Big perch galore
A string of heavyweights from venues across the UK has prompted specimen anglers to suggest 2018 could be the best for big fish in recent years.
Justin Beale celebrated the New Year in style when he netted a 5lb 8dr river perch.
He decided to spend New Year’s Day on a stretch of the River Thames, where he worked a lure in a slack area that was close to marginal cover.
Incredibly, this is his fifth Thames perch over the 5lb mark. It was taken on a Z-Man TRD lure.
“The river flooded for the duration of Christmas, but a small window of opportunity opened up on New Year’s Day, with a more favourable flow and water temperature,” he said.
“I couldn’t have started off 2018 in a better way, and it was a great hangover cure!”
Another angler on the big perch trail was Manchester’s Andy Cheetham, who came agonisingly close to breaking the 5lb barrier with this mint-conditioned 4lb 15oz specimen from a Midlands river.
The fish nearly ripped his rod out of the rest after it took four half-lobworms mounted on a size 2 hook.
