Two 3lb-plus perch in one session from the Great Ouse
After setting himself the target of catching a 3lb-plus river perch, James Armstrong achieved his goal twice in two sessions.
Taking a couple of days off work, the JAG Products media manager targeted a stretch of the Great Ouse and settled for a swim where he could trot a float over to a set of overhanging willows.
Feeding red maggots over a lobworm hookbait he caught several fish to 1lb 8oz before hooking in to a 3lb 2oz specimen.
The following day he headed to a deeper swim further along the stretch and fished a lobworm in conjunction with a maggot feeder. After catching steadily from the off he hooked in to something much more powerful in the afternoon.
He said: “At first I thought it was a chub but when I saw a bright red tail break the surface I knew it had to be a perch – and the biggest I’d ever seen at that. At 3lb 15oz it was a true river giant.”
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4lb perch after two year wait
For the last two winters Dave Horton has set himself the target of catching a 4lb-plus perch – and he finally achieved his goal with this 4lb 8oz specimen from the River Lea.
The experienced predator angler and Pike Anglers Club member –who has over 20, 30lb-plus pike to his name – found success with a floatfished roach deadbait on the Hertfordshire waterway
He said: “On a couple of occasions I fallen short by just two ounces and I can honestly say that I am as delighted with this fish as I am with any of my 30lb pike.”
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Perch smash river record
Two friends experienced a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ session after both banking record-breaking perch that topped the scales at 4lb 15oz apiece.
Andy Cheetham and Simon Brough were fishing a club controlled stretch of the Derbyshire Derwent when they beat the current river best by 3oz and smashed their personal bests’ with the amazing brace of fish.
Arriving at the midlands waterway before sunrise the duo endured three biteless hours before moving downstream. Shortly afterwards the tip of Simon’s quiver tip was pulled round as the giant stripey picked up his feeder fished dendrobaena worm hookbait.
After assisting with the weighing and photography of the fish, Andy, a photographer from Manchester, decided to move upstream of his fellow Perchfishers Group member and cast a lobworm on a size 4 hook within a few feet of the bank.
“I had a dropback bite and by the way it fought I thought I was attached to a chub,” Andy told Angling Times. “It made several lunges for the bankside vegetation and when it eventually came to the surface my heart was in my mouth as I could see that the hook was nicked through the tiniest slither of skin on its top lip - thankfully it held in place!
“I called Simon over and when the scales registered 4lb 15oz for a second time we just stood there in disbelief.”
He added: “There’s no doubt that both of these fish will be well over 5lb early next year.”
Not only do the perch fishing fanatics now each hold a River Derwent record, but this is also the biggest brace ever taken from the venue.
“We are both still in shock. I doubt we will ever experience anything like this again,” said Simon, from Matlock in Derbyshire.
“At first we thought it might be the same fish but when we looked we realised it was different. My fish had different shape and colouration as well as a small chunk missing from its dorsal fin.
“I’ve fished the river since I was a teenager and we both know it’s potential. For just one of us to catch a fish like this would have been a dream come true, but this is something so very special and further proves how exceptional perch fishing is on our rivers at the moment.”
10 river stretches to try for big perch
River Great Ouse, Stony Stratford, Bucks , contact: Milton Keynes AA, 01908 270000 River Derwent, Borrowash, Derby, Derbyshire, contact: Nathans of Derby 01332 515353
River Ivel, Manor Farm Fishery, Biggleswade, Beds, contact: Manor Farm Fishery, 01767 317835
River Lea, Hertford, Herts, contact: Johnson Ross Tackle, 01992 462044
River Thames, Bourne End, Bucks, contact London AA: 020 8520 7477
River Ancholme, Brigg, North Lincs, contact: Brigg Angling 01652 651650
River Dee, Farndon, Chester, Cheshire, contact: Chester Tackle Locker 01244 345069
River Wye, Belmont, Hereford, tickets in advance from Woody’s Tackle, contact: 01432 344644
River Sour, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, contact: Soar Tackle 01509 670436
River Stour, Canterbury town centre, Kent, contact: Cathedral Tackle 01843 591134
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Perch to 2lb 13oz on first visit to new venue
It can sometimes take time to get to grips with a new water but Ryan Hayden got off to a flying start at his latest target water, landing a series of perch to 2lb 13oz.
