Specimen roach quest

I had never managed a really big roach. Like many, I had caught some nice ones over the years but a 2 pounder had never graced my net albeit I had never made a concerted effort.

I was fishing with a friend in the summer and the subject of roach came up. It was then that we hatched a plan to catch a big roach. The Cotswold gravel pits would be the target venue in the first instance.

With some research and planning taking place over the last few weeks, the time had arrived. The plan involved two nights on a large gravel pit. For me, this became one night after an incident that resulted in a trip to A&E and nine stitches. Not a great start but I arrived the next morning. My fishing companion had drawn a blank overnight but we high hopes for the remainder of the trip.

The pit itself is over 30 acres so there's lots of places the roach could be. The mild weather meant there were plenty of anglers on the bank meaning that the areas noted for roach were not available. The swims we chose were not fancied for roach and had no previous. There was an element of finding a needle in a haystack. However, it was the cards we were dealt so it wouldn't stop us trying, especially with a southerly wind blowing towards our bank. 

Tactics were relatively simple. Two rods set up with helicopter rigs. A very short fluorocarbon hooklink tied to a size 16 hook. A heavy feeder would create a bolt rig with maggots as bait.  

A fabulous 2lb 4oz PB roach

My swim turned out to be weed free and presented a clean open area over gravel. I was fishing at about 40 yards in 12ft of water. It meant I would fish both rods very close to one another. I had one on an open end feeder with dark  coloured groundbait sandwiching maggots and some hemp. The other was just a standard blockend feeder approach. Casting would be every 30 minutes to keep a trickle of bait going in. 

There was little to report during the day. This wasn't a huge surprise. As light began to fade, the first fish was caught. A perch of about 8oz meant there was no blank and this was quickly followed by another of just over a pound. It then became dark and the action ceased. By 9pm, the alarms started to give some indications that there were fish in the swim. The weather was also pretty grim with Storm Ciaran putting in an appearance. At 9.45pm, the alarm screamed into life and up I jumped to find myself connected to a fish. You can imagine my excitement when the silver flanks of a roach surfaced. Using lighter tackle meant the roach was able to put up some stern resistance and I was really conscious the hook could easily pull from its soft mouth. The fish was safely netted. It was clearly a personal best roach and it looked huge. If you have never seen a big roach in the flesh before then they are really impressive creatures, likely over a decade old. The scales showed the fish weighed 2lb 4oz and it was a super result on my first attempt.

A specimen 3lb perch

Out went the rods again. I was continuing to stay active and trickle the feed in as the rain pelted down. Within the hour, another screaming run saw me connected to another fish. This felt better and made a dash for a nearside tree. I remember thinking, if this is a roach then it's going to be good. It wasn't a roach but it was a super looking fish. The stripey flanks of perch came into sight and having caught plenty of decent perch before, I could see this one fell into the 'decent' category. It went 3lb 1oz. 

It capped an amazing 60 minutes that saw me land a 2lb roach and a 3lb perch. I can tell you that this doesn't happen very often so it certainly exceeded my expectations for the trip. 

Nothing happened overnight other than the bivvy taking a battering from the wind and rain. The next morning saw a small roach landed and a huge roach spotted rolling in front of me. By the end of the morning it was time to leave but I did so with me planning my next roach trip and a potential 3 pounder. 

Perchy Ponderings

With autumn upon us, I decided to target some river perch. The venue was a middle Severn stretch that I have fished on many occasions over the years but not too often in recent times. It was a lovely warm day with some October sunshine to boot. Not ideal conditions for perch who prefer to feed in low light but I did have an ace up my sleeve. Although the river had returned to normal level, it was still holding some colour. I also chose a swim that afforded me some shade. A quick plumb of the swim told me I had just under 5 feet of water a rod length out. There was some slight flow with trees upstream and downstream of where I planned to drop a bait. I began fishing a whip with maggots to see what was lurking in the swim. Unsurprisingly, bites came quickly with small dace, roach and chublets all making an appearance. This was encouraging since as any perch angler will know, where there are small fish then predators are never far behind. After half an hour or so, I dropped in a few broken bits of worm and baited a size 8 hook with a lobworm. I use barbless hooks with perch as they can at times end up deeply hooked. A barbless hook makes this event a lot more straightforward to solve. A small piece of elastic band on the bend prevents the worm escaping. The hook was tied to 6lb line with a bobber type float shotted with a single SSG shot around 8 inches from the hook. I see no point in over complicating matters. 

