4lb 6oz perch from wales!

Rivers and stillwaters across the UK continue to produce some of the best big-perch fishing ever, with both worms and lures accounting for huge stripeys.
First angler on this week’s list is Graham King (pictured), who made a visit to a stillwater in South Wales to smash his personal best with this 4lb 6oz specimen.
He and two friends fished a combination of maggots and worms to land large numbers of perch. They had 10 fish between them, and Graham backed up his four-pounder with another perch of 3lb 5oz.
A simple leger rig coupled with a soft Avon-style rod and a size 2 circle hook was the secret to the Worcester angler’s success.
“The trick to catching these perch was using a set-up with minimal resistance, so that’s why I was fishing slack lines with a really long drop on my bobbins,” said Graham.
“I struck at any movement on my indicator because perch are such aggressive feeders.”
Father and son Gary and Sam Edmonds know a thing or two about targeting predators on lures and the two fish pictured below are the fruits of a couple of short sessions on a southern river.
First came Gary’s 3lb 15oz perch, which was backed up with other fish to 2lb 5oz and is his 100th fish over the 3lb mark.
A couple of days later the pair returned, and this time it was Sam’s turn to bank the biggest perch, weighing 3lb 12oz.
Gary used a chatter bait rigged with a Berkley Havoc Pit Boss trailer – a Berkley Havok Rocket Craw was Sam’s lure of choice.
“It was really windy, which made it really hard to feel what was going on, but it’s definitely worth getting out there even if the conditions aren’t perfect,” said Sam.
“This is the fourth different perch weighing 1oz under the 4lb mark we’ve caught this year.”

18lb 6oz zander banked from Tamworth cut

This is a picture of what’s believed to be the biggest-ever zander from a UK canal.
The 18lb 6oz fish fell to canal specialist Ian Davey, whose three-year quest ended when he targeted a stretch in Tamworth.
The 33-year-old Birmingham rod pierced his roach head bait to imitate wounds caused by one of the big predators, and says his own design of resistance-free rig was instrumental in the capture.
The fish smashes his previous best of 5lb 8oz and supersedes the 18-pounder landed by Andy Spring from the Ashby Canal in Leicestershire in 2012 as the UK’s biggest from a cut.
“Everyone thinks the River Severn holds the biggest zander, but they are wrong,” Ian said.
“No-one bothers with the canals these days, but this just goes to show what they can do.”
He took the zed on 15lb mainline, a fine wire trace and a single treble slipped through the all-important roach hookbait.
“If anglers come from lakes or rivers with crude tackle and big deadbaits they won’t catch a thing here,” he said. “Luring shy zander from canals is a fishing art form and you really have to refine your approach.
“I’ve studied how this species feed down to the minute details like the impressions their teeth leave on fish, and that gave me the idea of adapting my hookbaits so they look like baits that have been left by zander.
“Even though I know what these waterways are capable of I still went white when I opened the folds of the net and this massive fish stared back at me.”

Long haul, then he banks 31lb Chew predator

The vast majority of big pike landed from predator hotspot Chew Valley Reservoir are taken from a boat, but Nathan Long banked this 31-pounder from a bankside hotspot.
Having made the 250-mile trip to the Bristol fishery from his Norfolk home, he decided to use a running leger rig with a large smelt hookbait.
Within hours of first wetting a line he was into action. Nathan said: “I was on the verge of recasting my rods but I decided to wait an extra few minutes, and that decision made all the difference.
“I initially thought it was a small pike, but once it was in the net, and then weighed, I was shaking with joy.”

