We all dream of catching big fish, and while fishing in waters where specimens can be found is a great start, it is not always a given that we will catch them, with many anglers spending years chasing certain well-known fish. Sometimes, though, luck falls in our favour, and the fish we long to catch end up in the net on the first attempt and that is exactly what happened to Ian Young, usually under surprising circumstances!
Fishing at the renowned big-perch venue Clawford Lakes in Devon, he managed to land the biggest fish in the lake at a record-shaking 5lb 12oz, a mere 7oz off the current British record. What’s more, it was his first cast of the day, and unusually, the massive perch took a liking to his float-fished sweetcorn hookbait, a bait choice that would rank low on the list for those specifically targeting perch!
"I had a few days booked at the holiday venue Clawford Lakes and had taken my fishing gear with me in the hope of getting some fishing in while I was there," Ian told us.
"Arriving fairly late, I decided to bait the water at the end of my lodge in the hope that it would draw some fish in, ready for an early start the next morning," he added.
"That morning, I was itching to get a rod in the water, and I still had my slippers on when I cast my float into the margins where I had baited up."
Ian's float wasn't in the water for long before it sailed away as a fish took a liking to his Pescaviva Scopex Sweetcorn hookbait. When he struck, he assumed it was probably a resident carp with the weight that met him on the end.
"After a spirited fight, I was shocked to see the biggest perch I had ever seen surface. After managing to get it in the net, I just stared at it in awe," he recalled.
"She went 5lb 12oz on the scales, and after speaking to the bailiff, I learned that the fish is the known 'biggun' in the lake and that this was the first time it had been caught this year."
"I am still in shock, to be honest. It was an amazing fish to catch, and it's one I'll never forget!"
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