The Drennan employee ignored the recent craze of drop shotting for the species, and instead used popped-up lobworms and king prawns soaked in a krill-flavoured liquid on low-resistance running rigs.
It wasn’t long before he was slipping the net under a string of predators, with all of the bites coming from an eight foot deep spot that had been liberally baited with a spread of worms, maggots, casters and groundbait.
“I only fished for around six hours but I was kept busy with plenty of decent perch over 1lb and I’m confident that the lake holds bigger,” said Ryan.
His winning rig consisted of a foot long 4.9lb Drennan Supplex hooklink and a size 6 Drennan Super Specialist hook.
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Five perch over 3lb from Grafham Water
Andy Loble finally struck the jackpot with the big perch of Grafham Water, landing five fish over the 3lb mark, including a 4lb 4oz cracker.
The impressive predator equalled his personal best for the species and was backed up with fish of 3lb 10oz, 3lb 6oz, 3lb 5oz and 3lb 2oz during a frantic couple of hours late in afternoon. Following two blank sessions on the Cambridgeshire venue, Andy once again took to one of its boats during a trip with Gordon Howes of Waterland Predator Guiding, despite strong winds.
“The fishing had been really slow and we decided to head to the tower for the last few hours of light,” he told Angling Times. “Within a couple of casts I was into my first fish and my jaw hit the bottom when I saw it was a 3lb perch. The bites and the fights were epic on an 8ft Sonik SK4 spinning rod and I used Fox Rage Shads on drop shot tactics. It was my best perch session ever,” he added.
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Anglers lose count of 2lb-plus perch at Blithfield Reservoir
“It was some of the best perch fishing I’ve ever experienced, but is still just the tip of the iceberg.”
These are the words of well-known specimen hunter Gary Knowles who was one of the lucky anglers to take part in the first ever perch trials at Blithfield Reservoir which saw over 900 fish landed.
Eight boats, each carrying two anglers, took part in the two-day lure fishing event and not only did each vessel average 50 perch per day, but event organisers admitted to loosing count of the number of perch over 2lb that were caught from the 790-acre venue.
The lion’s share of the fish boated were caught by those using the ever-popular drop shotting tactics and Korum Tackle-backed Gary along with John Davey, who co-manage the predator fishing at the venue on behalf of Blithfield Anglers, are adamant that this is just a taste of what’s to come.
“The fishing was nothing short of incredible,” Gary told Angling Times. “We were all left shaking our heads as none of us had ever caught perch in these numbers before.
“It wasn’t as if we were just catching perch from one area either, there were unbelievable amounts of fish coming from many different parts of the lake. It proves the sheer numbers of fish the venue holds and it’s only a matter of time before a truly enormous perch is caught from Blithfield.”
Another angler that was totally blown away by the fishing on offer was Korum Tackle and Preston Innovations’ media co-ordinator Adam Firth.
“It was an incredible experience just to perch fish an awe-inspiring venue like this for the first time. But to have two days where my boat partner and I lost track of how many fish we’d caught was really special,” said Adam.
“We boated fish to 2lb 4oz, but it’s so exciting to think what might lurk beneath the surface.”
Perch fishing fanatics still have their chance of further proving the potential of this incredible venue as there are still boat fishing days available on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30.
It costs £25 per-person per-day and for more information contact John Davey on: 07766 880718 or e-mail: john.davey46@ntlworld.com
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Brace of 3lb-plus perch from Southampton venue
This cracking brace of perch weighing 3lb 14oz and 3lb 10oz were caught by Andy Cribb during a six hour session at a venue in Sholing near Southampton.