6-mile River Lea trek bags big Perch

The huge popularity of perch fishing across the UK shows no sign of slowing down with two carp anglers turning their attentions to running water to bank a series of mammoth fish.
Herts-based Karl White and Mark Fox swapped their heavy-duty rods and bite alarms for roving river gear and targeted the River Lea to bank impressive predators to 4lb 5oz.
During this session, which saw Mark take the biggest specimen and Karl catching two perch at 3lb 4oz each, they travelled over six miles of the river in order to keep the fish coming.
This roving approach, plus the three-inch roach livebaits trotted beneath chubber-style floats, proved just the ticket for the big stripeys.
“The other week I got back from a 48-hour carp session at the famous Yateley complex and I couldn’t wait to go out perching,” said Karl.
“Perch fishing on the river is like going back to angling when I was a kid. It’s great, especially now that there are so many big fish all over the UK,” he added.
“I’m not at all surprised that more anglers are targeting this species because it gets you away from the crowd and gives you time away from carp to recharge your batteries.”
The duo used 8lb mainline, a 5lb fluorocarbon hooklink and size 6 Gardner hooks to tempt the fish that came from various stretches of the in-form waterway in Hertfordshire.
“It’s simple fishing, but you have to put the work in to get the rewards,” Karl said.

Is this the picture of next perch record?

Could this be the image of the next record perch? That is the question being asked after Charles Martin claimed this enormous 6lb 2oz specimen from Grafham Reservoir.
The predator season started with a bang as big fish were landed across the country, but the Suffolk angler stole the show when he took the specimen – which is just 1oz off the UK best – from the Cambridgeshire venue.
Despite having fished the water for five years, he had never landed a perch during that time, but he put the record straight when the giant specimen fell for a Mepps spinner. “I knew it was a huge perch as soon as I got it in the net but it wasn’t until I got back to land that I was told I it was so close to being a new British record,” Charles told Angling Times.
“I was delighted to land a 2lb-plus fish earlier in the day, but this one dwarfed it.”
“We did some checks on the digital scales that I used later in the day and they proved to be accurate, so I have no doubts about the weight of it.”
Although the capture fell just shy of making it into the history book, Charles is determined to eventually break the record.
“I will be going back in the near future. Once this fish had been slipped back I saw another perch that looked even bigger follow my lure, so it shows that this beast isn’t alone,” he added.
He wasn’t the only one taking advantage of the conditions, with Joe Royffe taking a personal-best 4lb 7oz stripey from the River Lea.
Having banked fish well over 3lb in the weeks leading up to the session, the Hertfordshire angler set his stall out on Carthagena Weir Pool in Broxbourne.
It didn’t take long for his roach livebait presented on a size 6 hook to be engulfed.
“It was so powerful that I thought it couldn’t possibly be a perch and I was overwhelmed when it came to the surface,” he said.
“I will certainly be going back for a bigger perch this winter, as there is every chance the venue could produce a 5lb-plus fish.”
Pike angling fanatic Dave Horton’s decision to switch his attentions to perch paid off handsomely when he netted a brace weighing 4lb 1oz and 4lb 4oz from an Essex river.
Rather than fish from the bank, the Waltham Abbey rod attacked his swim from a kayak.
“To land a brace of fish over 4lb in such a short space of time is truly breath-taking,” he said.
“I’ve spent most of the summer fishing from a kayak, as it definitely allows you to present your bait better in places that would otherwise be inaccessible from the bank.”
It wasn’t just perch that dominated the headlines – big zander also went on the feed, with Arunaz Morkvenas taking a 19lb fish from the River Trent.
A legered roach deadbait presented down the middle of the waterway proved its downfall.
“I struck and the fish felt heavy and just started plodding about. It took me 15 minutes to get it under control before it came to the net. It’s the biggest fish and first zander I’ve ever caught,” he said.
The zander action was equally prolific on the River Severn for Garry Bagley, who finished a short session with an 18lb predator on the bank.
Targeting a snaggy area that was known to hold the species, the Stourbridge rod took a small fish in the opening stages and soon followed it up with something much more substantial.
“It was a dead weight and refused to budge off the bottom for a little while. I was forced to crank the power up. It worked a treat and minutes later the beast was in the net,” explained Garry, who used 65lb braided mainline and a 30lb wire trace and a roach livebait.

Big perch in World Lure Fishing champs practice

Preparations for the upcoming World Lure Fishing championships started smoothly for Gary Edmonds when he banked this 3lb-plus perch during practice.
The Team England member was in the process of helping devise a winning approach on Estonia’s Lake Viljandi when the big predator fell for his small lure.
Squads from all over the world are set to compete for the title this weekend, with England highly fancied to bring home both team and individual medals.

