Funny Looking Perch

A change of plans saw me whizzing off to the tackle shop for bait for the following morning. I had planned to fish on the Sunday, but a 360 degree turn around of plans saw me fishing on the Saturday instead.

Having had a 2lb and a number of 1lb perch from the small club water, it was time to turn my attentions to a more challenging venue. Saturday morning soon arrived and I head off to the pool for some serious river perch fishing.

After an hours drive I was by the pool and set about setting up the rods and caught some bait.
The dace were very obliging today and I soon had a number in the bucket which should last me the day.

The morning wasn't as forecast and it became apparent that the brolly would be required, but I was hoping it wouldn't be as wet as last weekend.

Once the rain had abated, and with the alarms staying silent, I decided to get the UL lure rod out.
After the breaking of the last Abu Vendetta UL rod and being unable to get a replacement top, I've moved onto another UL rod, a Shimano Beastmaster. It the same casting weight, but Ive already found it to be more robust that the Abu.

The UL was coupled with the old faithful Biomaster 1000x reel with Sunline braid (20lb) and Knot2kinky wire trace (12lb). Now some of you will be saying, "but perch don't like wire" or "Fluorocarbon will catch you more". Well either way, it pike are present, they make easy work of anything other than wire, simple.

Anyway, I tried a number of shads and jigs, before the first hit came to a 3" jig worm on a 2g jig head. The rod doubled over and the clutch whizzed as a pike powered off into the pool, but with constant pressure, the tackle held true and a large single figure pike laid on the mat with the tiny lure engulf in its mouth.

Mr pike was told off for talking a lure intended for perch and was soon bad in the river. I continued with the lures and started picking up some perch to 1/2lb on on jig flies and shads. After a while the rain started up again and I went and sat under the brolly with a cuppa.
The wind was swirling around and it was making life difficult with the bobbins swinging on the chains, so when the dace baited rod alarm started beeping, I thought it was just the wind, until I spied the float sailing away. At first I thought it was a half decent perch on the other end, but alas a micro pike have engulfed the dace, but the size 6 specimen hook was neatly in the pike's scissors.

Micro pike was unhooked and told to go play somewhere else and leave the perch baits along, but I was starting to fear all the baits were going to attract pike and not the targeted perch.

The paternoster was rebaited with a dace and cast back out, then I returned to the comfort of the brolly and steaming cuppa. The rain had stopped and the sun ways trying to crack through the clouds, and with its first rays, the hawkers started flitting about the air above the pool.
The dace baited rod was away again, I had suspected another micro pike was the culprit and tightened up to the dipped float. It went solid and the head nodding fight of a perch was felt on the rod tip.

A spirited fight was upon me and a big framed perch came to the net. Nice. As I lifted the perch out of the net and laid it on the mat, my thought wander back to the 2lber from the weeks before on the still water, another 2lb? It certainly had the length judging by the pocket scales laid next to it.
The perch was slipped into the weight bag, but it only registered 1lb 4oz. I did recheck, the weight but notice that whilst the the perch had the length, it certainly did have the depth.

Still it was a handsome perch and come the winter it maybe a 2lb.

I fished on the rest of the day and whilst I did managed a few small perch on the worms and small lure, they became alot more finiky and I suspected that either the bait fish had moved out of the pool, or an even bigger predator had move in.

On a side note, the Drennan Super Specialist 25 litre rucksack has been put thought the passes since Christmas and I truly believe it to be one of the best small packs on the marked. Drennan certainly make good gear.

I must be becoming abit of a Drennan angler, because I becoming a firm fan of their super specialits 3m landing net pole and also of course the pair of 1.1/4tc avon rods. Its just a shame I had to buy them LoL

Tightlines