Autumn/Winter 11/12

[Chris Plumb]

Well I've at last got rid of my 'summer hat' and having spent last Friday chasing ladies on the Itchen today was my first trip of the season to a favourite club water with perch and (hopefully) chub on the agenda. Wind was a nightmare and was fortunate to only lose one hook all morning despite the need to cast perilously close to trees and bushes on the far bank. A big stripey soon snaffled my float fished lob and I was easing the net under a 2¾lb fish before the sun was up. A good omen. The float continued to do a disappearing act but alas it was the 1st one's younger siblings, a few 'scraper' pounders, but all the others in the 10-12 oz bracket.

 

As this was my 1st trip of the autumn here I did a lot of walking - tis a big venue and I wanted to suss out some swims for later in the winter. The schooly perch seemed to be everywhere - with the last swim I tried producing a couple of fish modestly bigger - but not clearing a pound by more than 6oz. The chub hunt will have to wait another day - one of the supposed chub swims produced yet more perch and a bream - though I did manage a sub 2lb chub form a favourite perch swim!!!

 

[JV44]

Well I've at last got rid of my 'summer hat' and having spent last Friday chasing ladies on the Itchen today was my first trip of the season to a favourite club water with perch and (hopefully) chub on the agenda. Wind was a nightmare and was fortunate to only lose one hook all morning despite the need to cast perilously close to trees and bushes on the far bank. A big stripey soon snaffled my float fished lob and I was easing the net under a 2¾lb fish before the sun was up. A good omen. The float continued to do a disappearing act but alas it was the 1st one's younger siblings, a few 'scraper' pounders, but all the others in the 10-12 oz bracket.

 

As this was my 1st trip of the autumn here I did a lot of walking - tis a big venue and I wanted to suss out some swims for later in the winter. The schooly perch seemed to be everywhere - with the last swim I tried producing a couple of fish modestly bigger - but not clearing a pound by more than 6oz. The chub hunt will have to wait another day - one of the supposed chub swims produced yet more perch and a bream - though I did manage a sub 2lb chub form a favourite perch swim!!!

 

 

Well done Chris a great start to your Perch hunt ,Looking at the photo confirms what Rusty was talking to me about that being the colour of the Perch`s fins ....Thames fish being predominately Orange where as the kennet ones are Red ...Strange??

[Chris Plumb]

Looking at the photo confirms what Rusty was talking to me about that being the colour of the Perch`s fins ....Thames fish being predominately Orange where as the kennet ones are Red ...Strange??

 

 

Oh yeah hadn't noticed - need a few more specimens to compare!

 

C.

[Anderoo]

He's off! Good stuff Chris, looking forward to more, we have our fingers crossed for you this year for that elusive '4'...

[Chris Plumb]

we have our fingers crossed for you this year for that elusive '4'...

 

 

Well for 3 or 4 minutes at around 0730 this morning I thought I'd cracked it - or at least was connected to one! And indeed it was over 4lb but instead of having stripes and a spiky dorsal it had a crimson eye, olive flanks and a yellow belly - I'm ashamed to say I've never been so disappointed to catch a tench! Session on the K&A did go on to be somewhat awesome however - with a dozen fish over 2lb, 5 of which were over 3lb (!) the biggest of which equalled my 2 year old PB of 3lb 14oz! First time I've ever done 5, 3's in a single session!

 

3-14 below (more pics on blog )

 

C.

 

[Vidar6]

Well for 3 or 4 minutes at around 0730 this morning I thought I'd cracked it - or at least was connected to one! And indeed it was over 4lb but instead of having stripes and a spiky dorsal it had a crimson eye, olive flanks and a yellow belly - I'm ashamed to say I've never been so disappointed to catch a tench! Session on the K&A did go on to be somewhat awesome however - with a dozen fish over 2lb, 5 of which were over 3lb (!) the biggest of which equalled my 2 year old PB of 3lb 14oz! First time I've ever done 5, 3's in a single session!

 

3-14 below (more pics on blog )

 

C.

 

 

 

Now that is well done :clap: :clap:

[Anderoo]

That's amazing, well done Chris! That's a year's worth of big perch, what a red letter day! Inspiring stuff

[JV44]

You can go off people you know Chris ,I guess we all knew it would only be a matter of time before you had one of your Stripey mega catches .

Seriously well done ,I am off shortly to drop shopt an area of the Thames that has been kind in the past ,get anything like half that haul i will be more than happy face .

[Chris Plumb]

That's amazing, well done Chris! That's a year's worth of big perch, what a red letter day! Inspiring stuff

 

 

Funnily enough I just said that to the missus - that I might not get 5, 3's in a whole season! The 3-14 was an opportunist catch - having spent all morning casting as close as I dare to the far bank 'obstacles' there was a flurry of fry in the boat channel - casting my lob into the middle of it, for it to be taken before the float had time to cock...

 

 

C.

[Anderoo]

I think the most 3s I've had in a season is 4

 

Interesting that the big one was out hunting in open water. I've had some of my biggest river perch in recent years by fishing out in the middle nowhere near cover.

 

My main perch target this season is to catch a decent - say, 2lb+ - perch on a lure. Not even close yet, but having a lot of fun