Drop shotting tempts big perch from the deep

The predator fishing season is gathering momentum and Ant Glascoe Jr got in on the action when he enjoyed a prolific session in search of big perch.
Targeting a local stillwater, the Manchester predator fishing fanatic banked countless fish over 2lb, along with some 3lb perch.
All his fish fell to Savage Gear 4Play Shads with 7g jigheads and were taken from a deep area.
“It was really hectic as the perch were hammering the lures. Drop shotting is such a devastating tactic for this species,” Ant told Angling Times.
“Most of the biggest fish took the bait on the drop as the shad worked its way to the bottom of a 13ft hole that we found.”

4lb 11oz perch tops big week for species

The capture of a string of huge perch has proved why there couldn’t be a better time to bag a new personal best.
The glut of perch was topped by a season-best 4lb 11oz fish taken on a lure by 25-year-old Laurence Mason.
Fishing a small tributary of the River Lea in Ware, the Essex-based specialist cast his favourite diving plug towards a small bridge – and it wasn’t long before a violent take ended in the capture of his new personal best.
“It hit the lure hard and my heart started to race when I saw it was a perch as it emerged through the murky water,” said Laurence.
“My dad came running down the river to see the fish. Neither of us could believe how big it was but thought it was close to 5lb.
“This goes to show how important it is not to ignore small waters because my fish proves they are capable of producing big surprises.”
The sheer volume of big perch that have been caught this week has surprised species experts across the country, as venues don’t usually start producing their biggest fish until the water temperatures begin to drop.
It’s not just rivers that are producing the goods, either.
Peter Hague used lobworms to land an amazing haul of big perch from a Yorkshire stillwater.
His fish weighed 4lb 8oz, 4lb 6oz, 3lb 14oz and 3lb 6oz.
All his predators were taken on feeder tactics and his biggest fish also sets a new personal best for the species.
Peter used a simple running leger rig made with a 6lb mainline, a 4lb hooklink and a size 8 hook.
Last, but certainly not least, is 11-year-old, Finley Dougan, who on his second ever trip and adopting the drop shotting method, hit the jackpot with a huge 4llb 4oz specimen.
It produced the only bite of the day for the youngster, who was fishing with his father, Andy. Not only is it the biggest perch he’s ever caught, but it also beat his dad’s personal best by well over a 1lb.

River Nene yields its biggest perch

A day-ticket stretch of the Nene has produced the biggest river perch of the season at 4lb 4oz.
The huge fish, which is believed to be the largest specimen ever caught from the River Nene in Cambridgeshire, was netted by local expert Paul Smith, who initially set out his stall for barbel on the popular waterway.
It wasn’t the only big perch to find his lobworm hookbait either as Paul backed up his new personal best with seven other fish over 2lb, which all came from a Peterborough & District Angling Association stretch of the river.
The local angler made the stunning haul when he link-legered his bait just a rodlength out from his own bank.
“I set out to go for the barbel, but there were so many canoeists in the area I decided to dig out a box of lobworms that I’d collected from the garden and go for perch, as the stretch had produced my previous pb of 3lb 12oz,” said Paul.
“The session started with a small perch, then a 5lb barbel, and the perch just kept getting bigger until the four-pounder turned up.
“I’ve been fishing in this area for 30 years and it’s by far the biggest perch I’ve ever heard of. It just goes to show how good this river is for specimen anglers.
“But I did lose a fish that felt much bigger than the 4lb 4oz specimen.
If it was a perch, it was absolutely massive.”
His simple paternoster rig featured three SSG shot, 10lb line and a large whole lobworm threaded on to a size 6 hook.
To find out more about the venue and P & DAA call: 01733 565159.

Big Grafham perch on Sam's homemade fly

Flyfishing for coarse species has taken off in recent years, and Sam Edmonds put the tactic to good use when he banked this 3lb 7oz perch from Grafham Water.
The Abu Garcia-backed angler abandoned his more usual drop shotting approach in favour of the less conventional attack, and instead used a homemade fly pattern that he calls the Zander Lander.
More than a dozen zander and seven big perch from the Cambridgeshire reservoir were shared between Sam and his dad, Gary, with Sam banking the most impressive stripey of the session.

Shock 3lb 2oz perch

Jeff Smeeton had a welcome surprise when a tench session produced this 3lb 2oz personal best perch.

