste of boilies ....

 

[David Marrs]

I wouldn't reckon they'd be bothered - freshwater fish from our rivers / lakes are free for them to pillage!

Personally I hope they taste strongly of halibut pellet and endow a look similar to that of the 'Penguin' upon the Pikey bar stewards who eat them