The local rod used groundbait feeders filled with Van Den Eynde Expo groundbait mixed with lake water and Predator Plus liquid and laced with maggots, casters, chopped worm and CC Moore frozen bloodworm.
This was cast out in conjunction with a lobworm hookbait and he also landed a further eight specimens over the 2lb-barrier.
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Grafham yields personal-best 3lb perch
A first time visit to Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water resulted in this stunning 3lb 11oz personal best perch for young specimen angler Ollie Jenkinson.
Fishing with his boat partner Tom Finney, the pair anchored up close to one of the towers on the 1,500 acre Cambridgeshire venue and started off jigging for perch and zander.
With no action by midday, the Bedfordshire-based rod decided to switch to a drop shotted Berkley Power Bait Minnow and completed the set-up with a 4ft Fox Rage Illusion fluorocarbon leader and 14lb braided mainline.
He said: “On my third drop down I hooked into a hefty weight that dived down towards the bottom. After an exciting scrap I watched as a huge dorsal broke the surface and a pb perch was netted. I can’t wait to get back out there for another go now.”
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Epic Grafham Water perch session
One of the biggest catches of specimen perch of all time has been landed by species expert Paul Elt after banking five specimens over 4lb topped by a 4lb 14oz personal best.
His incredible session unfolded while adrift during a stormy day on the daunting Grafham Water reservoir in Cambridgeshire where his biggest-ever perch, along with fish weighing 4lb 11oz, a brace at 4lb 1oz and a 4lb specimen came to the net.
The Drennan, Dynamite Baits-backed specialist used the devastating method known as ‘dropshotting’ close to an underwater feature where he found over 24 feet of water and then expertly worked a selection of his favourite lures including a new variety of baits that are soon to be released by Drennan.
His rig comprised an 8lb braided mainline, four feet of fluorocarbon and a size 1 hook, which also fooled also a string of eight other fish that ran to 3lb 12oz.
“I will never experience a session like this for as long as I live and it really has left me in a true state of shock,” Paul exclusively told Angling Times.
“The perch in this venue remain largely neglected because most predator anglers concentrate on the pike and zander with large lures, but over the last few years ‘dropshotting’ has completely revolutionised this kind of fishing.”
“I’ve fished this venue for 25 years now and it’s always been a really hard venue to crack, a real test, but this method is now helping anglers discover the true perch potential of reservoirs like this.”
John Marshall is the Fisheries and recreation manager for Anglian Water, who run Grafham Water and he’s been blow away by Paul’s huge haul of perch.
“This catch is perfect proof of why perch fishing is getting more and more popular at all of our venues,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in the fishing here for over 30 years and feel that until now visitors have only scratched the surface as regards to the perch potential of our waters.
“ But now anglers like Paul, who are using tactics like ‘dropshotting,’are proving why many believe that it’s venues like this that will throw up a record.”
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Perch to 3lb 7oz top bumper Chew catch
Professional angling guide, Kenny Parsons, proved that Chew Valley Reservoir had more to offer predator anglers than the huge pike it’s famed for after banking a string of large perch.
The Bristol-based rod had seen perch crashing in to large shoals of fry around the Bristol Water-controlled venue and using lure fishing techniques banked around 50 fish in total, including three over 3lb to 3lb 7oz.
He said: “Using a braid line and a wire trace you can feel the perch hitting the lures all of the time. It rained constantly and the low light levels meant the perch fed all day.
“I also heard of some 4lb perch getting caught which will be huge later in the season.”
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Amazing brace of perch from tiny waterway
Visiting a stretch of a Lincolnshire river that had been choked with weed paid off for Phil Taylor as he banked 16 large perch, including this stunning brace weighing 3lb 8oz and 3lb 4oz.
A series of cold and wet nights had helped flush out the vegetation on the waterway, providing the Skegness-based rod with the perfect opportunity to target several previously unfishable spots.