The Surrey-based specialist was fishing Horcott Lakes when his hair-rigged imitation maggots, fished in conjunction with a bolt rig and 10lb fluorocarbon fished straight through to a size 12 hook, produced the perch.

He lured the fish into the swim with a bed of casters and dead maggots that he spodded over a spot at 32yds.

“I caught a few tench during the day, but this perch really was the icing on the cake because there aren’t many more impressive fish than a big perch like this.”

Woodside produces pair of huge perch

A popular commercial complex has produced a pair of huge perch.
Shropshire’s Woodside Fishery’s run of predator form continued when Jack Sallis banked a stunning personal best 4lb specimen.
The Worcestershire rod floatfished during a short evening session with a lobworm on the hook.
A regular trickle of maggots soon sparked a response and Jack said:
“I spotted a large red tail in the swim so I quickly lowered my lobworm into its path.
“It slowly swam towards my bait and seconds later my float slid away. I have caught fish to 2lb 15oz in the past and I was speechless at breaking my pb in such a fashion.”
Teenager Jack Taylor also took advantage of the sport on offer at the venue and resorted to polefishing with worms on Charlie’s Pool.
Several smaller fish came to the net early on but he left the best until late in the session as the personal best 4lb 7oz stripey engulfed the hookbait.
More details at: www.woodsidefishery.co.uk

Big perch on the rocks

World Predator Classic lure champion, Luc Coppens demonstrated his angling pedigree during a recent trip to Holland when he bagged this giant 6lb 1oz perch.

The monster specimen was taken on a Westin ShadTeez 9 cm roach imitation lure from one of Holland’s big lake systems the like of which was used in last year’s WPC event where the Belgian rod stormed to victory with partner Jeremy Staverman.

With the fish preparing to spawn at the venue, Luc found the going tough until he targeted a 2m deep rocky plateau where the huge predator decided to take hold of his lure.

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Monster perch from commercial fishery

Many believe that a commercial fishery will produce the next British record perch and that theory was again backed up when a match angler banked this huge 4lb 11oz specimen.

Boz Phillips thought he’d hooked a carp while taking part in a silverfish contest at his local BK Fisheries in Cornwall, but it turned out to be the huge personal best after it took his double maggot hookbait fished on the pole.

The specimen came from Bill’s pool and was taken in 14 feet of water with a 0.13 mm mainline, a 0.10 hooklink and a size 18 hook.

“This is just one of many huge fish that live in this lake as I know and many believe that there are record-shaking perch just waiting to be caught,” said Boz.

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Two gallons of maggots for 5lb perch!

Thomas Smith fed two gallons of maggots and spent 72 hours on the bank for the single bite that produced this huge 5lb 2oz personal best perch.

The 33-year-old from Bridgwater adopted a carp fishing approach at a gravel pit in the Cotswolds and kicked off his session by spodding out an initial eight pints of red maggots to the bottom of a shelf at range.

A single lobworm fished on a long hooklength and size 12 Drennan hook was cast over the top of his baited area and his patience certainly paid off when the final morning of his dedicated quest produced the bite that saw him connect with his well-earned specimen.

 “I used to be a carp angler, fishing in events like the British Carp Angling Championships so it’s natural for me to bait heavy and be patient in my approach,” he said.

“In this instance it paid off handsomely and I don’t think any other methods would have worked for this fish” he said.

“This is perfect proof that you can take tactics that work for one species and apply them to other avenues of your fishing with great success.”

It’s a catch that follows hot on the heels of the recent capture two perch weighing 4lb 12oz and 3lb 6oz from the venue while fishing with his friend Nathan Hall, who also landed specimens weighing 4lb 14oz and 4lb 10oz during the same session.

The duo plan to continue fishing the mystery venue which they believe could produce a future British record.

Thomas is rightly excited by the prospect: “We have seen fish chasing crayfish in the lake which look far bigger than this one and we have heard rumours of a 6lb-plus fish being caught, I have no doubt that a possible record is in this water it’s just a case of proving it.” he added.

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Target silverfish at unique Redbridge Lakes

With its unique layout and virtually carp free stocking policy Redbridge Fishery is a refreshing change from you ordinary commercial fishery.

