Perch season

[Anderoo]

It's definitely perch season now. The dawns are freezing cold and heavy with mist and dew. The leaves are turning yellow and brown. There seem to be squirrels and conkers everywhere. What a relief to leave the mountain of gravel pit tackle at home and wander out with one rod, a bag and a net for just a couple of hours and hope a big perch saunters along at witching hour. Until it gets properly cold (when my focus will switch to chub) I am now in full perch mode.

 

I took Friday afternoon off work and tootled down to the secret perch stream. The floods messed it up last year (in fact my perch fishing in general was very poor last year) so I'm determined to make the most of it this season. It was baking hot and really bright in the daytime, so no chance of perch, but it was bliss just being back there, nestled among the reeds and nettles. I killed time in the sunshine waiting for dusk. It's such a shallow stream, only about 2' deep, and the perch tuck themselves away all day and only come out to feed just before darkness.

 

Right on cue, as the light went (there was the most amazing blazing sunset) I got my first bite - one moment the float was there, the next, gone! Because I'd broken my avon rod I was using my float rod and pin, and it was a bit hairy controlling the perch, but managed to steer it into the net - a beautiful fish of a pound and a half. Another one followed. I was so pleased, I'd gone perch fishing and caught some perch! And then, in the last dregs of light, the float started wandering slowly upstream. I thought it might be another cray but struck anyway, and something very big thumped and powered downstream. I got it up to the surface, float rod doubled over, and almost bundled it into the net. It was so big But it powered away again upstream and then turned and went for the thick reeds under my feet. I just couldn't stop it. Everything went solid. I pulled for a break and lost not only the fish but my favourite perch float

 

It was my own fault. I should have known I needed a stronger rod. I still felt pretty empty.

 

So on Saturday I went to a couple of shops and ended up buying one of the Drennan series 7 avon/quivers 1 1/4lb tc. What a lovely rod it is, ideal for big perch and it'll be great for chub too

 

Later on Saturday I went back. Conditions were exactly the same as Friday but the stream was lifeless. Not one bite. You'd be forgiven for thinking there was nothing in there. Oh, except a whacking great ruffe, which was easily a PB! I didn't weigh it, but it must have been 5oz.

 

Sunday was going to be the last big push - a dawn start on the Thames with Richard, then back home for a load of DIY brownie points, and then dusk at the stream with Chris.

 

Dawn was seriously cold and clammy, we were freezing! It was really misty and we hoped it would linger and keep the light low to prolong the feeding spell. We were at the same place Richard had his superb haul of big perch last winter, and second trot down my float buried and a struck into a decent perch. The rod behaved beautifully, nice and soft in the tip but with lots of power further down After a short fight I weighed a gorgeous looking perch at 2lb 10oz, hooray! A few casts later I caught its brother at 2lb 9oz. A smaller one of about a pound followed. This was much more like it, what a relief to finally catch some good perch. I was back home having breakfast by 9am, a very happy angler.

 

As the day wore on clouds started gathering, a very good sign. With lower light levels the stream perch might be encouraged to venture out from their snags and reedbeds a little earlier, giving us more chance of a bite. By the time we met up at 5pm it was looking really good, mild, a little breezy and lots of cloud cover, completely different from the previous two days. We settled into likely spots next to cover and dreamed of the monsters that live there.

 

I tried trotting a worm through different parts of the swim but (apart from a lost pike) nothing stirred, so I fished overdepth and plopped the worm next to the reedbed. A few minutes later it vanished and the line pulled tight - something really wanted it! I struck and played in a belting perch, the colours on it were dazzling. It weighed 2lb 1oz. It was turning into a very good day!

 

I tried a different spot and no sooner had the worm hit the bottom I was in again, this was a smaller one of a pound and a half. An even smaller baby perch followed that one, and then the swim went very quiet and I got the feeling that if I wanted to try for one last fish I should move.

 

I dropped back into the swim where I lost the huge perch on Friday, swapping the float with a light quivertip with isotopes on. There was hardly any light left. I swung the lob out into mid-stream and watched the glowing tip. There was a tap, then another, and then it wrapped right over, and I struck into something tiny Not what I was expecting! Another baby of a few ounces. It was almost completely dark by now, so I swung out a fresh lob and settled back. After just a few seconds there was a tap and the tip slowly bent over. I struck again but this time there was something very solid at the other end which thumped hard and bore downstream. I managed to turn it and it powered back upstream and tried to bore under the reeds where I'd lost the other fish. The new rod soaked up the lunges and after a couple more short bursts, clutch screaming, I drew it over the net. Good grief, it looked so big! This was in a different league. This was a proper one. I called Chris over and we weighed it at 3lb 7oz. It's my second biggest perch, and to catch a fish of that size and beauty (its fins were blood red, it looked freshly painted) so early in the 'perch season' is just fantastic.

 

I should have some pics soon, they're on Chris's camera.

 

Was it the same one I'd lost? Could be. But knowing that place probably not...

[kelvindavies11]

Well what can I say, jealous!!! Brilliant mate, and a cracking read.

 

Kelvin

[medwaygreen]

Great write up and well done, as you say its good to go fishing for a species and catch what you are after.

[Janet]

Fabulous read. Well done!

 

Janet

[Leon Roskilly]

[gozzer]

Great write up of a great session Andrew.

 

The only thing missing was you telling us that you got your favourite perch float back as well.

Still you can't have everything.

 

John.

[Anderoo]

Great write up of a great session Andrew.

 

The only thing missing was you telling us that you got your favourite perch float back as well.

Still you can't have everything.

 

John.

 

No, that float is now part of the stream somewhere. However, I did buy a new favourite perch float on Saturday, and this one is even better

[Andy Macfarlane]

That was great reading. I'm looking forward to the pictures.

[JV44]

No, that float is now part of the stream somewhere. However, I did buy a new favourite perch float on Saturday, and this one is even better

 

Well of course the evo 2 favorite perch float is far superior to the original version as any perch addict will know ,Great session and a fish of that size is massive indeed a massive well done.

Pm me dates when you are free even midweek ones as i may be able to swing it [after all i am the boss so i wont sack myself] and we can get something sorted and i will endeavor to find you some perch to rival those but thats a big ask after what you have just managed Steve.

[Andrew Burgess]

Congratulations on the pb perch mate