Ruffe history

#1

Many, many years ago, a mate of mine picked me up and we went fishing at a place called Burston on the T&M (in between Sandon and Stone).
It was Dave Barnard who picked me up and he brought a trailer with a few dust bins in the back. It was the last day the Stoke had this stretch of the T&M and the idea was to catch loads of these ruffe and bring them back to the Shroppie.
In those days there was no such thing as Sections 30s and the like.
Anyway unlike most plans this one went very smoothly and we caught hundreds of ruffe between us and brought them back in these bins. We put them all in at the bridge at the end of the IWAA water, the one in the wood, what is now the start of the Goodyear water. We never encountered one casualty.

It took a couple of years but suddenly anglers started catching them and they spread further afield in both directions. To my knowledge there was no ruffe in the Shroppie until then. This was probably correct because at this time the sticklebacks all but disappeared.

Every time I hear of a ruffe caught on the Shroppie I think of that day

#2

So that's where that 'munster' I caught on a Cashmores match near Cowley a couple of years ago came from

Arch · #3

Nice story that.

A mate and me did something similar at a new pond near home. We put a dozen blue Orf in it not long after it opend. Not sure if they've ever been caught or if they are still in there.

#4

I am a founder member of TRAPS, anyone want to join?

For the uninitiated TRAPS stands for The Ruffe APpreciation Society

#5

Used to catch loads of tommy ruffe on the Lanky in the days when the Lancashire WL was going strong.

#6

Is it just me

Always have a bit of a 'job' unhooking them - the little blighters tend to 'clamp' their 'jaws' shut

Or is there a secret that you cracks have when unhooking them - like tickle their bellies or summat

Sluicer · #7

We had a similar stocking of ruffe in the River Crossens many years ago. There were none in there until a few were brought home from the Lancaster Canal; in dribs & drabs over a long period of time.

Nowadays, everyone catches them along there and some are proper specimens too. When the deflector shields are fully deployed they can give a very good account of themselves - initially deceiving some people into thinking they've hooked something a lot bigger.

#8

Is it just me

Always have a bit of a 'job' unhooking them - the little blighters tend to 'clamp' their 'jaws' shut

Or is there a secret that you cracks have when unhooking them - like tickle their bellies or summat :D

press there gills shut and there mouth opens,but be carefull thers a spike on the gill cover

#9

I used to run regular Wednesday matches on the narrows at Tixall (Staffs-Worcs Canal). You could get about 25 in on the straight but lots of times we had to put 'round the corner' in on the T&M as attandances sometimes went over 40.

In those days matches tended to be won equally on caster, squatt or bloodworm. On the colder days the ruffe seemed to feed better (or was it that the other species gave them more chance?) and a double figure, just about, weight of ruffe was recorded. Hoo Mill on the T&M used to thow up double figure weights of all ruffe as well.
Loads used to book their holidays on Wednesdays to fish these matches

#10

Is it just me

Always have a bit of a 'job' unhooking them - the little blighters tend to 'clamp' their 'jaws' shut

Or is there a secret that you cracks have when unhooking them - like tickle their bellies or summat :D
press there gills shut and there mouth opens,but be carefull thers a spike on the gill cover

Ta Macca

- and I'll make sure I'm gentle with the little critters

double figure, just about, weight of ruffe was recorded

How much

That's one hell of a 'nest' of em

fluke · #11

would i encounter these in the tipton/coseley canal stretch or is it a bit

to even suggest?

#12

Yes TK 10 lb odd was an exception but it happened a time or two.

We have had loads of 'doubles' of all gudgeon too, - they have won many a 100-peg plus open.

16 lb odd was the best I can recall at Farmdown Road.
I well remember Mark Addy having 70 odd gudgeon for 7 lb odd, - they were the biggest I have seen. - Also at Farmdown Road.

We have some massive ruffe at Srafford but not many of them. I ran a match and Graham Rhodes weighed one in at exactly 6 oz, (I never saw it) way above the record at the time - nobody knew or were bothered to be honest.
In a Xmas Eve match Andy Holt (next peg to me) had one a dram above the British record. He netted it and I had the weigh scales and they were spot on. Problem was, what do you do with a record fish on Xmas Eve?
Barry Perkins weighed in five at Hazelstrine in one match, - they went 0-15-15!

MrV · #13

Barry Perkins weighed in five at Hazelstrine in one match, - they went 0-15-15!

I remember those fish Bill. Proper bloody prehistoric things they were

We used to have loads on the T & M canal around Rugeley. They seemed to prefer the open water stretches such as the Ash tree and Priory lengths, possibly cos they had deeper water,but were really spread throughout. I remember Kevin Ashurst fishing a few opens one winter and commenting on the size and quantity of the Ruffe that were weighd in.