Using a link-legered worm on a rig consisting of 6lb Drennan Double Strength to a size 12 hook, it wasn’t long before he’d slipped the net under a trio of 2lb-plus fish.
“A pike then entered the swim which caused the shoal of perch to back off,” said Phil. “I always carry a lure rod with me and on the first chuck I landed the 8lb fish and returned it safely further downstream.”
By feeding a pint of red maggots he was able to encourage the perch back on to his spot and ended the day with seven fish over 2lb and five over 3lb.
Despite having landing specimens to 3lb 12oz in the past, Phil was in no doubt as to where the session ranked in his all-time leaderboard. “It was my best catch ever. It is only a tiny waterway but a 4lb perch could certainly be on the cards this winter,” he added.
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Six perch over 3lb for Paul Elt
Paul Elt proved how effective ‘dropshotting’ is when targeting big perch when he banked six fish over the 3lb barrier.
His biggest specimen weighed in at 3lb 5oz and was taken by the Cambridgeshire-based specialist during a session at Grafham Water.
The Drennan and Dynamite Baits-backed angler used the popular method to delicately work his Drennan Esox Jellignite shad that was attached to 8lb braid and a size 1 dropshotting hook.
“The flat-calm conditions enabled a really delicate presentation just off the bottom and I took fish from open water and around the snags,” said Paul.
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Trip to the Netherlands results in 4lb 6oz perch
A trip to the Netherlands for a guiding session with Dutch predator ace Willem Stolk paid off for Sussex angler Richard Wesley after landing this personal best 4lb 6oz perch.
Fishing with his compatriots Andrew Blazey, James Garnder and Andrew Lush the foursome landed more than 20 perch over 4lb during the trip which they spent targeting a popular river system near Rotterdam.
Under the watchful eye of Shimano-backed Willem, the group targeted zander and local species such as asp as well as the perch using 5g-14g jigheads and Rapala crank lures.
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There's never been a better time to catch monster perch!
If you've ever wanted to catch a big perch there’s never been a better time to do it. One of the country’s top fishery experts has this week told Angling Times that the nation’s stillwaters and waterways are teeming with specimen stripeys.
The claim, made by Dr Bruno Broughton, come on the back of last week’s Drennan Thames Festival 2014 match on the river in Oxfordshire which saw 15 perch over 3lb netted during the event.
Fisheries management consultant, Bruno told Angling Times: "The captures of so many specimen perch from such a wide variety of fisheries probably eclipses anything British anglers have experienced before - we've never had it so good.
“The rise in captures is basically a result of three main factors. Firstly, the upsurge in catches on commercial stillwaters is, in part, attributable to abundant stocks of small prey as a result of improved fishery management practices. This must also be true of other water bodies where perch have grown bigger on plentiful stocks of food.
"Secondly, the devastating impacts of perch disease - which greatly reduced perch in many fisheries appears to have receded in recent years. And Finally, far more anglers are deliberately targeting specimen perch, using tactics designed to improve their chances of catching them by design. Drop-shotting and other specialised techniques have proved to be a huge advantage for would-be perch hunters in seeking out otherwise uncaught giants."
The Thames alone has seen a huge wave of big perch banked this year including Paul Parnell’s 4lb 15oz specimen caught back in March but other venues have also boasted big fish as anglers have been reporting specimens from canals and reservoirs too. Last month Teenager Jack Hosier banked a huge 4lb 1oz specimen from the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire while in June John Deprieelle banked no less than 16 perch to 3lb 10oz during a single session on Upper Tamar Reservoir in Cornwall.
