There’s something addictive about chasing perch on light lures. That sudden bang on the rod tip, the angry head-shakes, and that spikey dorsal fin breaking the surface never get old.
When you’re armed with light lures, you’ve got the perfect excuse to get out exploring. Britain is packed with waters where you can roam the banks with a rucksack and a rod, flicking tiny jigs and spinners into the kind of features perch love. From city canals with shadowy bridges and moored boats, to sprawling reservoirs, reedy meres and quiet gravel pits fringed with snags, there’s a venue for every mood and every angler. It’s fishing at its most mobile and exciting, here are some of the best fisheries where the chance of a specimen stripey is real possibility.
River Ancholme, Brigg, East Yorkshire
The roach start to pack into this area at this time of year, and the big perch – which run to 3lb-plus – always follow them. Walk the stretch and look for signs of silvers and, once you find them, work a tiny lure in the same area.
Contact: 01724 855730
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Trent & Mersey Canal, Rugeley, Staffordshire
The Coors AC-controlled stretch has plenty of far-bank features, and it’s a case of walking the stretch to find them. Once you located a potential hotspot, have two or three casts towards the cover, and if nothing happens, move on. If you do get a bite, there’s a solid chance a fish approaching 2lb, or bigger, could be responsible.
Contact: 07940 532367
River Nene, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
The area known locally as The Staunch is a real big-perch hotspot, and fish to over 3lb are banked from it every year. It’s also produced them to well over 4lb in recent seasons! The key is to keep working between different lure patterns and stay on the move. Explore both the open water and close to any of the many structures to boost your chances of success.
Contact: 07702 440892
Great Ouse, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
The Whitings and Wolverton Mill stretch consists of two miles of prime Upper Ouse fishing, with a series of pools, glides, deeps, and shallows. Big perch to 3lb are well and truly on the cards, but chub to over 5lb will also take an interest in a small and brightly coloured lure.
Contact: 07759 129800
Coventry Canal, Coventry, West Midlands
The stretches that run through and close to the city centre are an urban angler’s paradise, with lots of structures providing obvious hideout areas for the predators. Head for areas close to bridges or barges that have been moored up long-term and you’re in with a great chance of a good fish or two.
Contact: 07450 974366
Erewash Canal, Ilkeston, Nottinghamshire
Nottingham AA and Lower Beauvale Fisheries both control stretches in and around the town centre, and perch in the 1lb-2lb 8oz bracket are commonplace. Vary the pace of your retrieve and try to work out a pattern that matches what the predators are preferring to strike at on the day.
Contact: 07941 223123
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Ullswater, Penrith, Cumbria
One of the UK’s most stunning venues, this is home to some hefty perch, with 2lb-3lb specimens regularly caught. Depths drop off to an abyss quite quickly at this free-to-fish beauty spot, so casting close to the shoreline is the key to finding the perch. Explore the depths with different lures to enhance your chances of going home happy.
Contact: 01768 864211
Woodside Fishery, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire
Stripeys to over 4lb have been caught here in recent years, while 2lb-3lb fish are regular visitors to the bank. Drop shottingis permitted (contact the fishery for specific rules), and working areas close to the islands, nearside margins and open water weedbeds will score on both Island and Woodside Pools.
Contact: 07967 750580
Rudyard Lake, Leek, Staffordshire
Perch to over 3lb may have over 160 acres of water to roam in, but they can often be found quite close to the bank as they follow the shoals of silverfish. Located the small roach, and a potential personal best may be sat nearby.
Contact: 01538 306280
Upper Tamar Lake, Bude, Cornwall
The big perch here average around the 2lb mark, but plenty of fish over the 4lb barrier have been landed in the past. They regularly move around this giant lake, therefore staying mobile is the key to consistent success. Have three or four casts in each swim, making sure you explore various distances and depths to try to find the winning formula for the day.
Contact: 01566 771930
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River Medway, Maidstone, Kent
The Yalding One and Two stretches of this river are controlled by CALPAC, and fish to over 2lb are caught regularly during the cooler months. Look for slacks and slower water close to nearside cover before working a small lure slowly.
Contact: 07500 926742
Basingstoke Canal, Basingstoke, Hampshire
There are plenty of big perch hotspots spread along the 32 miles of this canal, with stretches in and around Odiham, Church Crookham and Ash Vale all worth your attention. Explore the deeper water down the central track when boat traffic is low, and switch to far- and near-bank margins when there are barges on the move.
Contact: 01252 370073
River Bure, Norwich, Norfolk
Coltishall is at the end of the navigable line, and the build-up of weed in this area makes it an attractive proposition for perch to over 3lb. Small and brightly coloured lures worked close to the snags are likely to provoke a response. Vary the pace of the retrieve to boost your chances.
Contact: 01603 782679
Newham Drain, Boston, Lincolnshire
This tiny, rarely-fished drain between Boston and Coningsby holds plenty of sizeable perch and pike. Find a swim with gaps in the weeds, work small lures close to the cover, and perch to over 2lb are on the cards. The area at Frith Bank close to where it meets the River Witham is particularly prolific, and perch to over 5lb have been reported from there in the past.
Contact: 07976 836927
LEARN HOW TO FISH CREATURE BAITS FOR BIG PERCH IN THIS EXPERT GUIDE.