A 1lb 7oz was the pick of the first batch

Results were pretty instant with a 1lb 7oz perch the pick of the first three perch. They soon moved off and I went back to catching the small silver fish. With the steam engines of the Severn Valley Railway chugging along the valley it really did add something to the trip. After a bite to eat in the warm autumn sun, it was perch time once again. The second stint through up another fish around around the pound and a half mark before I hooked something completely different. I knew it was not a perch and and as the lively battle came to an end, a small pike came into view hooked right on the edge of its mouth and thus preventing my line being bitten through. Then the float dipped and again solid resistance was felt. The tell tale jags told me this was a perch and of much better stamp than its previous relatives. This fish really did put up a good battle and a beautiful perch was netted. It went 2lb 2oz which was a decent result and capped off a really enjoyable day. I plan to return when conditions allow as I know a 3 pounder is a real possibility and who knows, maybe something bigger. 

The 2 pounder promises much for the future

Perch bring spring action

With almost a month passing since the close of the river season I was beginning to get a few withdrawal symptoms. With the weather still cool, my target was perch so I headed to my stillwater destination full of confidence. Arriving at around 1pm, my intention was to fish through until around 6.30pm, which would give me plenty of time for the perch to decide on feeding.

2lb 2oz to kick things off

Two rods were set up. The first a running ledger baited with a large prawn, the second a more traditional bobber float and worm combination. Although there have been occasions when the fish have fell to both baits during the same session, I have often found the perch have a preference to one or the other on any given day. One day can see all the fish fall to worm with prawns ignored while another can see the complete opposite. I hoped that my approach would cover both bases. I started off catching a few fish on maggot for a bit of entertainment. A large gudgeon and a few rudd made an appearance. Soon after a worm was placed into position with the prawn rig positioned just outside the main feeding area. The little and often approach to feeding maggots meant that there were plenty of smaller fish in the swim and I hoped the

The 2lb 7oz

perch would not be far behind them. Any stripy predators observing from afar could pick up the prawn and then when they decided to go on full hunt mode and enter the fed area then the worm would hopefully provide an easy meal. After an hour I was perchless. A few fish had shown signs that perch might be about. I was convinced they were not far away so I put a prawn on the float set up as well and dropped it right under where the maggots were being fed. Within moments the float buried and I was into a perch. It put up a super fight, probably the best I've had from a perch and the prize was a lovely fish of 2lb 2oz. Within twenty minutes another fell to the same approach weighing in at 2lb 7oz. A carp of around 6lb then found its way to the bank marauding through my swim in the process. After a pause in the action the ledgered prawn was then picked up and the third perch of the day was landed. Again the fish put up a great scrap with this perch registering 2lb 5oz on the scales. Another carp came along with a perch under a pound and  then sport curtailed around 5pm. Just at the time you'd expect fish to feed the opposite happened and I packed up as planned with no further fish. However, that 90 min spell during the afternoon and produced three 2lb+ perch. Prawn had won the battle of the baits and given me a great day's fishing in anyone's book.

The third and final 2 pounder of the session

I was then given an unexpected opportunity to return a few days later. I was keen to experience more of the same and even attempt to beat my PB which the lake is more than capable of doing. The conditions were spot on so I was optimistic and deployed the same set up as the previous session. After 2 hours I had only managed to catch a dozen or so roach and rudd. The prawns and lobworms had been ignored as far as the perch were concerned. I was convinced they hadn't wandered too far from the area so I took the decision to try a livebait. Within ten minutes a familiar fish was on the bank. A repeat capture of the 2lb 2oz perch and its distinctive split dorsal fin fro a few days earlier. Another live was lowered and mullered instantly. I hadn't even put the rod down. This perch went 2lb 6oz. I lost another decent perch later to a hook pull but that was the end of the action and then banked a smaller perch of around a pound. They had certainly been more difficult to catch on this day. Neither prawn or worm had returned me a perch and a blank would have been the inevitable result but for the change to live baits.

The 2lb 6oz from the return visit

Autumn Perch and Chub

The end of October coincided with high pressure meaning cold nights and bright days. Despite having the week off, I still ended up having to fish on one of the brightest of them. I had decided to target some decent perch and as we all know, bright sunshine is not the perch anglers favourite condition. Arriving at a stillwater that had been kind to me in the past, I tackled up with a ledger set up with prawn and a float set up with worm. Regular feeding soon had the swim filled with the resident roach and skimmers. With perch sport slow, I changed to a maggot hookbait and enjoyed some nice roach.

As the afternoon wore on and the sun began to dip behind the trees on the far side of the lake. I was left in the shade and the temperature dipped sharply as another frosty night loomed. Although chilly, I knew the low light would give me a better chance of a perch so it was all systems go with prawn and worm baits cast into prime position. The waiting game began. Regular feeding kept the prey fish in the area and I just had to hope the big perch would turn up at some stage.

