THE RUFFE OR POPE. 49 



Kuffe will take paste, for I have caught them with it ; but they are 

 chiefly fish of prey. 



The diseases of these fish are similar to those which afflict perch. 

 First, too much hook ; second, parasitic growths, both vegetable and 

 animal. The spawning season seems to clothe it in a coat of horribly 

 offensive and thick slime, which clears to a normal quantity as condition 

 ia regained. At the interesting period referred to the female is very 

 often covered with parasites, the chief in numbers and agility of which 

 seems to be the ordinary fish louse, Argulus foliaceus. 



The folk lore or history of this fish, like that of the perch, is 

 conspicuous by its absence, and I only refer to the subject to say that 

 Cuvier attributes the first observations of it to Dr. Caius, a contemporary 

 of Gesner. Caius sent a drawing of the "Aspredo," as he called it, 

 which he had found in the river Yare, near Norwich, to Gesner, who 

 included it in the famous De piscibus et Cetis. Walton appears to have 

 been familiar with it. 



Gastronomically it is a much esteemed fish. Walton says that "no 

 fish that swims has a pleasanter taste." I much prefer the ruffe, so 

 far as its flavour is concerned, to even the delicate sweet gudgeon or 

 its cousin, the perch. It, however, requires careful cooking, not that 

 it is a fish to which it is necessary to add all sorts of condiments, but 

 because to over-fry it or over-bake it (with bay and rosemary) is to 

 spoil a certain nutty flavour which a ruffe from the clear river at the 

 latter end of July possesses. However, it is a small and rare fish and 

 not worth while quarrelling with the cook about. It is best when fried 

 in the way the wives of Thames fishermen know how to fry gudgeon ; 

 and if so dressed the gourmet has a treat indeed. 



The tackle required for ruffe fishing should be somewhat stronger than 

 mere gudgeon tackle, but not much. I usually, on finding a shoal of 

 these pleasant little fish, rig up a paternoster of five or six No. 10 hooka 

 on a fine gut cast, with one swan shot as a sinker, and baiting each hook 

 I trust to sight and feeling to hook my fish. There is considerable 

 fun in this style, and besides the sport there is no little education of 

 the hand and eye obtained, results of which come in very handily when 

 fly-fishing for grayling, for example. As indicated before, these fish go 

 in shoals, and, if careful, the angler may in the majority of cases get the 

 whole swarm. 



The baits are chiefly red worms or cockspurs, but, successful as they 

 are, I know a better, which is no other than the larvse of the Mayfly. 

 This insect looks something like a lizard of a greenish hue, and may be 

 obtained in early season from underneath stones in a gravelly rapid 

 stream. It may be simply impaled. Another very good bait is my little 



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