Last-gasp perch!

4lb-plus predators still feeding in the cold

Huge fish banked, including new predator best for Des Taylor

“After a short, powerful scrap, the fish was in the net”

IT’S not too late to smash your perch personal best – as a host of superb catches of specimen stripeys this week has proved.

The cold and wet spring has been great for big-fish anglers targeting the powerful pocket predators, which have been feeding heavily at stillwater venues right across the nation.

The biggest UK perch of the week fell to all-rounder Ryan Hayden, who banked a fine 4lb 6oz fish from a southern stillwater.

After fishing for most of the day with a worm and maggot approach, and with just one small fish to show for his efforts, Ryan decided to switch to lure tactics around two hours before dusk – and at that point his fortunes changed dramatically for the better.

“The bait approach just wasn’t working, so I started casting jigs in the hope of getting a bite,” Ryan told Angling Times.

“When the jigs also failed to get the desired response, I switched to a standard spinner, in a gold and yellow colour scheme, to cut through the murky water of the venue and match the rudd that are in the lake.

“Sure enough, inside five minutes a huge perch smashed into it just a rodlength from the bank and after a short, powerful scrap, the fish was in the net.” Ryan used an 8ft 6ins Drennan Esox rod and a reel loaded with 6lb braided mainline and a fluorocarbon leader to beat his old personal best for the species by a clear 6oz.

Elsewhere, Matthew Fernandez suffered a series of crushing disappointments before finally getting in on the action with a fine 4lb 2oz perch.

The 31-year-old from Hampshire had already lost three big stripeys during his session on a southern stillwater, but he persevered to make the fine catch.

He said: “I thought that my chance had gone, but right at last knockings the float slid away and I found myself connected to what felt like a big fish.

“The centrepin screamed away and my rod suddenly had a very healthy bend in it!

“After a ‘heart-in-the-mouth’ battle my new personal best was nestled in the bottom of my net.”

Matt’s perch fell to a whole prawn hookbait floatfished over a bed of chopped prawns close in to the bank.

Want to beat your own perch personal best this week? Turn to page 34 to discover Bait Doctor Paul Garner’s top baits for targeting the species!