MARK EDWARDS obliterated his perch PB with this 6 lb 3 oz Euro giant that equals the official British record.
Mark was on a three-day trip to Holland perch fishing trip with Classic Angling editor Keith Elliott.
Mark, a 50-year-old engineer from Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, caught three huge stripys in a short burst.
Keith explained: “It was our third trip with top local guide Willem Stolk.
“The first year Mark had a 5 lb 3 oz 8 dr perch and then last year a 125 cm pike, estimated at around 40 lb.
“This year the weather was cold and we were fishing five inch paddle tailed rubber shads on one of the Rotterdam rivers trying to get some big perch.
“You don’t get a lot of bites but when you do they can be amazing fish.
“The perch were holed up in dying weedbeds and Willem told us we had to entice them out with the lures.
“Just before the six-pounder, Mark had perch of 4 lb 8 oz and 3 lb 8 oz and the struck into the big one.
“It was such an amazing fish and just didn’t seem real. Willem told us that fish will be about the 7 lb mark in March.
“I asked how rare this fish was and Willem said he gets about 40 around the 6 lb mark a year and sometimes there is a few in one day.
“We’re definitely going again next year and will go earlier and a big asp might be on the cards too,” concluded Keith, who chipped in with an 8 lb zander.
Holland perch fishing potential
Holland perch fishing potential is massive. Many specialist anglers rate the country as the best in Europe for the species.
So what is the World record perch? That is debatable – like so many World records!
The International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) lists a perch of 2.90 kg (6 lb 6 oz) as its all-tackle record.
That giant was caught back in 2010 by Kalle Varranen at Kökar on the Aland Islands, Finland.
There is no doubt that many European countries have produced bigger perch than what IGFA list… making the list a poor guide to the true top weights.
Darren Starkey shows his 6 lb 5 oz specimen, one of two giants in an epic Holland perch fishing adventure.
Holland perch fishing is attracting more and more serious fans of the species.
It’s clear that the nation’s noted waters are at the very top of many bucket-lists.
In spring 2019, former matchman Darren Starkey caught the biggest brace of Dutch perch to a British angler.
Darren, who has appeared regularly in Angler’s Mail magazine, did it with a stunning pair of stripys scaling 6 lb 5 oz and 6 lb 1 oz.
He lure fished close to shore on the massive Haringvleit Lake near Hellevoetsluis.
Darren said: “The European anglers fish for the perch all-year-round as they only measure them and they are after a 50 cm fish, which these (his six-pounders) will be at anytime of the year, but they were at their heaviest when we went.”
Belgian lure ace Luc Coppens caught an even bigger specimen in the shape of a 7 lb perch in the spring on 2019.
It came during a trip filmed by 20-year-old Sussex-based all-round ace Alex Smith, of Carl & Alex fame on YouTube.
In January 2010, a perch with a weight of 3.75 kg (8 lb 4 oz) was caught by Stephan Gockel from Holland’s River Meuse.
Elsewhere, there are two recorded perch weighing an incredible 8 lb 13 oz, from Germany and Romania.
Even heavier perch may have been returned, after being carefully measured in centimetres but not actually weighed.
If you know more on this topic, or have caught a big perch recently, do drop us a line.
The current British record perch
While Holland perch fishing catches really catch the eye, the official British perch record is pretty impressive, too.
It stands at 6 lb 3 oz and is still shared by two highly accomplished specimen hunters…
NEILL STEPHEN’s record perch
Back in March 2011, specialist angler Neill Stephen scored on float fished prawn.
He offered the bait near his tethered mesh bag of chopped lobworm and prawn, at day ticket Stream Valley Lakes, East Sussex.
Neil weighed the fat fish at 6 lb 2 oz but scales checks added another ounce, finding the scales weighing light.
KEN BROWN’s record perch
In September of the same year, Ken Brown, then holder of the Angler’s Mail Specimen Cup, finally got his target fish.
He did it at tricky Wilstone Reservoir on the Tring complex, Hertfordshire.
It came days after 5 lb 6 oz stripy to his usual tactics, lobworm to the edge of a weedbed at 40 yards where he baited with maggot.
Scales checks knocked Ken’s mighty fish down from 6 lb 4 oz to 6 lb 3 oz.
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