A 2lb 4oz perch

Some of the resident day ticket anglers fishing for carp started to depart. It was now as the lake became quiet that I noticed something a little different. The smaller fish in my swim seemed to have disappeared. Had the perch moved in and caused them anxiety? I recast my ledger rig baited with a prawn. I then placed the rod into the rest. I was still holding the line as I set about clipping on the bobbin but there was no need. A sharp tug registered. Then another. I struck and a decent fish was on. I quickly decided it had to be a perch so I just had to ensure it stayed on. Every time a good perch surfaces it never fails to be a breathtaking sight. They have been described as the biggest fish of all and there's no doubting they make for impressive viewing. The fish was safely netted and although it wasn't going to threaten the 3 pounders I'd had from the venue previously it was certainly over 2lb.

A carp approaching double figures

The scales confirmed this at 2lb 4oz. I hoped this would signal a flurry of activity and another perch around the pound mark fell to the worm. Another positive bite on the worm put a huge bend on the rod and signaled one of the resident carp had been hooked. Whilst good fun on a through action rod and centrepin its marauding around the swim put an end to end hopes of anymore perch. Soon enough the light had gone and the session had ended.


A few days later I was on the Warwickshire Avon. The river  had been low and clear for what seems an eternity. With the temperature dropping it was a toss up between pike or chub with the latter winning. Tactics were going to be simple with trotted bread flake the order of the day. By the time I'd faffed about it had gone 3pm by the time I'd thrown some mashed bread into the head of my chosen swim. With the nights drawing in I probably only had about 90 minutes to make this work. One thing in my favour was the fact the Avon has a great head of chub. Most are in the 3-4lb class but they are great sport especially on fair tackle.

The first fish of the session

A piece of flake was presented on a size 12 hook to a 7lb hooklength. My first cast was made and the float started its journey through the swim. Half way down and the float sunk from view. My strike was met with solid resistance as the first chub of the day made a bid for the nearside cover. It was a great start. The next cast saw a repeat with the float burying and another good chub hooked. This was beginning to look like a super session in the making. It was maybe the next run down that another fish was hooked. However this one had a bit more intent about and took off across the river towards the far bank trees. I was unable to tame it and the hooklength parted. I have no idea whether this was an over energetic chub or whether I had connected with a barbel. I will never know. Another chub showed meaning I had managed three chub and a lost fish within the first 6 or so casts. It was then that the chub vanished almost as quickly as they had been caught. I persevered hoping some more mashed bread would entice them back upstream. Had I not started so late in the day I would have moved and most likely added some more fish but with light fading it was time to call it day. It had been an enjoyable hour or so and something I must do again soon.

A nice return for little more than an hour

August Catch Up - Wye and Warks Avon

August finally saw the heatwave leave our shores and with that the rivers were once again fair game. I love this time of year. You can sense autumn is on it's way. The nights begin to draw in and dusk sees the geese travelling to roost in their v-formations. It is also a great time to be on the banks fishing.

A failed barbel trip on an Avon weir pool did see me unlock some decent predator potential so I

A weir pool pike

returned a few days later armed with just a lure rod. It didn't take long to connect with a fish but whilst I was expecting perch and pike to be the likely targets it was indeed a chub that put in the first appearance. A small perch followed then a couple of fish were lost. Unfortunately, the weir pool has a large bed of underwater cabbages on the near bank and to land fish successfully I had to manoeuvre them over this obstacle. That was fine for the smaller fish but anything that could stay low used them to escape and there was little I could do. A decent pike that was certainly a double beat me this way as did a nice perch or two. I did manage a pike a few swims further down before the perch became active at dusk. Another decent perch was hooked but as before the near bank plant growth got the better of me. Maybe it's a chapter to return to when the weed dies back a little.

A Wye fish going 9lb 11oz

I don't fish the Wye too often, indeed it's been a year so as August came to its conclusion I once again found myself in wonderful and beautiful county of Herefordshire. Much has been said about the beauty of the Wye Valley so I won't attempt to convince you here. My swim was relatively shallow and laced with streamer weed. I had to do a fair bit of bank clearing to find enough space to be comfortable for the day. In swims like this I always fish upstream. That way you are not pulling your rig or fish back up against the weed which often results in inevitable breakages and lost fish. The bites will be drop backs and the fish will drop with the flow allowing you to bring them across the river without too much trouble. A couple of barbel showed up in the first hour before the daytime drought set in. I did attempt some trotting, wading mid-river but the slightly increased level meant there was a huge amount of weed coming down the river that hindered presentation meaning a biteless one hour. A bit of roving after lunch rewarded me with a third barbel before I settled in my original spot late afternoon. The bites started again and I finished the session with 9 barbel including a 9lb 11oz, 9lb 9oz and an 8lb 13oz plus a chub of about 4lb. By 8pm the level had rose by about a foot and the already problematic weed became impossible to fish on in. A good session was ended slightly earlier than intended but it was a super session in what became pretty testing conditions.

