(This catch was taken before the end of the river season on March 15th)
ONE of the biggest river perch ever caught in the UK has been landed, in the shape of this remarkable
5lb 10oz fish.
It was caught from a northern river by specimen angler Phill McGuire who, having noticed river levels were dropping and water clarity improving, was on the bank at first light. He fished a light running paternoster rig and a lobworm mounted on a size 4 hook.
“I fed some red maggots over the top and waited,” Phill told us. “It wasn’t long until the rod arched round but there was nothing on the end and my worm was gone. I thought I’d give it another go before moving swims, this time with two lobworms on the hook.”
Around 40 minutes later Phill had another bite and hooked a very heavy fish.
“I hoped it wasn’t a pike as it dived deep and pulled line from the reel’s clutch,” he added. “But when I saw a massive perch surface, my knees started to shake! Luckily, it went straight into the net, and whilst it rested in the margins, I sat back in my chair to reflect on what I’d just caught.”
When it came to weighing, it was soon clear that the fish obliterated Phill’s previous perch personal best of 3lb 14oz.
“When the scales read 5lb 10oz, you could say I was a tad happy. This is the fish of many lifetimes for me.”
Only Edward Frost’s shock 5lb 12oz Norfolk Broads fish from 2020 and Andy Cheetham’s 5lb 11oz specimen in 2018 beat Phill’s fish in the list of all-time monster river perch.
Fancy catching one yourself? Here are some great venues and tips to help you do it!
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