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Pope / Ruffe

Robin Bowes

Robin Bowes

Senior Member
"There is also another fish called a POPE, and by some a RUFFE, a fish that is not known to be in some rivers: he is much like the pearch for his shape, and taken to be better than the pearch, but will not grow to be bigger than a gudgeon. He is an excellent fish, no fish that swims is of a pleasanter taste; and he is also excellent to enter a young angler, for he is a greedy biter; and they will usually lie abundance of them together, in one reserved place, where the water is deep and runs quietly; and an easy angler, if he has found where they lie, may catch forty or fifty, or sometimes twice as many, at a standing.
You must fish for him with a small red worm; and if you bait the ground with earth, it is excellent."
 
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I love catching the odd ruffe.
 
Ruffe

Not caught one for over 20 years. Have put in 2 sessions now in a swim at Sonning (Thames) where I saw a dead Ruffe in the margins. Caught 3 Gudgeon 2 years ago nearby (by design)now want to catch a Ruffe. People complain when mainstream species are in short supply,but never do you hear about the small stuff.
Great topic!

PS if you know a hotspot please PM!
 
I suppose people only get nostalgic about ruffe when their local waters don't contain any - the Macclesfield Canal is full of them and they're a real nuisance if you're fishing worm for the perch.

But not as much of a nuisance as the signal crays. :rolleyes:
 
One of my local rivers (Yorkshire Derwent) has them but I only seem to catch them when the river is in flood and very muddy. Fishing worm of course, I'm wondering if they have a particularly good sense of smell over other species.
 
The Ruislip club used to call a small stretch of the Thames near oxford 'The Vatican' because of its large amount of pope / ruffe
 
Do many come out of the Ouse (the real mans Ouse up North) these days? To be honest I had not seen these until 2008 and for the next 3 seasons I caught more than one each evening if I used maggots. Along with eels too which became a bit of a nuisance in darkness. I wonder if they have been affected by predation yet.
 
I have caught 3 tommys this season , these are the first for a number of years . After an almost total absence a smattering of eels have also come my way . Only thing missing is a flush of barbel !
 
As kids, In winter they were about the only species we regularly caught from the Thames at Canbury Gardens.

Haven't caught one for years. :(
 
Was watching Compleat Angler with Geoffrey Palmer and he was after Ruffe. Brought back happy memories of the Lower Thames.

Ah well, times change.

As ever

Hugo

 
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