A few days later I was on the Avon, keen to try a new area in search of some larger fish. I didn't arrive until about half past 7 and immediately baited three swims. A 3lb chub showed up quite quickly in the first of them before I moved to the area I had not fished much before. I am convinced there's fish to be had there but as yet they were not playing ball. By 10pm I'd barely a tap. Time was fast running out so I moved slightly upstream to probably the shallowest part of the stretch at about 5ft deep. I cast a chunk of meat mid-

Another 9lb 11oz barbel, this time from the Avon

river. About 15 mins later the rod arched round and I commenced what turned out to be an epic battle. The fish took me way downstream in an instant. I heard a splash as it broke the surface. I then teased it back upstream. There was a lot of reed growth between me and the river. I then saw the fish for the first time and realised I'd have a game getting it out. A few more powerful runs and she was beaten. I tried to net the fish with difficulty. My right leg went in upto my knee but I eventually netted my prize. I was convinced an Avon double lay before me. However, it wasn't to be as the scales settled at 9lb 11oz. Not to be grumbled at as it was a fine fish that won't be easily forgotten.

An afternoon down the canal

What a contrast to seven days ago. This time last week the UK was gripped by sub-zero temperatures and a covering of snow. Today was a glorious spring day and by far the warmest of the year yet. With some maggots left over from last week's perch session I decided to have a few hours in the afternoon sun. The Birmingham to Worcester canal was the chosen venue. In all honesty, I rarely fish canals these days but I fancied a change and was intrigued as to what might turn up.

I dusted the pole off, it's first outing for quite some time, and set up to fish down the centre of the canal. It was about 4ft deep. The single maggot was dropped into place and a little and often feeding approach was employed. Bites on the canal are not usually difficult to come by but today was different. After an hour, I was starting to doubt there were any fish present. However, in the warm sunshine with the sound of new born lambs not too far away there are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. I decided to go for a short walk when I noticed a 25 metre stretch of the margins was home to population of breeding toads (I think). As the afternoon wore on I was still fishless. In fact, still biteless. It had just gone 4.30pm and I remember setting myself a 45 minute target. I had still to register a bite I was going to call it a day. It was just so strange to have not encountered any fish after a couple of hours that I had begun to think the stretch was barren and maybe they had shoaled up somewhere else after the cold weather of the last few weeks. Then a couple of fish topped and restored my confidence.

The 11oz roach

At just gone 4.50pm my first bite of the day saw a dace landed. Only a few ounces but more than welcome given the circumstances. Then a steady trickle of roach appeared with the odd small chub and a solitary perch. Things were looking up at last. I then connected with a better fish which turned out to be an 11oz roach. It was in immaculate condition and much bigger then its predecessors.

The hybrid

It was heading for half past six now. The change to British Summer Time afforded me an extra hour of daylight. The sun had dipped now but was causing havoc off the water's surface meaning seeing my float was tricky. The bites continued. It wasn't frantic sport but a bite every so often kept my interest. The float dipped from sight one more time and this fish saw the elastic stretch from the pole tip with purpose. It was a much better fish but what was it? I caught a glimpse beneath the surface and it looked bream like but the fight was anything but bream like. Instead of coming to the net like a wet sack, this fish wasn't going to give up easily. Finally, it was beaten and it silver flanks showed it was a roach/bream hybrid. It was a bit of an ugly work of nature to tell you the truth but it did weigh 1lb 10oz so was a decent fish for the canal. I gave it another 40 minutes or so but the commotion killed the swim and I called a halt to proceedings on what had been an enjoyable afternoon.

New PB Perch

My focus had switched to perch now that the rivers were out of bounds. A catch up with a couple of friends saw us head to a stillwater that I had been introduced to a couple of years back. It's fair to say the water had been kind to me . My first visit saw me break my perch PB twice in around 30 minutes. A subsequent visit saw me increase it to a respectable 3lb 2oz.

So it I set off at lunch with high hopes. After a frustrating month or so on the river the new challenge saw my enthusiasm renewed. A second wave of the 'Beast from the East' had returned to our shores and the east wind was certainly biting . Air temperatures were just above freezing but that wind was sending it the wrong side of zero and it played a big part in swim selection upon arrival. We managed to find a relatively sheltered bay that the three of us could occupy and fish reasonably comfortably whilst remaining social. My tactics were a simple running ledger rig baited with a prawn and then a bobber float baited with a large lobworm. Maggots would be fed regularly in the hope of attracting smaller fish which would in turn see them followed by some specimen sized stripeys.

