Description : A similar species to the roach, quite often favouring the middle to upper layers of water. Common in lakes and rivers feeding on plant material and invertebrates as well as surface insects. Like the roach the rudd has red fins but can be distinguished by its golden tint and the fact that its dorsal fin rises behind its pelvic fin whereas the roach's dorsal and pelvic fins are in line with one another. When living in a mixed community the rudd will often interbreed with other species like roach and bream creating hybrids.

Angling information : The current UK record is 4 lb 8 oz 0 drm, and anything over around 2 lb is considered to be a specimen. The rudd is a primarily a surface feeder. Thus the favoured method is float fishing be it stick float, waggler or the preferred pole. Fine tackle is a must - hi tech hook lengths and hooks as small as size 22 are often used with little shot on the line allowing the bait to slowly sink in a natural manner. The best baits include : caster, maggot, sweetcorn and bread.

Tip : Use floating caster and maggots to target this species.