One angler making the most of the fruitful perch sport is England Lure Fishing team member, Sam Edmonds. The 20-year-old Abu Garcia sponsored angler has targeted a number of rivers and big stillwaters for the species in recent years claiming dozens of fish up to 4lb 12oz. A recent trip to Cambridgeshire’s Grafham Water with his dad Gary saw them haul in a staggering 70 perch over two days, topped by Gary’s 4lb specimen on a jigged shad lure. Sam told Angling Times: “There's never been a better time to target the species and the rivers are as good now as they have ever been. Lure fishing is the most exciting, rewarding and effective way to target them, and with autumn just around the corner, now's the time to give it a try.”
TOP 20 PERCH OF ALL TIME
1. 8lb, Mr Zerfall, River Avon, Hants, 1928.
2. 6lb 8oz, D. Cooke, undisclosed venue, 1965.
3. 6lb 3oz, Bill, River Thames, 2014.
4. 6lb 3oz, Ken Brown, Wilstone Reservoir, 2011. (Joint British record)
5. 6lb 3oz, G. Cooke, Wentworth Fishery, 1974.
6. 6lb 3oz, Neill Stephen, Stream valley Lakes, 2011. (Joint British record)
7. 6lb 2oz, Robert Townsend, undisclosed venue, 2007.
8. 6lb, Ricky Hilliday, Cotswold Water Park, 2010.
9. 5lb 15oz 8dr, Greg Strelley, Private Derbyshire pond, 2012.
10. 5lb 15oz, Ovidiuus Venskus, Hangingfield Reservior, 2011.
11. 5lb 15oz, Les Brown, East sussex lake, 2006.
12. 5lb 15oz, P. Clarke, River Stour, Suffolk, 1950.
13. 5lb 14oz, Lewis Hagland, private syndicate, 2011.
14. 5lb 14oz, Ken Brown, Hertfordshire stillwater, 2010.
15. 5lb 14oz, D. Florey, Farlow's Lake, 1953.
16. 5lb 12oz, Linas Provilaitis, Lincolnshire Drain, 2008.
17. 5lb 12oz, E. V. Hodd, Diana Pond, 1957.
18. 5lb 12oz, Paul Hendry, Durham brick pit, 1996.
19. 5lb 11oz, Mark Priaulx, London Docks, 2008.
20. 5lb 11oz, Martyn Topliss, Cambs pit, 2007.
TOP 5 PERCH OF 2014 SO FAR…
- 6lb 4oz (unclaimed record) Bill…., Lower River Thames, March
- 4lb 15oz Paul Parnell, Middle River Thames March
- 4lb 13oz Dan Eaves, Southern Stillwater July
- 4lb 12oz Steve Frost, Yorks Ouse tributary March
- 4lb 11oz Rob Thompson and Kamil Sulima, both Derbyshire Derwent March and January
FIVE PERCH VENUES TO TRY
- River Thames, Bourne End or Teddington, Bucks 01628 530500
- Whitmore Fisheries, Preston, Lancs 01253 836224
- Woodside Fishery, Kidderminster, Worcs 01299 270565
- Wilstone Reservoir, Tring, Herts 01582 841985
- Kennet & Avon Canal, Great Bedwyn, Wilts 077132 62959
Three perch for 11lb in the space of an hour!
Sam Edmonds landed three perch for a combined weight of 11lb in the space of an hour – this 3lb 12oz specimen the highlight.
The Hertfordshire-based rod targeted a local stretch of river with his dad, Gary, but with only one fish each to show for their efforts by mid-afternoon they decided to relocate to another area of the waterway.
“Within 20 minutes of arriving I had a good whack and hooked in to a perch that weighed 3lb 9oz, caught on a jigged Berkley Ripple Shad,” said Sam. “On my very next cast I landed a fish of 3lb 11oz.”
The best was still to come, however, and after casting tight to a large snag he landed the largest perch of the day, which measured 48cm.
“The bigger fish were very empty and I think all three will probably weigh over 4lbs towards the end of the season,” he added.
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3lb 4oz perch tops off best-ever angling week
This 3lb 4oz perch was the highlight of a productive week’s angling for Ollie Jenkinson which also included a 6lb 5oz chub.