My new personal best perch

Sport was predictably slow and that wind was ever so cold. The weather however was anything but predictable. At times we were blessed with sunny spells that almost felt pleasant. Then foreboding clouds formed that were soon followed by snow blizzards. We fished on in what turned out to be an uneventful first couple of hours. It was approaching 3pm by now and with nothing happening I decided to chop up a couple of worms in the hope it might trigger something. Literally moments later the bobber float slid purposefully from view seeing my strike met with solid resistance. I was confident it was a perch and this was soon confirmed when a sizable fish wallowed to the surface. It was safely netted and indeed I had a worthy specimen in the net. It looked like it could threaten the magical 3lb mark and could even topple my PB. The scales proved this to be the case when they registered at 3lb 3oz beating my own record by 1oz. This was more than a satisfying result to my first perch session of the spring campaign. Ben soon had a fish of his own, a nicely coloured common carp was the culprit however. Although he enjoys catching carp of all sizes I know he'd have preferred a perch on this occasion. It was soon my turn to do battle with a torpedoed shaped carp that fought powerfully and Tom also saved a blank with a carp of his own. Unfortunately, no more perch were to put in an appearance and Ben and I both managed another carp as the day closed in. By now it was freezing. My hands hurt, the landing net had contorted itself into a weird looking shape and a journey home to a hot shower seemed the best option.

Summer catch up

After a summer break, I have spent the last two weeks catching up by fishing the Warks Avon and the middle Severn. I've fished some lesser known stretches as well as some more popular beats and pleasingly caught at them all. There's a satisfying feeling to catch when everyone else is reporting blanks. I was greeted by one chap on the Severn who told me I was wasting my time as seven anglers had caught about six fish between them. I always prefer to find out for myself.

As for the fishing,  I have continued to find barbel although a double still eludes me so far this summer. Chub have been plentiful and one 4 pounder gave me an epic battle even on barbel gear. Perch were the main target on the Severn and I found some nice fish over a pound as well as a few barbel, a pike and plenty of silver fish.  All great fun. Now my attention turns to finding a double figure barbel. Wish me luck!

The search for a big river perch - A tale of woe

The last twelve months have seen me finally get amongst some perch. Thanks to some help with locating some stillwaters with potential, I have managed to net some fine fish to over 3lb. However, my real target was a river fish of 3lb plus. To catch a wild fish displaying its finest colours was my focus. Of course location was key. My river of choice would be the Warwickshire Avon but the BAA's insistence on a live bait ban would limit my options. I finally pinpointed a location that ticked all the boxes. I could live bait providing I could catch them, and the swim I had in mind provided me with some sheltered deep water next to a nice flow which perch are find of. It also contained evidence of small fish which surely would have been of interest to the area's predators.

I was armed with my ledgered perch set up incorporating a link of 10lb Drennan Soft Strand to counter the inevitable pike attention. I also had a dedicated pike set up with some dead baits and a waggler to catch some silver fish. The problem I had was a lack of quality bait. My old maggots had mostly turned to floating casters meaning I had to feed groundbait and pick out the odd remaining maggot. Not ideal but I had been lazy. Unfortunately, this was to prove costly. Although I was sure small fish were present I really struggled. Eventually, I caught a perfectly sized roach. Out it went and it was not long before the alarm beeped and my strike was met with a fish. The speed of the run told me the culprit was a pike but it somehow managed to slip the hook after charging too close to my deadbait rig. More amazingly, the roach was still tethered and apart from a few missing scales was in good nick. This was brilliant news as the only other fish I had caught were too big for perch live baits. Soon after another beep signaled a take. I struck into the fish and the nodding rod told me I had hooked into a perch and what felt a good one. Having caught some decent perch this one felt in an altogether different league. Perhaps it was the flow but I caught a glimpse under the surface and began to get excited as it took line from the reel. I was convinced this fish was special. You can imagine my despair when inexplicably the hook slipped and the fish made its escape. Without another suitable bait I was powerless to see if I could provoke another predatory fish into feeding. I tried worms in vain and soon the light went and with it the window of opportunity.

A perch, but not the one that got away

I have to admit to feeling pretty crestfallen. To lose a fish is bad enough but it's a terrible feeling when you sense the fish was a true specimen. On the plus side, I at least have a spot to try again. The key of course will be being better prepared for the small fish. I am sure that if I can get them feeding and manage to catch a few the rest of the plan will fall into place. Whether I can tempt a big perch into the picture remains to be seen but I will definitely be giving it another go.

Perching

With the rivers still cold and uninviting, a perch trip was planned to a small pond that has produced some reasonable fish in the past.

Tactics would be to attempt to attract some small roach to the net and eventually the prospect of a 2lb plus perch. The problem with this lake however is the huge population of carp that make catching live baits really difficult. The recent frosts had also made bites harder to come by so it was something of a struggle to put anything in the net. A small carp inevitably kicked off proceedings before a bream also made its way to the net but sport was generally slow. I eventually acquired a live bait and placed it near some overhanging willows.

