Perch 2023

[John Aston]

Most of my perch fishing for bigger fish is in winter but I enjoy catching them in summer too , especially on light lures. Two trips this week - one to the Yorkshire Ouse, on a stretch with some shallower water in places. Most enjoyable - about 30 perch, none of which needed the net and twice or three times as many pulls , swirls , knocks and bumped perch . Two little pike and a larger one of 6-8 lbs lost- it spat out the perch it had grabbed . The perch was unmarked .

A trip on a more intimate river was less productive but quality was way up. Only five perch , but all net jobs and the biggest exactly two pounds and in gorgeous condition. My 79th over two pounds and I hope I can get hit the ton soonish. All on 3.5 g 1/0 jig with yellow and pink 7cm paddle tails. Biggest two were taken in 2-3 ft and hammered the lure. And a pike of about 5lb s which took under the rod tip. Not bad sport for a stretch regarded as rubbish by some - if only , I suspect, because the sainted barbel are few in number .

 

[Philip]

Lure angling is something i have never really got totally into and i have alot to learn. Your posts and Perch captures inspire me to give it another go....your clearly doing something right

 

[John Aston]

Stick with it , because it is a hugely rewarding and fun technique - PM me if you need any help . I struggled with it when I started , and the biggest lesson I learned was not to think of it as a variant of spinning or plug fishing but a technique in its own right , resembling fly fishing more than anything else . Keep moving, location is key, fish upstream if there's much current, retrieve slowly and ignore the tired old guff in most articles that you must fish early and late, and that big perch are usually found near 'structure' , or 'features' as we call them in old money. That might apply on some waters, but not on the rivers I fish . Most big perch I've caught have come from open water and mid afternoon is fine.