Ryan Hayden reveals the tricks for catching golden specimens
Strike pure gold with top young specialist Ryan Hayden
THERE’S no better time to fish for rudd than when rivers are low and clear and the sun is scorching hot,
Don’t get me wrong, these ‘bars of gold’ are not easy to find, but put in the effort and miles and you will find them. I have sometimes questioned my sanity on hot days while traipsing through miles and miles of bankside vegetation in search of these gems. But the second you see a big rudd swirl on the surface for a piece of bread you have just catapulted into the water, your heart rate will soar!
I have found over the years that in most cases, once you have located the larger fish, your fish from the swim will usually be the largest of the shoal. Rudd are greedy fish and on many occasions the biggest one will be hooked within seconds of locating them.
Of course, there are times when it doesn’t go to plan and a smaller fish grabs the hookbait. This tends to spook the bigger fish a little, which I have found pushes the larger fish 20-30 yards away.
It can turn into a game of cat and mouse at times, but when you know there are big fish about the adrenaline certainly kicks in.
Big rudd are found mainly on the rivers and drains in he Fens of eastern England. They will spend most of their daylight hours beneath cover such as lily pads or in among the eel grass which covers the bottom. But as soon as they see an opportunity for a free meal they will break cover.
Dawn and dusk are generally the
most productive times, and as a rule, once you’ve located them, they will be up for a free meal.
TACKLE CHOICES
Hook: This is a size 8 or 10 Kamasan B983, ultra-sharp and strong for the relatively fine wire gauge and a pattern the wide gape of which gives great hooking potential, even with large pieces of bread. Line: This has to be ultra-tough and abrasion-resistant, such as 5lb or 6lb Drennan Float Fish. Float: The Fens are notorious for being very flat, so any wind is exaggerated and can make fishing surprisingly tricky at times. To help combat this I will always opt to fish with a 5g-6g loaded pellet waggler. These fly like a dart, even when towing a big piece of flake behind, and allow you to cast a fair distance with minimal effort. Rod: A 13ft-14ft rod is a must when fishing from the bank. Not only does it help with your presentation and float control, but it enables you to strike and pick up the line much faster, as well as allowing you to clear any bankside vegetation. Catapult: A good catty is vital. During the session, my catapult is put through hell. I hate to think how many pieces of bread are fired out into the water in a single session to locate the fish. So always carry spares – spare pouches, spare elastics and even a few spare frames, just in case you
manage to lose one in the heat of the moment. Landing net pole: Once you have hooked the rudd of a lifetime you need to land it, which can be tricky at times as you can hardly ever reach the water’s edge. So use a landing net pole of at least 3m.
MY RUDD SET-UP
I like to fish directly to the hook. I will slide a pellet waggler attachment, swivel and clip trapped between float stops on to the mainline then simply tie a hook on to the end. Having no hooklength keeps line stretch to a maximum, which reduces any breakages and makes for a very strong and robust set-up.
The use of multiple stops ensures the float does not slip on
the cast, with the added bonus of creating a boom to kick away the line from the float.
These stops can be easily moved to allow you to tailor the length of the hooklength to your requirements, depending on the situation.
HOOKBAITS
I don’t think there is a single rudd that has not seen bread over the course of its life, especially with many of these waterways full of boat traffic.
With this in mind, bread is my number one bait. It can be presented on the surface or suspended below your float, and you can freely alter the size of your free offerings and hookbaits if you wish. But as a change bait I always carry a tin or two of corn and a bag of 8mm-10mm hookable floating pellets.