I then hooked a good fish on the float fished maggot set up. It was obviously a carp but of a much better standard than I'm used to catching at the venue. On relatively light tackle, a spirited battle ensued before a fine looking carp was netted. At around 10 ½ lb, it was a good return for a chilly afternoon. No sooner had I returned it when the alarm of my perch bait sounded resulting in line being taken purposefully. I struck into a fish and the first perch was on the bank. It was not a monster but at 2lb 1oz it was a nicely sized perch. I did manage another perch soon after to a maggot which was somewhere around 1 ¼ lb but there was to be no further action as the light gave away to another cold night.

A brace of perch

A week of fishing

The last few weeks have been a quiet affair as far as fishing goes. But with a week off I was able to get out and about and do a bit of catching up.

First up was a friendly social gathering on the lower Severn. It was a very unstructured match complete with a half time. However, with the low conditions, a daylight session was always going to prove tough and so it was with only a few pound winning. For the record, I managed a few roach to avoid a blank.

Can you see the pike?

A couple of days later an equally difficult session ensured on the Warks Avon. I was on the river at around 7.30am with pike the target and I was confident. Deadbaits would be the prime attack but my optimism faded as the hours passed by and each likely looking spot failed to respond. With lunch time approaching I decided my next swim would be the last. Finally, the float decided to tremble and then inch its way across towards the near bank. The strike hit a lively fish but it was to be no monster at around 6lb. My son had turned up by now and wanted a photo but  the fish decided not to play ball and somersaulted itself back to its watery sanctuary. I did attempt a photo as it lay stationary in the margins but you'll do well to spot its camouflaged profile against the river bed.

Next up was a return to the middle Severn. Perch were to be my target on this occasion. I had seen some good fish attacking the fry during the summer and I had vowed to give them a crack on my return. I set up a worm rod and fed maggots to attract the smaller fish and the perch's attention. I did fish a float to see what would turn up but the result was mostly minnows although a few dace, roach and chublets turned up. I lost a pike to a bite off and did manage a small perch. As dusk approached, I did land a better perch but it was not the specimen I had seen before at just over a pound or so.

A short evening session back on the Avon saw me trying to take advantage of the mild conditions. A 3lb chub on the first cast was a great start. I then lost a barbel at the net which soon restored the balance. I did finally land a barbel of around 7lb or so before the action slowed to a complete standstill.

A chunky Avon barbel

My final session of the week saw me and my brother in law take to the banks. He wanted plenty of bites so we decided on a pool that would provide plenty of carp action but also gave me a chance of a decent perch. The sport was pretty frantic as the carp were in ravenous mood. We also landed some nicely sized roach and tench. The problem with the perch fishing was having a bait that would not be hoovered up by the carp. Fortunately, live baits are allowed. Unfortunately, catching roach of the right size was nigh on impossible. Eventually, we caught a fish that could be used as bait and it duly delivered in the shape of a 2lb 12oz perch which would turn out to be my most memorable fish of the week. I also lost another soon after but with the absence of any more roach I was unable to tempt another on prawn or worm.

The best fish of the week

The rough with the smooth

I ventured to the lower Severn on Saturday evening. I was in no rush to cast a line as most bites have been coming late on. I eventually settled into a swim just as the rain began. For the next few hours it tipped it down. Meanwhile my downstream meat rod and upstream boilie rig lay motionless. I also discovered my umbrella had a leak to compound what was turning into quite a miserable affair. As 11 o'clock approached the upstream rod took off completely out of the blue. A powerful fish took off towards mid-river before the line parted. Gutted was an understatement. I gave it another half hour before a break in the rain saw me escape feeling very deflated.

I had agreed to take my son fishing the next morning . I have to be honest, I wasn't exactly feeling enthusiastic but a promise is a promise. We arrived on the Warks Avon mid-morning with a view to a few hours until lunch. We used a 4m whip and maggots to catch a selection of species including gudgeon, dace, perch, bleak, roach and skimmers. I had also cast a boilie baited rig complete with a PVA bag of offerings mid-river. This bait had sat undisturbed for hours when without warning it jumped into life. A barbel was on. It took me by surprise as daytime barbel have become thin on the ground in these low conditions. Although not a huge fish it offered me some redemption following the previous evening's disappointment. My son also had an enjoyable morning so it was smiles all round.

Around 6lb or so

Perch and chub make up for a barbel drought

It's all been a bit quiet for me in recent weeks. A trip to the lower Severn resulted in a blank. I was quite confident on arrival as there was extra water and some colour but with the river still rising there was barely a tremble of the rod tip.

