Far Bank The ‘Aquarium’ swim...
Ever wondered how fish respond to our lures? Dom Garnett joins Jack Perks for a close encounter with the inmates of Fowey Aquarium
I’M probably not the only angler who loves investigating aquariums. The huge ones, such as London and Plymouth, are impressive, but if you want native fish and local knowledge, the smaller independent places are magical. So imagine my excitement at dipping into such a world with underwater photography expert Jack Perks.
Our goal was to get some special images for the book ‘Hooked on Lure Fishing’. I’d brought a selection of tackle, but before you accuse me of shooting fish in a barrel, the hook points were carefully removed!
Jamie, the owner, is a cheerful, knowledgeable sort. Drinking coffee with a 40lb conger eel and chatting about fish all day has to be one of the world’s best jobs. There’s a real rogues’ gallery of fish here, many collected by local anglers. The first thing you notice is how differently the various species react to our attentions. The many ‘rockfish’ – blennies and sea scorpions – so much loved by LRF anglers might be small, but are among the most fearless! Anything that invades their space tends to be met aggressively.
Wrasse, however, were inquisitive at first, but quickly spooked. Bass, too, showed early curiosity but quickly became suspicious of us and ignored our lures. Interesting, because you wouldn’t expect creatures on such public display to retain so much natural shyness.
Other fish were far more aggressive, attacking lures viciously. Several times my soft lure was shredded by black bream. A giant old pouting of around 2lb was the dumbest fish, inhaling a shad and refusing to let go for several seconds!
Some attackers were less welcome. A spider crab had a go at one point, while my heart skipped a beat when the collection’s 40lb conger eel eyed up the lure!
Other lessons also emerge when you watch fish take lures. Even virtually at rest, soft lures tremble and wiggle, and still get taken. Too much movement can actually put fish off.
When our quarry really wants a lure, though, hits can be savage. A couple of my soft plastics were bitten in two.
I won’t lie to you – the challenge of capturing fish as naturally as possible, either investigating a lure or illustrating a point, remains tricky even in a manmade setting. For Jack it takes saintly patience, eye-wateringly expensive equipment and the occasional gentle cajoling of the performers.
Thankfully, most of us can avoid such madness and concentrate on the fishing. But whether we stare into a crystal-clear stream or seaside aquarium on our next day out, we never stop learning by watching fish.