NINE PERCH OVER 4lb TO A 5lb 2oz BEST!
Reservoir haul is one for the history books
APREDATOR specialist has made one of the greatest perch hauls of all time, boating nine fish over 4lb to a 5lb 2oz best.
The remarkable catch fell to the rod of Wayne Fletcher, who had headed to an undisclosed Essex reservoir with a friend in search of a large stripey – with no idea he’d smash his personal best twice within an single hour.
He said: “We arrived at first light and after about 10 minutes I noticed a large group of fish on the side scan of the fish-finder, so I motored round to the spot.
“I fished a Texas-rigged Zman TRD in about 25ft of water and after 30 minutes there was a delicate pluck on the line – resulting in a pristine 4lb perch.
“The rest of the day was simply crazy. I broke my pb twice in an hour with fish of 4lb 14oz and a 5lb 2oz beast – followed by six others over 4lb. My boat partner had a 4lb 11oz perch pb too!
“I was still shaking as we came off the water that day, thinking to myself: “Was it a dream?”
l Wayne’s impressive catch of perch wasn’t the only to be taken from a boat this week either.
Carp angler Joe Atkinson targeted Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire and used a variety of lure tactics to catch no fewer than 27 fish to a best of 4lb 7oz.
Included in the mighty haul were perch of 4lb, 4lb 1oz, 4lb 3oz, 4lb 5oz, 4lb 6oz and 4lb 7oz, plus four over 2lb, 17 over 3lb to 3lb 15oz and six over 4lb.
“I beat my personal best four times throughout the day,” he said. It was the perch session of my dreans!”
The perch were caught on a mixture of tactics, but most of them fell to a drop shotting approach.”
“I was still shaking as I came off the water that day. Was it all a dream?”
HUGE perch weren’t the only species to be caught from reservoirs this week.
Matt Roberts slipped his net under three specimen pike – topped by 33lb 5oz beauty (right).
The 30-year-old from Surrey opted to fly-fish for the pike on his favourite Midlands reservoir and attached a minnow-imitation lure to his line in an attempt to ‘match the hatch.’
The ploy soon worked, as he explained: “Using a fast-sink line I presented the fly in 18ft of water among a shoal of baitfish I’d located on the fish-finder.”
“During the day I had three takes which were really subtle – just a sharp tap followed by a solid resistance. I landed pike of 22lb, 29lb 5oz and 33lb 5oz – my new fly-caught best. It was definitely the session of a lifetime.”