A few days later I tried the middle Severn. Surely a barbel could be tempted? Well no. The middle also disappointed. In the end I found some opportune perch fishing to provide some drop-shot fun after seeing them harrassing the small fish in the margins.

A final trip saw me on the Avon on Bank Holiday Monday. It seemed like it had been fishing well upon arrival but the sunshine had brought out an army of anglers. This meant I ended up fishing a new area. Again the barbel drought continued but the chub were more than obliging with fish to around 4lb finding their way to the net.

With work back on the agenda, it signals the end of the summer for me and with it my visits to the bank will be less frequent. Hopefully I can finish my break on a high note this weekend.

More perch success and a fisherman's tale

With my tench campaign just around the corner I am close to concluding my perch chapter for the season. So a second visit to the stillwater that gave me my first 3 pounder on my last trip was unsurprisingly my venue of choice. The weather forecast a cloudy day, perfect for perch fishing. The reality was a glorious spring day coupled with bright sunshine. With the weathermen wrong (when aren't they?) I knew my chances would have to wait a few hours until the sun dropped down behind the far bank trees to the west. In the meantime, I fed regularly to attract the silver fish. The plan worked because after a couple of hours I had dozens of roach boiling on the surface to beat their shoal mates to the feed. I caught a few, well it would have been silly not to given not much else was happening or likely to.

At last, the sun began to drop and my fishing became a bit more focussed. With this a neighboring carp angler appeared and decided to start what turned out to be a very long chat. Now I don't mind exchanging pleasantries but this chap wanted to tell me about everything from his holiday to his mountain bike trip. After a while it became somewhat tedious but fortunately one of his bite alarms beeped which had him sprinting back to his peg. Moments later my bobber float slid away and the first perch of the session was hooked. A spritely looking perch of around a pound and a half kicked things off. Surely another would be in close attendance? My own alarm sounded as the ledgered prawn was taken but the surging runs told me I was into a carp. A nice looking common was soon tamed and it was a decent fish too that I suspected was not far off a double.

The first perch of the day

A nice common

It was at this moment that the 'carp' angler started to call. Whilst my peg has suddenly jumped into action after hours of slumber the friendly angler had managed to get himself in a mess. Despite having a carp on, his reel had somehow gotten in to a twist and he had a bird's nest. The phrase 'All the gear......' sprang to mind. Although I admit to it being a wrench to leave my swim at that time I did in order to help him out. With line everywhere I attempted to unravel the mess but it wasn't straightforward. Meanwhile the carp, which was marauding out of control had decided that despite having the whole lake to swim in it would station itself right in my carefully and painstakingly prepared swim! At this point I suggested we hand line the fish in. I assertively took the rod and brought the fish in with the specialist carp angler doing the honours with the landing net. With the fish safely banked I decided I would return to my swim and actually do some fishing. In went some maggots but there were no boils this time as it looked like the disturbance had cleared my swim out. I was a little frustrated by now. Light was begin to fade and I was convinced I had missed the window of opportunity. It was at this point that our friend appeared again deciding he would like a photo of the carp as it was 'a venue record' for him. I then proceeded to take a photo of him and his fish refraining from pointing out that I caught the bloody thing.

Finally, I was free to fish on into the final 30-45 minutes of what remained. I felt I deserved the good will of the fishing gods and it came. The prawn rod went off and I was hooked into a definite perch,

The 2lb 14oz fish

and a good one. The head shaking always gives a perch away. It was promptly landed and another prawn recast. Perch often feed in short spells so I was keen to make the most of this window of opportunity given the earlier disturbances. About 5 minutes elapsed so I decided to weigh the fish but before I could do so the alarm sounded again. This perch was smaller at around a pound and half but it was stocky fish that was fit to burst, I then finally managed to weigh the bigger perch - not quite a 3 pounder at 2lb 14oz but a fine fish all the same. The light was disappearing fast but there was time for the final prawn to be hooked and cast. Within moments I was rewarded with the best fish of the session and another new personal best of 3lb 2oz. By the time I weighed and photographed this fish it was dark. It had been a hectic hour or so with 4 perch and a carp in addition to the events in the next peg but I trudged back the car a happy angler.

My new PB of 3lb 2oz

Perch: Two personal bests

There's never been a better time to catch big perch, After years of neglect, autumn saw me have my first real go culminating in Severn 2 pounder. My PB has crept up slowly but I was still awaiting a big 2 pounder or landing that magical 3lb fish.

A friend of mine arranged for us to make a trip to a new stillwater. With live baiting banned the approach was going to be worm and prawn based. A simple running ledger rig was baited with prawn while a small bobber float and centrepin were employed for the worm. The plan was to feed maggots regularly to attract the small fish and hopefully see the perch follow. 

