Searching for stripeys

Usually I'd be sat behind motionless buzzers freezing my knackers off going to bed at 7pm wasting most of my weekend sleeping and eating.. But this year having Amie around i preferred  to be with her in the warm than on my own drinking tea but of course I needed to get my angling fix so I decided to have a go for some perch or stripeys as people like to call them. Fishing for perch in the winter was ideal! Spend the morning/day with the Mrs then down on the bank by 2pm in time for the bewitching hour. I decided to focus on one venue and try and see what mysterys swam in there! I heard lots of rumours regarding the venue and that was enough to warm my cockles whilst out on the bank! My first session was more of a recce to see what's going on over the venue and what features there are and if I could see any perch chasing silvers. Once on the lake all childhood memories came crashing back! I used to fish the venue for perch with my grandfather 15 years ago when I was 13. So I was familia with the lake. 

Not your standard fishing attire. But me at the ripe age of 13 with a brace of perch. 

After my recce I was gagging to head back to the venue! My first session ended up on Boxing Day! After a full English brekky I was bank side! I had a few hours to kill before I had to head back to enjoy the Christmas festivities! I flicked one rod into the margin on a running rig style and baited up and placed the rod onto the buzzer. The other rod I float fished on my light acolyte float rod coupled with my centre pin. It wasn't long before my bobber float started to disappear and I was into my perch of the session! After a short fight the perch was in the net! "Merryfishmas" 

And what a beautiful perch it was to! I was over the moon! Always nice to catch your intended species! 

I ended up having a few more perch before heading back to join the Christmas festivities! 

I returned back on New Year's Eve for another go! Me and Amie don't drink so we had no plans for New Years so I had some time on my hands this eve so planned to fish hard! The session started off slow producing roach but the classic bewitching hour was creeping up! As soon as that sun starts to creep behind the horizon the perch begin there onslaught on the prey! The float soon started bobbing away and I was soon into a perch. I ended up having lots of perch all around the 1.8lb mark. That session but not the monster I've heard rumours of! 

Luckily having a fair bit of time off over the festive period I wanted to make the most of my spare time! This time I returned with Amie. 

The temperature had risen that day and after speaking to my mate si about the conditions and how prime it was for perch I was even more confident! As usual bites were non existent until the sun started to disappear then the float started to twitch indicating the perch were around! The perch bobbed about for a few seconds before disappearing! I lifted into the fish and immediately it started taking line and started lunging about! Could this be the monster perch? A few moments later and the perch was in the net! Certainly not the monster but maybe the monsters little sister maybe? Amie took some lovely pictures and I returned the perch back into the cold depths to terrorise some roach. 

It wasn't long before it was dark now so time was running out for this session but I knew it wasn't over! And I was right! Another finicky bite and another perch was on the end! And eventually was in the net! And another one of the monsters siblings! 

Another session ended and every thing going to plan! Happy with my approach and baiting surely the monster perch had to make a appearance! 

I waited for the weather to be warmer and over cast before returning! Making sure that every thing was in my favour! A few weeks later and the weather improved and I was back! Instead of spending the whole day down the venue wasting time I just arrived at the venue just gone dusk! First cast the bite was almost instant! This fish was on a mission! After snagging me up on some pad roots and darting back to snag me a again I started to gain some line and I saw the fish roll on the surface! This perch was bigger than the previous perch I'd caught so it was special! Before I even had time to slip the net out the hook pulled... Gutting absolutely gutting! Not wasting anytime I flicked the rod straight back out to the same Zone and within a few minutes the float was away again! This time this perch wasn't getting away! And he lost his battle and ended up in the back of the net! Another decendent of the monster! But a new pb!!!!!! I didn't even have time to get the fish out of the net before my second rod on the buzzer melted off! And there was another perch in the net! I kept the perch in the net and angled on! Glad I did as I ended up catching another two perch! All lovely specimens! After a quick call Amie was down to take the photos! And another good job she done to! 

I returned the smaller fish out of the four and got a few special snaps of the new personal best! Before returning him to his home. 

Sadly I ended up breaking my foot and the perch Fishing and fishing in general grounded to hault! But there's always this autumn and winter to look forward to! And maybe I'll catch that monster? Thanks for taking your time to read! Be lucky... F