HOW about this for an amazing haul of huge perch! It was topped by a 5 lb 2 oz giant and EIGHT four-pounders, just days after winning a big lure match.
Paint sprayer Wayne Fletcher, from Maldon, Essex, made the amazing stripy catch – possibly the UK’s best ever in terms of biggest perch – at a reservoir.
In order of capture, he boated stripys of 4 lb, 4 lb 14 oz, 5 lb 2 oz, 4 lb 14 oz, 4 lb 10 oz, 4 lb 2 oz, 4 lb 10 oz, 4 lb 2 oz and 4 lb 14 oz.
Friend Paul Barden (pictured below) had fine fish, too, in the same session. His biggest perch tipped the scales at 3 lb 15 oz and 4 lb 11 oz.
Wayne, 47, told Angler’s Mail all about their eye-catching haul.
He revealed: “The Sunday before this, I won the Farmoor (reservoir) perch competition, in Oxfordshire, with perch of 44 cm, 46 cm and 47 cm, and the biggest weighed 4 lb. I won £350 cash and a winter ticket worth £250.
“With this good luck, and conditions being great, I decided to take a day out of work to try for the perch on a large body of water within a couple of hours drive of Essex.”
Paul Barden’s biggest perch was 4 lb 11 oz, during the awesome session shared with Wayne Fletcher.
Wayne continued: “I was accompanied by a good friend, Paul, who I have fished with on many occasions over the years.
“We arrived at first light and set about loading up the boat. I soon realised I had lost a clamp for the battery terminal, so I had to improvise with some tape that luckily I had in the car.
“We got on the water and were looking forward to what the day may bring, and after about ten minutes I noticed a large group of fish on the side scan.
“We made the decision to start here, with the amount of baitfish visible, so we set anchor and started fishing.
“I had decided I was going to fish a TRD (soft floating plastic worm-type bait) Texas style, on an EWG Gamakatsu Worm Hook. This was worked slowly along the bottom in about 25 ft of water.
“After about 30 minutes, with no bites, we thought about moving, but then I had the faintest of plucks. I quickly reacted by setting the hook, and I could tell it was a good fish, but I didn’t know if it was a pike or a perch.
“I soon had the fish under control, and as it broke the surface we both looked at each other at the immense size of the thing, 47 cm, and it weighed 4 lb.
“As I was resting it beside the boat, getting it ready for its release, Paul carried on fishing, and he was quickly hooked into one of 47 cm, weighing 3 lb
15 oz. What a great start to the day, and it was soon even better.”
Biggest perch as PB topples twice
Wayne told Angler’s Mail: “I went on to break my PB twice in an hour with a 49 cm, 4 lb 14 oz perch then a 51 cm beast at an impressive 5 lb 2 oz.
“I was shaking, and sat for a while not being able to comprehend what was happening.
“The day wasn’t over by a long way. I had what was probably a day I will never beat, boating nine perch over 4 lb, with my good mate smashing his PB with a 49 cm, 4 lb 11 oz specimen.
“I was still shaking as we came off the water, thinking to myself: ‘Was it a dream? Did I really have that many, that big?’
“I lost four big perch and Paul lost one as well, and I’m back out for three days, so I will hopefully hook one of the bigger ones that I lost,” concluded the PredatorTackle.co.uk ‘pro staff’ member.
HAS there been a better haul of Britain’s biggest perch? Or maybe you’ve caught a big one lately? Email us: anglersmail@ti-media.com
For the best exclusive content, read Angler’s Mail magazine this week. The print issue of Angler’s Mail is in shops priced £2.20. Get your copy asap.
A SUBSCRIPTION TO ANGLER’S MAIL MAGAZINE MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
Subs deals mean you can get every AM magazine issue, delivered, from just £1.30 a week!
An ‘AM sub’ also makes a great gift for you, or for any angler..
You may also like to read these Angler’s Mail stories…
Regional perch record at 5 lb 12 oz!
The 14-year-old, from Wroxham, Norfolk, was targeting pike, having had some nice doubles, when the big stripy struck on a…
Record perch brace for Angler’s Mail magazine contributor
Darren Starkey was with fellow perch lover Matt Marlow ,who chipped in with a 5 lb beast in a trip…
River perch float fishing rig
This sensitive stick float rig is an ideal rig to tempt them, using half a lobworm on the hook with…
Small stream, giant perch!
SMALL rivers don’t mean small fish as this stonking 4 lb 11 oz perch goes to show. Caught by solicitor…
Cotswold perch glory for experienced lure ace
Gloucestershire’s Cotswold Water Park was where Trevor made his latest impressive catch. The former owner of Cotswold Angling, who lives…
Big perch lured in match… using tiny hooks
In the first major lure event of the season he more than doubled the points of his nearest rival…