Both the fishery’s pools contain a mixed stock of tench, cruicians, roach, perch, bream and ide and anglers visiting the venue recently have been bagging up with the latter with nets topping 40lb.

LAKE CUTHBERT (30 pegs)
Every peg has a rush bed to target close in as well as a small bay around 26m across on the edge of the island. Depths average 5ft and with only a handful of bigger carp to over 10lb light tackle and simple rigs are all you need on this pool. With a huge stock of silverfish, tench and crucians it’s a great place for a pleasure session where bites are not difficult to come by. At the moment casters and maggots fished shallow at around 11m is the top tactic for the ide.

LAKE DAISY (34 pegs)
This pool which has depths averaging 5ft is devoted to the pleasure angler. Huge nets of ide, roach, crucians, perch and tench can be caught fishing simple tactics like pole and waggler. At the moment anglers are catching well fishing a 4mm pellet over a bed of fishmeal groundbait at around 10m out. There are also some big perch in this pool to over 4lb and these are often caught fishing caster and worm tight to features like the rush beds found in most pegs.

Prices: £15 a day, £10 taster day
Contact: 020 8551 5663, 07774 990 100, www.redbridgelakes.co.uk
Location: Redbridge Fishing Lakes, 1 Salix Lane, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8LY
Rules: No keepnets, landing nets supplied by fishery, barbless only, no fixed leads, no bait discarding, no boilies, joker, cat meats
Facilities: Toilets, café, tackle shop, disabled access; tackle hire, free kids coaching

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Fantastic sport for everyone at Frant Lakes

It's human nature to try and find fault in something but even the pickiest of customers will struggle to grumble about Frant Lakes.

Situated in a tree lined valley just outside Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Kent complex boasts a true beauty that is instantly apparent from the moment you drive through the gates.

Step out of your vehicle, take a birds-eye view over the Car Park Lakes and your desire to wet a line will strengthen even more, with each water providing a pleasant setting for your day on the bank.

Only the occasional vocal duck or aircraft making its approach in to Gatwick Airport will break the silence, giving you the perfect setting to unwind after a week of hard graft.

When it comes down to deciding which of the eight lakes to fish you really are spoilt for choice. Each one provides a completely different opportunity, with big carp enthusiasts and silverfish fanatics both catered for. There’s even plenty of scope to launch a specimen fish campaign, with perch over 4lb and bigs slabs on the cards.

An onsite tackle shop sells all the bait and terminal tackle you could possibly need, with the café serving up a mouth-watering full breakfast that will give you the perfect start to the day.
There’s even an opportunity to have you and your tackle carted from the main car park to your peg, with a fishery 4x4 ferrying visitors to less accessible areas of the site.

One man that has fallen in love with the delights that Frant has to offer is Peter Bolt.

The Orpington Tackle & Bait boss’s store may be situated almost 30 miles from the fishery but he became so inundated with positive reviews from customers that he had to find out what all the hype was about for himself.

“Anglers kept coming in the shop raving about the place, telling me all about their big catches. I just had to give it a go and on my first visit it lived up to the expectations, with 30lb of skimmers and perch coming in just a few hours sport,” explained Peter.

The Car Park Lake was the water selected for a session in front of the Angling Times cameras, with big hauls of skimmers and roach on the cards with bonus stripeys and double figure carp a distinct possibility.

A peninsula cuts through the middle of the lake, with a small gap in the middle of it allowing the fish to roam between the two different zones.

“There are plenty of pegs that have marginal areas that just scream fish and I’ve picked a spot today where a large tree has collapsed in to the water. You can guarantee that there will be a few perch under there.”

A generous dose of worm and casters were fed in to the open water to draw in the chunky silvers, with a similar amount placed down the edge for the bonus predators.

Small silvers were the first to respond but the stamp of fish soon improved, with skimmers averaging just under 1lb making their way in to the net regularly. Peter’s marginal line was equally prolific, with plenty of big perch to just over 2lb devouring his worm hookbaits.

Although the carp didn’t play ball on the day, it was impossible to ignore their presence, with fish rising to the surface every few minutes to slurp up insects that had lay to rest on the surface. Anyone fishing with floating bread or dog biscuits on the day would certainly have reaped the rewards!

