I recently joined a sydicated water in my neck of the woods which in addition to good rainbow and brown trout fishing, contains big rudd!

Just how big I found out yesterday. Hooking what I thought was a good trout on a size 16 olive buzzer, I suddenly saw a flash of gold. And then the bright red fins confirmed that I had hooked a specimen rudd! It was certainly a fish in excess of 2 lbs.

The rudd bored deeply towards the bottom weed, then it swirled on the surface, and just as I was about to net it, the hook pulled free.

So now a plan of action is taking place. A much lighter rod will be needed, say a 4 or 5 weight so that I can use leader tippets down to 2 lbs and flies down to size 20. The weather is due to warm up shortly and that should increase my chances with these rudd.

But how many of yourselves has caught big rudd on fly gear?

Any tips if you have.

Rudd are one of my targets this year. They're perfect for the fly as they're largely top water layer feeders. Big Rudd however can be very tough to catch and going light is a must. Early mornings and evenings are likely to be best. I have no idea with regard to flies but hopefully I'll learn over the summer.

The fly that caught me some nice rudd in Ireland years ago was a red tailed invicta, size 16.

I am thinking of experimenting with small red buzzer patterns - say size 18 to 2 lb fluorocarbon. This will be used in conjunction with a dry sedge on the dropper which is more to act as a strike indicator. an 8 1/2 foot weight 5 rod should be just the ticket.

Roll on the warmer weather.

I caught 2 lovely Rudds on a dry today.

Good fun on fly gear Ron

I used to catch them from a trout fishery a few years ago,not 2lb but some to 1.5lb I remember using a sage #2 rod,happy days!!

My local reservoir is teeming with Rudd (see OP) and I must confess I look upon them, along with Perch, as a nuisance fish.

I don't fork out a few hundred quid for a season ticket to catch trout then have to content myself with stunted coarse fish - no, I'm not a fish-monger - I'm only allowed to take 2 trout per week and normally take only 1 a fortnight on my C & R water - they taste like tater-peelings anyway.

If there was a even smattering of quality Rudd it wouldn't be so bad but there are masses of fry and the average rod-caught fish seems to be around the 3"-4" stamp - hardly a worthwhile quarry.

Yesterday I caught one 3" Rudd on a size 22 Greenfly pattern and another, around 4", would you believe, on a size 8 Black Ghost lure

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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I'm out today on a Leicestes canal, I've had them just short of 2lb, hopefully today I'll do it.The weather is just right for them just now to be lounging near the surface. Red tags all round please!

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I had this one a couple of years ago.



A bit of an old boy but great to catch.

I used a size 14 haresear.

WCB

The hares ear nymph what a fantastic fly for roach and rudd!