164 THE RUPFE. 



The Ruffe or Pope. 



The ruffe very much resembles the perch both in appearance 

 and habits, but is a much smaller fish, seldom exceeding six or 

 seven inches in length. It may, however, be easily distinguished 

 from a perch of the same size by having only one fin on the back, 

 the first portion being spinous, and the remaining rays soft, The 

 membrane between the spines is also marked with dark spots 

 which appear also on the back, which is of a light brown, and is 

 not marked with the dusky bands like the perch, though the dark 

 spots assume somewhat that appearance. The lateral line is also 

 very strongly marked. 



Although a small fish, it is very highly esteemed for the table, 

 and like the perch is an exceedingly bold biting fish ; not only 

 seizing with avidity on worms, but even having audacity to lay 

 hold of a minnow nearly as big as himself. The best bait is a 

 small worm; but they will bite well at the cadis, or gentles; 

 and like the perch may be pulled out one after another whenever 

 you have the luck to fall in with a shoal of them. If the water 

 is clear a float may be dispensed with, as the preferable plan is 

 to let the bait drop within their view, keeping it gently in motion 

 just above the bottom. But in other cases a small float should 

 be used. 



The best plan to attract them, or to keep them together, is 

 from time to time to cast a handful of fine earth or mould into 

 the water, which sinking to the bottom will be sure to collect 

 all the ruffes within a short distance to the spot, when you will 

 be pretty sure to take a great many of them. 



Their favorite haunts are a tranquil stream, with a clean 

 gravelly bottom. They spawn at about the same time as 

 the perch, viz. the latter end of April, or the early part of May, 

 the eggs being deposited among roots or rushes at the side of 

 the stream. 



The ruffe is not so general a fish as the perch. It seems 



