ANGLING LEGENDS Alan Scotthorne
THE ULTIMATE VENUES FOR A POST-LOCKDOWN TRIP TO CATCH YOUR DREAM RUDD
RUDD are widely regarded as being among our most beautiful coarse fish, and with very good reason.
Deep, golden flanks and vermilion fins will brighten even the most hardened angler’s day, not to mention their powerful fight that often leaves you expecting a much larger specimen to surface. At this time of year, when the water is warmer, we’d usually be preparing for a day’s rudd fishing, although we wouldn’t necessarily be getting a load of tackle ready. The key to catching a really big rudd is locating the shoal. Once you’ve done this, simple float rigs are often all that are required to succeed.
Here are 15 of the best rudd venues across Britain, some of which are home to monsters, while others are better for a bag of smaller fish.
The cooler waters of the North aren’t known for big rudd, and while we’ve included a few hotspots, we’ve focused more on the famous waters of the Midlands and South.
So, if you’re searching for a specimen, now is the perfect time to plan a trip to one of Britain’s best rudd fisheries. If there’s one fish that would make the travel worthwhile, we reckon it must be a big old rudd!
The stunning Newbridge Lakes has to be one of the most scenic day-ticket fisheries in Yorkshire, and alongside big carp and bream, the seven-acre Newbridge Lake is home to some quality rudd.
Fish to over the 2lb mark are a possibility, and you have no shortage of features to target. Some of the best pegs contain lush lily pads, and fishing the pole just beyond these should give you a chance of picking up the rudd.
Initially, lay down a bed of groundbait for the fish to settle over, and then pick off the rudd by laying a rig featuring lightly-strung shot to fish through the water. Maggot and caster are the baits to try, and make sure to regularly loosefeed. Contact the fishery before arriving. Contact: 07817058054
Postcode: HU12 9HS
LAKESIDE FISHERY, HORNCASTLE, LINCOLNSHIRE
lake that is over 100 years old. Known as the Main Lake, this old quarry is the ideal place for a day targeting rudd, where specimens over the magical 3lb barrier can be caught.
Lakeside Fishery also offers a range of accommodation, including a cabin and a static caravan, as well as ground for camping and caravans, making it the perfect place for a fishing retreat.
Contact: 01507 578330 or 07572945041
Postcode: LN9 5NW few torn pieces of floating crust and when you get them competing, cast a shallow waggler rig with a chunk of flake on a size 14 hook over the top. This should bring you regular bites from fish from 7oz to 1lb 8oz.
If you want bite-a-chuck sport it’s worth using maggots or casters, although you will catch a much smaller stamp of rudd. For specimen anglers, there is a head of 2lb-3lb fish to target and late evening is the best time to tempt one. Fishing a little deeper down the main channel with corn under a waggler does work, especially when you’re catapulting freebies over the top. Contact: Via website
Website: www.wdnac.org.uk
CAMBRIDGE FISH PRESERVATION AND ANGLING SOCIETY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
the county.
This reedy water is situated in the Upper Thurne system and is a haven for wildlife, where you will find everything from marsh harriers to the rare bittern.
This water is free to fish, and one of the most enjoyable ways to do so is from a rowing boat, where working your way towards calm reedy bays should help you find the rudd that are present in good numbers and sizes. Boats can be hired from Whispering Reeds Boats. Contact: Whispering Reeds Boats, 01692 598314
Postcode: Whispering Reeds Boats, NR12 0YW
years. It comes alive in the summer months, as the vast shoals of fish spread out all over the lake away from the 30ft-deep dam end.
Most anglers fish two lines. Start on the feeder with worms to get among some larger bream, roach, rudd and perch. While watching the tip, spray maggots over a short line and wait until the fish are boiling.
Bag weights of over 50lb have been taken here on the whip with maggots – brilliant fishing! Contact: 01288 321262
Postcode: EX23 9SB
Website: www.coarse. swlakesfishing.co.uk
HORSESHOE LAKE, LECHLADE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
Historically, the Carp Society’s famous Horseshoe Lake was a rudd mecca. This was showcased in an episode of Record-Breaking Fish, where TV star Matt Hayes landed a superb 3lb 2oz specimen.
While most anglers nowadays would rather target the specimen carp and tench, the potential for giant rudd remains.
You are unlikely to find a more scenic place to target them either, with 62 acres of tap-clear water and vast beds of lush weed.
Spend time looking for them in the shallower Summer Bar area or at the point of the lake, then target them wilth a ‘wag and mag’ approach. Contact: 01367 253959
Postcode: GL7 3QQ
Website: www.thecarpsociety.com
FRENSHAM LITTLE POND, FRENSHAM, SURREY
In past seasons, beautiful golden
The Frensham rudd have grown big on carp baits.
flanked rudd have been landed to well over 3lb from this 30-acre estate lake.
Best known for its stocks of historic old Leney carp, the venue is often ignored by those who specialise in other species. This means rudd, tench and roach have all grown to specimen size by feasting freely on carp anglers’ baits, while being completely unpressured.
The lake is very shallow, with a maximum depth of 4ft. This makes the fish very visible and easy to locate, so make sure you pack your polarised glasses .
Baits fished very close to the surface work well here, with bread or maggots being the obvious favourites.
Contact: 07826 851122
Postcode: GU10 3DW
Website: www. farnhamanglingsociety.com
TYLERS COMMON FISHERY, BRENTWOOD, ESSEX
The four-acre Wagtail Lake is the best of the four waters here and is home to an abundance of quality rudd and roach. These cracking silvers are often caught over the 2lb mark, and in very good numbers.
Waggler fishing with maggots is by far the most effective method, with the rudd often falling shallow. Try changing your depth throughout the session to keep in touch with the bigger fish. If you fish on the bottom, be prepared to hook big carp, bream, tench and barbel. Contact: 01277 821342
Postcode: RM14 1TS
Website: www.tylerscommonfishery. co.uk