Personal best number one - 2lb 11oz

Arriving at 10am the next few hours were slow. My friend then managed a a great looking perch of exactly 3lb. The fish came completely out of the blue as did the sunshine. This killed the fishing and the next few hours were a non-event. I did change the hook to a size 16 to get a few bites. A few roach and the first perch of the day arrived.  It was a 3, about 3 inch but it was beautifully marked. By 5pm the cloud arrived and with it much better prospects. I chopped some worms and threw them around the float. Within seconds the float buried and the tell tale jagging of the rod tip told me a perch was on. It was safely netted and I was confident that a new PB had been landed and so it proved at 2lb 11oz. The float went back out and within 30 minutes I had another perch on. It felt a better fish. It then surfaced to reveal a huge stomach and also a very precarious hook hold. The fish was landed and it was no surprise to see my PB beaten for a second time and with it my first 3lb perch. Like my friend's fish earlier, it was 3lb on the nose. I did manage to hook another fish soon after but instead of another perch a beautifully coloured linear carp of around 6lb came to the bank. Following this spree the only other thing to report was a dropped run on the prawn rig before the light faded. 

My first 3 pounder and new PB

The artistic shot

It's not everyday that you catch a personal best fish. To do it twice in less than an hour is some session and makes up for all those tricky days that we all encounter throughout the year. Thanks must go out to my ghillie for giving me the opportunity to fish a new water. It looks like I'm going to have to find a venue in the summer to pay him back.

Back for Perch

I can't deny it's been a tough few weeks. A couple of river blanks and some failed perch expeditions meant it had been a lean month or so. I was still looking to up my Perch PB so I was back on a small stillwater that holds some fish to over 3lb. .

A nice looking mirror

The weather had become mild after a cold week so I hoped the fish would be obliging mood. First task was to catch some live baits so a few sections of the pole and maggots were employed. The float soon shot under but instead of a small roach the elastic told me that I had connected with a carp. On relatively light gear I had no option but to take my time to eventually net a chunky mirror of around 7lb. The next hour was a little frustrating in so much that all the roach were too big for perch. One roach went 1lb 2oz which was a most welcome capture. Roach always look resplendent in the cold months when they take on their winter colours. Their flanks glistened blue in the low watery sunshine. After an hour or more I finally landed a roach of the intended size. This was

This roach went over a pound

attached to a paternosted float set up and cast not far from the feeding zone. The afternoon followed a similar pattern. The roach kept coming but the perch tackle remained unmolested. By now I had also set up a ledgered live bait which I had cast a little further out towards the middle of the pool. There was a tentative run that failed to materialise so I plugged away waiting for a feeding spell. Perch tend to feed in short spells but it's possible to catch several in a short space of time if they are really feeding positively. Another angler managed a nice perch of just under 3lb to keep me feeling optimistic. As late afternoon approach a peg was vacated by a carp angler and this gave me the opportunity to put a bait near some overhanging willow branches. I would have happily chosen this area on arrival had it been available. The cast was spot on as the ledgered roach landed just shy of the overhanging cover. Five minutes later and the alarm started to bleep as line was being taken in earnest. I felt the line to check the run was still positive and my strike was met with solid resistance as a perch was hooked. I could tell it was a low 2 pounder as it lay in the net and the scales confirmed 2lb 2oz meaning my modest PB had crept up by an ounce. It's been my first winter focussing on perch so to have managed several two pounders in the half dozen or so visits is a pretty satisfying outcome. I might manage one more visit for the magical three pounder before my attentions turn to spring and different species.

Target achieved

In search of specimen perch

The best carp was around 4lb

After blanking on a perfect looking Warwickshire Avon at the weekend, a change of plan was the order of the day. So a return to the pool that gave me a personal best perch a few weeks ago beckoned [here] and with a cloudy albeit a very windy day, conditions looked promising.

Tench in December!

A mixed bag

The first job was to set up and catch some live bait. As my last visit proved, this was not easy as a string of lovely roach, some of which were around the pound mark, came to the net. I did manage a handful of suitable baits so set up a perch rig and continued to fish maggots for whatever turned up. Apart from the roach, a few skimmers, a rudd, three inevitable carp and a December tench all put in an appearance in the mild conditions. However my target, a specimen perch, proved elusive. I did manage a few on large lobworms, the biggest going 1lb 3oz but with fish over 3lb present I fished on in hope as the light began to fade. As dark fast approached, I had no choice but to call an end to the day. The big perch had not been tempted and my live bait was no doubt please about that as it swam away. It was an enjoyable few hours spent catching several species with the only negative being I clumsily managed to step on a pole section.

It will probably be after Christmas before I am out again so Merry Christmas and thank you to all those that have visited this year.

Perch to 1lb 3oz but no biggie this time