34 THE RUDD. 



consideration as bait, my advice is, never mind what any 

 one says, or promises, or does ; always see to it yourself. 



Before finishing with the roach, I would wish to say 

 that there are few of the ordinary fresh-water fish so good 

 for the table as a roach out of a gravelly stream from 

 Christmas to the end of March. Nicely fried and carefully 

 dissected, BO as to avoid the bones, it is not only a good 

 fish, but a most excellent one, and those who despise them 

 do so in pure ignorance. 



Although roach are not supposed to be fish-eaters, I 

 have often seen and heard of their running at and taking 

 both a spinning-bait and a live minnow ; but I look upon 

 uch facts as mere aberrations. 



THE BUDD (Oyprinus erythrophthalmua) 



is a widely distributed fish, being found in many lakes, 

 ponds, and rivers throughout the kingdom. The Norfolk 

 Broads contain great quantities of them, as do some of the 

 Irish lakes. I have taken large numbers in Osterly Park, 

 and they abound in Slapton Lea. They are a somewhat 

 similiar fish to the roach, though of a more coppery tinge, 

 and of a rather deeper and shorter make ; and there are 

 these two inevitable distinctions, the dorsal fin of the roach 

 is almost opposite to the ventral fins. In the rudd it is 

 much nearer to the tail then the ventrals. The roach, too, 

 has a projecting upper lip, is overhung in fact; the rudd 

 a projecting under lip, being underhung. They sometimes 

 reach to a weight of close on four pounds, though I have 

 never taken one over a pound and a half For all angling 

 purposes, the directions given for roach answer for the 

 rudd equally. They spawn in April, or early in May. 



