There have been some good results on the perch front so far this winter, without the hoped-for 3lber yet putting in an appearance. At Simpson Valley with Dom Garnett, I shelled out the best part of twenty eight quid on bait, and parted with a a couple of fivers for day ticket money, in return for Dominic driving us.
I made up three new rigs on the bank to cover some options. Livebaits are allowed on this fishery so one of the rigs was quite unconventional to present one on the pole - a tiny little Drennan loafer float and size 6 hook weighed down by a bulk of BB shot. There was also a lobworm rig for fishing fourteen and a half metres across to an island, but to start with I fed some sloppy groundbait and maggots by hand to stir up roach activity close in, and fished a half gram Drennan Pinkie with three maggots on the hook just to see the float go under, which it did, resulting in a roach first cast.
Once Dominic had set himself up, he joined me for some photographs and to share a bottle of beer, which went down sweetly, even though I had yet to have any breakfast! Having said that, it wasn't a crack of dawn start by any stretch and it had comfortably passed ten o'clock before either of us got started. Before returning the favour for Dominic, I said I would have a quick go for a perch on my maggot line, and incredibly one responded, only a fish of eight ounces or so but a a great start and very welcome.
Whilst I let my chopped lobworms and caster settle near the island, I enjoyed the challenge of trying to catch the smallest fish I could on my size fourteen hook. I had lots of tiny rudd, a microscopic perch, and also a gudgeon. They might be classic perch bait, but I see so few of them these days that I didn't have the heart to lip hook it and instead set it free and stuck to the rudd.
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My first look on the long pole with a piece of worm resulted in a half-pound roach/rudd hybrid, as did my second, but a larger bait and longer wait then saw a much greater length of blue hydro stream out of the pole tip, and a pretty, fat perch come to the net, weighing just shy of two pounds, at 1lb 13oz.
I then had a few more perch on maggots but none were worth weighing. I might have benefited from trying to get through the pint of red maggots I'd brought with me on that line, but instead fed them sparingly with the regular pinches of groundbait to try and attract small fry and make the livebait a viable tactic (rather than encourage the perch to take maggots). A scattering of fish confirmed their interest, and so I tried a little livebait for ten minutes or so, using the pole to poke the bait in close to some trailing branches. Success! But it was a lone success, although the perch I did catch was a decent sample of around a pound and a half.
I always envisaged that the island would offer me my best chance of a big perch and so concentrated my biggest expenditure in terms of bait there, by topping up with chopped lobs regularly. These also seemed to tickle the fancy of the resident tench, and I caught five small ones up to a poundish. I was tempted to try prawns, but I have great faith in lobs and so left that area of field-testing entirely to Dominic. My next big perch on this line weighed 2lb 6oz.
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It began to rain but I fished on as long as I could, finally connecting with another belting perch when it was almost dark. I then weighed this fish at 2lb 11oz and retained it in the net whilst Dominic rushed to get his kit away.
There was still time and just about enough light for one more put in, and again the float slid away gently, and after a two second wait before striking I was into another good fish, only it felt much heavier, and especially so when playing it on the top kit. I had already called over to Dominic that it did not feel like a perch and my mind ran through the possibilities, considering what I'd hooked. I saw a pale flash under the surface and so was able to rule out tench before the tell-tale rubbery lips of a chub took a gulp of air at the surface.
In the rush to get photographs and pack away whilst it belted it down, I didn't weigh the chub, but would estimate it at a good three pounds plus. They never seem to look very well fed when I catch them from lakes, and this one's weight was certainly in its length, and the size of its head.
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In the rush to get photographs and pack away whilst it belted it down, I didn't weigh the chub, but would estimate it at a good three pounds plus. They never seem to look very well fed when I catch them from lakes, and this one's weight was certainly in its length, and the size of its head.
