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PERCH. Perca Fluviatilis.
Family Percidae
Distribution: Common
throughout Britain, but sparse in the highlands of Scotland.
Habitat: Found in
most lakes, ponds and rivers.
Description: A
handsome fish that is easily recognised, having two dorsal fins - the first
being greyish/olive in colour and reinforced with hard, sharp pointed
rays.
The flat-sided body is generally dark green backed
graduating to a white belly, having five to nine striped bands - giving the
nickname of ‘Stripey’; the pelvic fins are bright red/orange.
The perch has a range of colour variations, from pale
olive-grey and insipid stripes to almost black stripes on bright emerald,
depending on the water conditions. The bigger fish tend to become humped
backed.
The relatively small scales are imbedded deep in the
skin are rough to the touch.
When handling perch - watch out for the sharp spines
and gill covers.
British record: Perch 5lb 9oz 8dr caught by Dean
Rawlings, from Glebe Lake, 2002. Any fish over 2lb is considered a specimen and
a worthy catch.
A small perch is perhaps the first fish any angler will
catch, as they are a very aggressive, hungry fish that will snap at almost
anything offered on a hook. Big perch are a totally different matter and are not
easily caught…
Like all fish, perch love underwater structures, tree
roots, weed beds, bridge supports, etc., these are all good places to ambush
anything edible sheltering there. Find the food source and you’ll find the perch
eating the menu.
Smaller perch can move in shoals, rounding up and
attacking fry, which results in the tiny fish leaping clear of the surface in an
attempt to evade the predators. Keep a lookout for these showers of escaping fry
– it’s a good indication that perch are feeding in the vicinity.
Wherever anglers catch lots of small fish, roach, dace,
bleak, etc., - lookout for the odd big perch taking advantage of the
situation.
Generally the bigger perch are solitary creatures,
mainly because if anything smaller swims near them it gets eaten or bullied out
of the way.
Baits and Lures: Perhaps the best bait for large perch
is the lobworm - fished on a size 6-10 hook either ledgered, float fished or
free-lined if fishing close range.
Injecting the worm with air and popping it up off the
bottom an inch or two, makes irresistible bait. Make sure to use a clean syringe
and always air-inject the worms on a solid surface - never on the palm of your
hand.
A tiny piece of rubber band slipped onto the hook will
keep the worm in place and help to keep the hook exposed.
Chopped worm, maggots and casters never fail; small
prawns and minnows can make alternative bait.
Spinning is a good tactic, as it allows you to move
around and find where the perch are. The fish will usually be in the shallows
close to natural features in the summer, and in the deeper water in the
winter.
Try a small bladed spinner like the ones made by Mepps.
I add a tuft of bright red wool to the treble hooks as an added attraction.
Small spoons, plugs and soft plastic or ‘jelly’ imitations are also worth a
try.
Unfortunately pike are also attracted to these baits,
so if you fish a water that does contain pike, use a thin very supple wire trace
to stop the possibility of being bitten off.
Out of personal preference I crush the barbs down on
any trebles.
Fly-fishing using lures or attractors intended for
trout has resulted in perch being taken. Fish imitating flies such as the
Muddler Minnow right down to a Red Tag have all caught perch on their
day.