Roger's Angling Pages
The Ruffe (Pope) Gymnocephalus cernua		Perch family Percidae

The Ruffe is the smallest member of the Perch family (Percidae). Its body is slimy and brown-green in colour, with a number of flecks in longitudinal stripes. The first or longer part of the flecked dorsal fin is equipped with sharp rays. Sharp spikes can also be found jutting from the opercular bones on the head. Injuries to anglers caused by these thorns are frequent and unpleasant.

The Ruffe lives in still or slow-flowing waters and can be found almost everywhere in northern and central Europe, except for Ireland and Scotland. It likes deep water with deposits of sand and gravel. It spawns in spring, later than the Perch, and can breed quickly wherever it is located. It competes for food with fishes feeding on bottom-living organisms, for example Carp, Bream and Eel. To achieve a similar rate of growth to the Bream, it has to eat seven times more food. It grows very slowly and barely survives 6 years. It reaches a length of 10 to 15 cm, although in large Russian rivers and off the coast of the Bay of Finland it can reach a length of 30 cm.

It is active after dusk, when it leaves the deeps and comes inshore. It swims about in shoals and other Ruffe are not discouraged when one is caught. In winter it hides in deep hollows, but can be caught through holes in the ice. When fishing for the Ruffe, larger hooks with a longer shank are used and small bait, such as wriggling maggots attached by their tips. The Ruffe is quickly attracted by live bait and swallows it greedily complete with hook. It is mainly used as a bait fish for catching Pikeperch.