3lb Perch Remains Elusive

Dan and I have spent some time this month trying to catch big perch. A 3lb fish is the target and both of us have come pretty close. Between us we have tempted nearly thirty stripeys over 1lb, to a top weight of 2lb 8oz, a personal best for me and only a few ounces short of Dan's biggest. Worms, red maggots, prawns and lures have all fooled fish. Dan has tried a bit of float fishing, whilst my favourite rig has been a small running lead, fluorocarbon hooklength and a Drennan Specimen Plus hook. Of course, whilst targeting perch in our lakes you inevitably catch a few other species and carp, some big roach, tench and bream to 4lb have also taken a liking to our baits. Very successful then, but we'll keep on trying for that 3lb perch.


My new personal best of 2lb 8oz

Winter Silverfish. Plantations Lakes, Kingston Seymour

My long time angling buddy Mark Bartlett and I had the opportunity to grab a days fishing last week and decided to target silverfish on the Plantations Main Lake.

We setup in pegs 26 and 27 on the far bank. We have both been practising a couple of techniques for matches we have got coming up and wanted to try a few things out.

I setup a light single number 6 latex top kit with a Preston Chianti 4x14  tied on 0.11 line and a 0.10 hooklength to fish dead depth on my top 5.

I also setup a Preston PB Silver 3 0.75g rig to fish at 13m.

I cupped in a mixture of finely chopped worm and caster and a small ball of Sensas lake groundbait on my shorter line and just worm and caster on my long line, I also loose fed a few casters in the margin down to my left for another option later on.

I cupped in, plumbed up and was ready, Mark, who got there well before me was all setup and already catching fish.

I saw the odd bubble on my shorter line so had a look straight away and began to steadily catch from the off with good sized roach, skimmers and the odd perch. I even caught 5 crucian carp which I've not seen for quite a while from this lake.

I continued to catch on that line and regularly topped the swim up with a large cup of chopped worm and caster along with a Small Matrix Toss Pot filled up for every put in.

Mark was really getting stuck into the skimmers in his peg and was getting a 'lid' what seemed like every put in.

We both tried our long lines to see what we could find but the fish weren't as good or as quick to bite. I did hook and land an 8lb carp from my longer line but carp weren't on the agenda that day!

Another good angling buddy of ours, James Gunter, dropped by to see how we were getting on and had a quick go on my new Sensas 874 pole to try it out and was swiftly rewarded with a very good roach and 2 decent skimmers.

As the sun began to lower and the temperature dropped bites began to slow and we decided 4pm was it.

We had both caught very well all day and were pleased with our efforts and can't wait for another day like that again or even better to recreate this days fishing in a match!!!!



Fishing Failures

One of several decent roach caught

Not a good couple of weeks for the three of us, I'm afraid! Both Dan and I suffered tough times whilst trying a bit of pike fishing. Dan took to a boat on Chew Valley Lake and I headed to the River Wye, but no pike came our way, not even a bite! Dan did catch a large trout on his new Fox Rage Hitcher Jerk & Twitch lure though, a rainbow of 6lb and a personal best, but not quite what he was after. The two of us then spent an evening on Kingston Seymour sea wall, but after three hours of trying we had nothing to show for our efforts. A blank! Toby hasn't had much luck either and although he has caught some fish, he hasn't managed enough of them to frame in his last two matches at Plantations Lakes. So, highlight of the last two weeks is easily the day I spent targeting perch. Seven fish between 1lb and 2lb and a couple lost, plus some decent roach, made for an enjoyable time. Here's hoping that November has better luck in store for the three of us.