Both of the fish were taken by the 15-year-old all-rounder from an area of marginal cover on a stretch of the Great Ouse.
Upon spotting the predator under a far bank bush, he took off the initial 3 AAA shot on his leger set-up and freelined a small fish on a size 7 hook.
“The livebait swung round in the current past the perch and which grabbed it just as it was sinking into the deeper water,“ explained Ollie. “It was one of the best anglers weeks of my life,” he added.
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10 perch to 4lb 7oz in 'trip of a lifetime'
A three day session on a local stillwater turned in to the ‘trip of a lifetime’ for Bill Gutheridge who landed 10 huge perch to a best of 4lb 7oz.
The haul, which included four fish over 4lb and six over the 3lb-barrier, was taken by the Tamworth-based Lure Anglers Society webmaster.
Fishing with his boat partner, Paul Parnell, the duo targeted the deeper areas of the lake using the prolific drop-shot method with Zman Chatterbaits and Softgear plastic lures.
“For the last 15-years all I have ever done is lure fishing but I’ve never had a day like this,” Bill told Angling Times. “We lost count of the amount of smaller perch and pike that we landed. I have fished this Lake for years and it’s not easy and I’ve had my fair share of blanks but all the research seems to have finally paid off.”
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4lb 1oz perch shows what canals can offer
Teenage angler Jack Hosier proved that canals are home to much more than just small silverfish when he banked this 4lb 1oz perch from the Grand Union Canal.
Targeting a stretch close to his Hertfordshire base, the 16-year-old presented a gudgeon livebait close in.
The impressive predator – which he beat his previous perch best by over 1lb 8oz – took his hookbait less than half an hour in to the session.
He said: “The perch put up a great fight and just shows what cracking fish some the country’s canals have to offer.”
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4lb 8oz perch caps best session ever
Conditions were far from ideal for Dan Eaves’ latest perch fishing session but he defied the odds to land this stunning 4lb 8oz fish.
The Hampshire-based angler was faced with bright sunshine and temperatures nudging 30 degrees during a session on a southern stillwater leaving him pessimistic about his chances of success.
His confidence received a boost during a walk around the lake, though, as he spotted a large shoal of perch fry sitting close to a feature.
“Once I’d found these tiny fish I had a hunch that the big specimens that inhabited the lake wouldn’t be far away. I set up a seven inch jig and started to explore the swim,” said Dan.
His theory was proved correct almost instantly as he was received a positive take and it soon became apparent that he was attached to a 4lb-plus specimen.
“It looked huge on the mat,” he went on to say. “Before weighing it, I took its measurements and it was 19.5ins long and had a girth of 16.5ins around the middle of the body – it was an absolute beast.
“If I’m being honest, I thought my chances of catching anything else significant were slim.”
But that prediction was well off the mark, with predators of 2lb 12oz and 3lb 6oz also gracing his net and capping off, what Dan could only refer to as, ‘my best ever perch fishing session’.
Having landed stripeys to a personal best of 4lb 13oz in the past, Dan has now set his sights on breaking another landmark by the end of the year and he told Angling Times: “Once the winter comes and these fish start to hold some spawn they will pack on even more weight and I’m confident that I can break the 5lb-barrier in the coming months.”
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Jig lures 3lb 6oz river perch from tree roots
A new stretch of river produced the goods for Dan Sales when he banked this mint-conditioned 3lb 6oz perch.
Due to hot, bright conditions the Fox-backed specimen hunter walked the banks of the River Ouse looking for areas of bankside cover and eventually discovered a promising clump of tree roots on the near bank.
The Herts-based specialist cast a small jig around the feature for five minutes before the perch hit it. “It took me a while to get this fish to take the bait, but I wouldn’t have coaxed it out of the snags with any other method because I was able to get right in to the roots,” Dan told Angling Times.
He used six kilo Fox Rage Jig Silk, an 8lb fluorocarbon leader and a 5 gram jig head.
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