Perch, the fish with attitude.

Since the mid fifties when I was catching loads of hand sized Perch from the Worsborough canal, I've held a soft spot for this feisty species.
This was fuelled by **** Walker's exploits at Arlesy lake. I resolved there and then that one day I too would catch a fish that **** described as ''The biggest fish of all''.
It was some years before that dream was realised. During that time I really began to realise the character ''if you will'' of prince of the predator world, at times bold and brash, whilst at others very cautious.
Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe a large Perch standing its ground against a ''much'' larger Pike could not fail to be impressed, as I have done over the years.
There is much more that could be said, but this is my tribute to the ''Striped Sergeant''.

Absolutely Derek.

I couldn't agree more, a very worthy tribute to my favourite of fishes.

It's hard to think of another which displays the contrast in attitude and the bold contrast in markings, and of which a sizeable specimen can be such a breath taking sight.

They don't look to be built for speed but boy can they move and when they're flanking their prey, often two large perch to a prey fish, they display a cunning predatory technique which is second to none imo.

He's also catchable on what must be one of the widest range of methods, I love 'em!

There is definitely something special in catching a good perch,particularly for me on the float,sitting there bristling,daring you to actually touch him.

Three years ago I was luring amongst a massive shoal of fry that were cornered by big perch and pike alike. I had returned a two pound fish a short while earlier when on another retrieve my tiny little grub lure was taken by another much bigger stripey, almost back to the bank it was siezed upon by a pike-- a bolt from the blue to say the least.
It was easy to see the perch between the pikes jaws in the clear water where it went deep to settle down with it.
The perch was a much better catch than the pike at that moment and my attitude was that of being stolen from, miffed is the word, so I applied pressure hoping the pike would let go but no, it took off at speed for some fifteen/twenty yards before stopping.
My pressure finally had the desired effect as the perch was suddenly freed, great stuff, whereupon I played it towards my net during which it gave me a scrap as if nothing untowards had happened.
On inspection the only sign of any damage were three or four puncture marks on either flank suggesting that it's skin was as tough as old boots, other than that it was fine and a quick wieghing told me it was three pounds exactly.
Releasing it in the margins it almost seemed to give a little shudder as if putting himself back together in nice order before swimming of very casually back towards the shoal of fry to continue the hunt before being so rudely interrupted .
Definately a David and Goliath moment that I wont forget , niether will David the Pike who, incidentally I caught a little later.

One of my memoral moments as a youth was at Croxley Green by the Paper Mill on the Gade.

For those of you that know the spot, it was at the top weir, the furthest you could go.

It was a lovely spot, the one place you could often catch fish on the weed hooked from the weir.

One day the perch had trapped the minnows into the corner and the minnows were leaping out onto the concrete apron to escape. The perch shoaling them up. It was a mirror image of the famous Bernard Venables picture. Still captured in the brain cells

Some great stories , I love fishing for perch . To me the boldest and most handsome fish , I really get the thing about them being the biggest of fish , they always look so much bigger than they weigh , well for me anyway.

The Perch is one of the fish that got many of us into fishing and that memory stays with us.
I remember my first Perch because it stabbed me with it spines unlike the roach that just lay there. It was a fish with attitude that was getting its own back on me for hooking it. It’s also one of the fish that will take on all comers. A 6” lure means nothing to it apart from it might be food even if the Perch is no bigger than the lure.

Graham Elliott 1 said:

One of my memoral moments as a youth was at Croxley Green by the Paper Mill on the Gade.

For those of you that know the spot, it was at the top weir, the furthest you could go.

It was a lovely spot, the one place you could often catch fish on the weed hooked from the weir.

One day the perch had trapped the minnows into the corner and the minnows were leaping out onto the concrete apron to escape. The perch shoaling them up. It was a mirror image of the famous Bernard Venables picture. Still captured in the brain cells

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You could go above there Graham if you got the friendly "If anyone say's anything I haven't seen ya" security guard

I've been fishing for bass a lot this summer and pound for pound perch are every bit as strong as their saltwater cousins

Every coarse angler has a perch related tale I am sure.

For me as an eleven or twelve year old newbie angler I regular spent days noddy bashing silvers, roach and skimmers from a local lake, on single maggot. At that point in time it epitomised fishing for me. On one such trip the float buried and a 'real' fight ensued. My match rod had not been hitherto tested properly. Eventually a really chunky - what seemed like a huge - perch was on the bank. It weighed 1lb 10oz, and was my first ever 'specimen'.

I was like a dog with two of the proverbials for ages after.

I still remember that day with fondness, and I could take you back to that very swim tomorrow.

I tried for years to catch a large perch from English venues and without much success; never caught one of 2lbs.

I moved over to Norway in 1989 and the next year started match fishing over there. In my second match, fishing a feeder with worm hook baits, I hooked and landed to three pound perch on successive casts.

Large perch are the most fabulous fighting fish and they look the part too . . . . .

Peter Jacobs said:

Large perch are the most fabulous fighting fish and they look the part too . . . . .

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exactly why I love catching them , my best catch on the Severn was a couple of years ago 22 perch ,most over 2 lb and the best 3 lb 6 oz , when they're in the mood it's a feeding frenzy.

It may be my imagination, but look into the eyes of any bristling large Perch, say a fish topping 3 lbs (that's my definition of large) and you can see defiance, no other fish exemplifies this to me. Even when beaten they appear to exhibit defiance.

Well I was inspired to go fishing for Perch today after reading this thread, had the best days lure fishing. Certainly they have to be seen in the flesh to appreciate their fabulous colouring and as Derek mentions that look a decent sized one gives you “ go on then if you think your hard enough “ springs to mind.

I was just reading on a couple of Australian fisheries websites where they state that the European Perch can attain 10kg (22lb) in size !!! Where they have got this figures from is beyond me but it seems to have been taken as gospel and used as default description.
There is a tackle shop on the Murray river which for a long time offered $500 for a 5lb perch delivered to the store and it was never claimed...there are some very nice specimens around but 4lb to 5lb would be tops over here , they look big enough as it is ....

Aussie Bob said:

I was just reading on a couple of Australian fisheries websites where they state that the European Perch can attain 10kg (22lb) in size !!! Where they have got this figures from is beyond me but it seems to have been taken as gospel and used as default description.
There is a tackle shop on the Murray river which for a long time offered $500 for a 5lb perch delivered to the store and it was never claimed...there are some very nice specimens around but 4lb to 5lb would be tops over here , they look big enough as it is ....

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I wonder if they mean Zander? sometimes (wrongly) called a pikeperch.

Redfin perch definitley perch ....60 cm long and 10kg in weight! think there is more chance of seeing the abominable snowman down the pub than one of them ...