Taking an opportunity to wander round the lakes, it quickly became apparent that Frant genuinely did cater for everyone. From deck chair clad pleasure anglers right through to hardened carp anglers with every item of camouflage kit on the market, they were there making the most of this fantastic facility.

“It ticks every box on the checklist and it is no wonder Frant Lakes gains such fantastic feedback. One week you can go after a big carp, the next in search of a huge perch – it is a complex you will never tire of,” concluded Peter.

Prices: £11 adults, £8.50 concessions (based on a day ticket for lakes 1-6)
Contact: Call 01892 616424 or visit www.frantlakes.com
Location: Frant Lakes, Hawkenbury Road, Bells Yew Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 9AP
Rules: No barbed hooks or braided mainline. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
Facilities: Parking, toilets, café, tackle shop
Tackle shop: Call Peter at Orpington Tackle & Bait for more details on angling in the area on 01689 852884

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Big perch at dusk

Two casters fished beneath a waggler was the perfect combination for big fish ace Mike Townsend when he landed this huge 4lb perch.

Hampshire’s Sway Lakes are known for their big perch and Mike proved why when he kicked off his session by landing a succession of perch between 1lb 12oz and 2lb 9oz before the light began to fade.

But as many anglers know this is often the best time for a big fish and he struck gold when won the battle with the specimen on a 0.12 mm hooklink and a size 16 hook.

“The fish was the shape of a rugby ball and most of the fish were spitting out loads of worms and casters which just goes to show what an irresistible combination they are to big perch,” said Mike.

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Huge potential at quiet Westerly Lake

Nestled in Yorkshire’s rolling countryside resides this stunning one and-a-half acre water which offers a very secluded and exclusive fishing experience. It’s a lake that seems to have drifted into the ‘forgotten gem’ category as anglers are seen few and far between here – with many now opting to head for the carp-filled commercial fisheries where a bite-a-chuck is virtually guaranteed.

This neglect however has allowed the fish to thrive at Westerly with the chance of a specimen now on the cards. Perch to 4lb, roach to 2lb and carp to 20lb will provided the majority of bites, with the chance of a big tench, chub or crucian carp thrown in for good measure.

The structure of the lake also caters for different styles of angling thanks to the variety of features on offer. The central island is a prime target for the feeder or bomb, whereas the vast space of open water is ideal for pole and waggler enthusiasts.

On the other hand, if margin fishing is your thing then the reed lined margins or overhanging trees are there if you need them.

Prawn is a must-have bait here with virtually anything that swims snapping them up – either via a hair rig or simply nicked on the hook. Matchmen fishing a pleasure session can amass 20lb mixed bags of roach, chub and perch by fishing maggot, worm and prawn over groundbait on the long pole.

Alternatively, the carpers can find fish to 25lb lurking around the island shelves if they can get them to feed on boilies and pellets.

Prices: £6 a day, Concessions for caravan residents
Contact: Geoff and Barbara on 01904 448500, www.westerlylake.co.uk 
Location: The Lodge, Westerly Lake, Wheldrake, York, YO19 6AH
Rules: No night fishing, barbless hooks only, no fixed rigs, no braided hook links, boilies:-no more than 1kg per angler, fish must only be ‘wet handled’ no dry mats or towels, groundbait in feeders and pole cups only, catfood on hooks only, no keepnets, no fish to be taken away from the fishery, surplus bait must not be dumped in the lake, no spodding, no baitboats, surface fishing in moderation is allowed, but bread must not be used.

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Big perch caught dropshotting

England feeder international Rob Wooton showed he can turn his hand to any method when he banked his biggest–ever perch.

The Shimano consultant and reigning UK Champion was fishing a stillwater in the midlands when he adopted the ever-popular dropshotting tactic to net the fish, but unfortunately he’d left his scales at home.

The perch took a small white lure that was fished in conjunction a braided mainline, 0.18 mm fluorocarbon and a size 10 hook.

“This is the biggest perch I’ve ever caught and it was just such a shame that I didn’t have anything to weigh it with because it could have been pushing the 4lb mark,” said Rob.

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