4lb 3oz perch sets a new club record

The only bite of a perch fishing session produced this record-breaking specimen for big-fish ace Danny Taylor.

Weighing in at an impressive 4lb 3oz, the mint-conditioned predator not only sets a new record for Christchurch Angling Club, but also smashes his personal best for the species.

The Hampshire-based specimen hunter joined the club in order to better his 3lb 5oz previous ‘pb’ perch, and he achieved his goal on one of the club’s many quality stillwaters when he braved the pouring rain.

“It was a miserable day and far from ideal for perch because it was lashing it down one minute and sunny the next,” said Danny.

“When you’re fishing for perch with baits such as worms and prawns, you often get pestered by other species so I’ve found that small roach livebaits are perfect for avoiding this and, on this particular session, I knew that the latter part of the day would be my best chance.

As darkness fell on the fishery, Danny left out his floatfished roach while he packed away the remainder of his tackle, and it was then that the bright orange tip of his bite indicator slid beneath the surface.

“I knew it was something special as soon as I set the hook,” said Danny.

“In the past I’ve caught lots of fish over 3lb, but this specimen was in a completely different league. To think that I was almost going to get on my way just shows how important it is to give it as long as you can before calling it a day when fishing in conditions like this.