Huge perch

[Anderoo]

On Saturday I went back to that tiny stream with Goosequill, where I caught the big 2lber from a couple of weeks back. It was running high and coloured after the recent downpours and the weather was nice and mild and overcast - it looked good! The usual hotspots were too turbulent so it was a case of searching out the slacks and hoping to drop on a fish or two. I was floatfishing a big lob at about half depth, letting it chug around the slacks under my feet and behind reedbeds. We had a few smaller perch (smaller perch here being up to 2lb!) by fishing right under the rod tip and it seemed that there would be one or two fish holding up in each spot and once you'd caught them it was time to move on to the next one.

 

Just upstream and round a bend there was a big slack caused by a long, thick bed of rushes, so I plopped the float in from upstream, not really expecting much to be honest (it didn't look that good). Straight away the float bobbed and slid away, and I struck into a 6oz roach which had somehow managed to get a size 6 hook and whole lob in its mouth. Next cast and the float slid away again but this time I struck into something much more solid, which shook its head hard and powered upstream. It did its best to get under the rushes and weed in the margin, but I netted it OK and knew it was a biggie as soon as I saw it come up through the murky water. A quick weigh on the digi scales said 3lb 5oz equalling my PB from Wingham in May! I couldn't believe it, I was made up, and it was a pristine fish full of colour.

 

Mr Goosequill took a couple of snaps and said it's worth dropping in there again - so I stuck another lob on and plopped in back in the slack...and the float slid away again! I struck into another obviously good fish, very powerful, which also tried its best to snag me in the margins and terrified me by shaking its head at the surface and showing me how light the hook hold was but I managed to net it OK, dispite my shaking! This one looked even bigger and was equally beautiful - the scales said 3lb 10oz , a fish of a lifetime!

 

I still can't believe it now.

 

We fished into dusk but didn't get any more of the giants. What an amazing day!

[pikergonecarpin]

Great catch and great story. I'm not jealous honest

 

Paul.

[gozzer]

Fantastic Anderoo Have you stopped shaking yet?

 

Move over Steve Burke, there's a new perchmeister in town

[BoozleBear]

Well done mate, shows that perseverence pays - even if I can't spell it!

[DavyR]

What a great catch - nice to know that you don't always need to fish lives or deads for really big perch.

[Dick Dastardly]

Nice fish Anderoo.

[Anderoo]

What a great catch - nice to know that you don't always need to fish lives or deads for really big perch.

 

I was on the Thames yesterday sussing out a new stretch and dropped a paternostered bleak (all I could catch from that swim!) by some reeds for the pike, and had two screaming runs from perch of about 1.5lb! Both fell off on the way in. I caught a few about that size on worms too. I'm always happier fishing a lob for perch - I'd rather deal with the odd suicidal roach than a crazy jack pike.

 

Another nice thing this weekend was that I caught gudgeon from two different rivers (the stream and the Thames). It's been years since I've seen a gudgeon!

[Jigotai]

Well done Anderoo, look forward to seeing the pictures.

I managed a pb perch on Sunday, still not quite in your league at 2 ¼ lb but still chuffed. I also managed a pb pike at 5lb(first one I’ve weighed). Both were caught on a spinner within a couple of casts of each other.

[Anderoo]

Well done Anderoo, look forward to seeing the pictures.

I managed a pb perch on Sunday, still not quite in your league at 2 ¼ lb but still chuffed. I also managed a pb pike at 5lb(first one I’ve weighed). Both were caught on a spinner within a couple of casts of each other.

 

I'll put a pic up tomorrow hopefully.

 

Any perch over 2lb is a biggie I reckon, and I enjoyed catching those 1.5lbers from the Thames yesterday just as much! Perch are just such exciting fish.

 

Well done on a double PB session!

Edited October 16, 2006 by Anderoo

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

Well done Anderoo, look forward to seeing the pictures.

I managed a pb perch on Sunday, still not quite in your league at 2 ¼ lb but still chuffed. I also managed a pb pike at 5lb(first one I’ve weighed). Both were caught on a spinner within a couple of casts of each other.

 

result fella!! and you anderoo ya jammy bugger!

Edited October 16, 2006 by Russell Fitzpatrick