Match angler's shock 5lb 5oz river perch
Lee Bennett only had two bites during his latest fishing match but they both produced a 5lb 7oz tench and this colossal 5lb 5oz perch. The Midlands Angling Supplies-backed angler entered into an open on an Earl of Harrington AC stretch of the River Derwent and specifically fished lobworms to target the resident perch shoals.
He told Angling Times: “I bait-dropped plenty of choppy and casters at the start of the match and on my first drop in the float slid under. “The fish stayed deep and I thought it was a pike until it surfaced – it was at this point my heart was in my mouth!” Lee’s perch smashed his personal best for the species by 2lb 5oz and he also ended a 20-year search for a tench from the River Derwent. On top of this, his 10lb 12oz total was enough to claim the top spot and a match win.
