Monster 5lb River Thames perch is caught while lure fishing
This is one of the biggest Thames perch ever at 5lb 5oz.
Justin Beale described the fight that the huge fish put up as ‘the most ferocious that he’s ever experienced’ when he fished a snaggy area.
Justin Beale's huge 5lb 5oz Thames perch was caught on a lure.
The experienced specialist certainly knows exactly where the venues big predators hang out when it’s carrying extra water and milder winter sparks fish into feeding.
After searching around areas among the sunken trees in his swim, he decided to cast his lure into open water and this is when he set his hook into the specimen.
“Big perch don’t spend all of their time around snags as they venture into open water to hunt and that’s where this fish was when it smashed into my lure,” said Justin.
“It was on my fifth cast on a really slow retrieve when I got the take and it came straight to the surface, shook its head and then I didn’t see it again for around 10 minutes. The fight was incredible.
It’s a capture that further proves Justin’s intimate knowledge of the vast waterway as this is the third perch over 5lb he’s banked as he’s previously landed fish weighing 5lb 9oz and 5lb 1oz.
The winning bait was a Keitech Swing Impact that was coupled with a light rod, 4lb braid and a fluorocarbon leader.
“Some anglers spend way too long on the bank,” Justin continued.
“I watched the weather charts and saw the warmer weather coincided with the influx of extra water and I knew exactly where the big perch would be. You only need to be in the right place at the right time and for me this is usually for an hour or two after work and this was the case on this occasion.
Monster 36lb pike banked from reservoir
IMAGINE spotting a 36lb 4oz pike in clear water and then catching it on your very first cast – that’s exactly what Ben Farley did during a short session at a trout reservoir.
The 27-year-old, who is an on-site fishery manager at Oxfordshire’s Farmoor Reservoir, was giving tuition to a fly angler on the banks of the 400-acre complex when a stroll during his lunch break revealed two large, dark, fish-shaped shadows just below the surface.
Ben rushed back to the car to fetch his lure gear, and it wasn’t long before he was casting a swimbait in hope of a potential hook-up.
“The water is gin-clear to around 15ft down and I could still clearly see two distinctive outlines that could only have been pike,” he said.
“I cast the bait around 3ft-4ft behind what looked like the bigger fish, and within a split second it had turned and snatched it. At this point the pike went absolutely nuts. It must’ve taken 80 yards of line from the reel. What an incredible feeling!”
After 10 minutes the colossal fish managed to wrap itself around his braided mainline – creating a heart-stopping moment for Ben.
“Every now and then it would come up to the surface and then dive straight back down again – and it was at this point that I knew I’d hooked something truly special,” he continued.
“I managed to draw the pike to within 20 yards from the bank, and that’s when I noticed the line was wrapped around one of its fins. The fish rolled and the line went slack, but as I reeled back down I was met with resistance, and was thankfully reassured!”
The pike finally came to the net and on the scales it went 36lb on the nose – a new personal best for Ben as well as a new record for the reservoir.
To find out more about Farmoor Reservoir visit:
www.thameswater.co.uk
Ben Farley Spotted this huge 36lb 4oz pike in the water before he hooked it.