Perch search ends in blank (exept for the pike)

Last weekend I managed to sneak out for a few hours mid afternoon. Conditions probably weren't the best but that never puts me off if I've a chance to throw some lures around for a bit and just generally wonder around. I went to my usual spot with the intention of throwing some small lures and spinners around in the hope of some perch. First off I couldn't resist trying a bulldawg on the line and in no time I had a pike of twelve pounds, a fish in perfect condition, solid as a rock too.

 I talked myself in to setting up the smaller rod and reel with the intentions of going after the perch. While I was knelt down and back to the river I heard a large splash behind me. It wasn't a fish, more like someone throwing something large in to the water right next to me. I turned around to find a wood pigeon had fallen from the sky just yards away. No gunshot was heard before hand in the distance and I couldn't see any signs of blood from it, it must have just died on the wing. Frigging hell, if that thing had hit me on the head! lol

I got on with the perch fishing but had little success. I had one fish hit a small spinner and as I played it I was thinking, this feels like a good very perch, but before I even got it in sight the hooks came out. That was the end of my session here and off I went to a local canal in search of perch. I immediately had a few follows from smaller perch but none took the lures. I switch to a small silver spinner and hooked a perch straight away, probably knocking on a pound and a bit. I was in a dodgy spot, fishing off a high wall and when I realised the perch was of a better size I didn't want to just haul it up out of the water. Scrambling for my net as the fish was flapping around on the surface I cursed my bad preparation as the perch flipped itself free. Lesson learned.



I moved pegs not much later as it went quiet. Using the small SG soft 4play I was teasing the margins and weed beds when suddenly a lightening quick flash of silver and I was in to a small pike. Shame it wasn't a perch but good to see the smaller pike are here too, the next big monster in the making.

2012 pike tally

 Doubles 28

Total 160

Largest 22.5lb
Twenties - 2
Bonus Perch 7