Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle
Information Page
15 December 2002
Failing to catch perch.
As Christmas approaches the chances to go fishing seem to become progressively less. However, a few days ago I decided to try and catch some dace from a local stream. It had been quite frosty on the previous night and at first things were quite slow. I had chosen to fish in a small hatch pool with legered maggots but bites were thin on the ground. After a bite of lunch the sun had come out and I felt more hopeful. Sure enough this time the fish were biting and I landed a couple of dozen small dace, roach and grayling plus several big fat minnows.
On the following day I went over to the River Stour with my friend Keith Starks and we both spun spoons, plugs and spinners for a couple of hours without success. As we fished we saw several coarse anglers on the far bank catching small roach and one chap who was quivertipping had a decent perch of perhaps a pound.
A couple of days later, as the weather warmed up, I was fired with enthusiasm and decided to try for perch where I had seen the fish caught. I wanted to catch big fish, if possible, so small live baits were the order of the day. I had no trouble catching half a dozen small roach and dace, and I rigged simple cork float, on six-pound braid, above a light wire trace and single hook on which to liphook my baits. The first bite came about five seconds after I dropped the bait into the water (just where I'd seen the perch landed). Clearly it was not a perch (unless it was the biggest ever) and I was glad I'd opted for the wire next to the hook. As luck would have it the pike came unstuck after a short fight. In the next half hour I had two more pike, both of six or seven pounds, but not a sign of a perch. I released the baits and went home but I must have another go before Christmas if I can.
If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you.'get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com
INFORMATION SPOT
COARSE FISHING
December 15 2002
The hatch pool.
Bait fish from the Stour.
My first pike.
The pike released.
Another pike.
Hooked in the scissors.
