At last the sun has arrived with some real power. This and a call from a mate was enough to get me sneaking away from a huge pile of work, for a couple of hours at the GUC in Leicester.
There were plenty of small rudd to cast at but surprisingly few lunkers, considering the heat...usually has them "up" even if you can't tempt them.
I managed this one from a pod of 3 similar sized fish to a #18 red tag stick.

That group of bigger rudd was all that we could find until after a mile hike I spotted this one behind some tall reeds, not as big but very pretty looking all lit up in the sun.

Another 1/2 mile of walking gave me another chance of a pounder but I fluffed that chance and that was it, save for tiddlers.
Roll on summer, it was great to be out catching in shorts.
Dee

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It's not flyfishing if you're throwing bait in....learn to do it properly

Dave,

What foodstuff would these Rudd be going after in the canal?

They really are one of the most beautiful looking coarse fish i think

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Your fish ----> ><((((º> My fish ----> ><(((((((((º>
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Cheers Danny

Co-Founder of S.S.F.D 2010

Hi FC, they are very opportunistic feeders, most often found near reeds or under trees and bushes. Pretty much anything that falls in will get "tried" which is why any hackled fly with peacock in its construction gets the results- they just look alive rather than copying anything speciffic.
They will be feeding on beetles, spiders, ants(flying ant falls can be superb), greenfly, moths, caterpillars, etc but also midge pupa, damsel nymphs and even upwinged flys and their nymphs(get the odd ones on the canals).
Years ago I managed to catch some on plugs on a spinning rod, tiny plugs.
My mate catches them on tiny frogs but I don't think they are taking his flys as frogs, just something alive.
Unlike most coarse fish they will chase a slowly pulled nymph (no always) and can be pretty aggressive. I've had big ones take a #6 tadpole, tied with a 4mm tungsten bead, pulled quite fast, although it isn't what I'd choose to use.
Dee

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It's not flyfishing if you're throwing bait in....learn to do it properly

Lovely fish Dave, must get down the canal myself, and roll on the 16th!

Cheers,


Graham

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www.wildflies.com

Beautiful fish Dave. Where have all the Rudd gone nowadays, when I was a kid you could catch them just about everywhere

I'll be trying to get a few out of Frensham ponds this summer, using my new-found fly methods (poorly executed)