Perch at Hunstrete

Perch

With perch currently growing to unprecedented sizes and in many waters, now is the time to go for a specimen, before the natural cycle of changes and the whoppers disappear.

My plan for the rest of the winter is to try for one, from either Hunstrete Lakes, Lydes Farm, The Bristol Avon at Claverton, the Kennet and Avon Canal and possibly the Kennet.
My first effort was on 7th January at Withy Pool at Hunstrete, near to the aerator.

I took along a couple of points of red maggots, some worms and light spinners.  The maggots and worms were fished on a feeder paternoster, one rig in the margins and one near an island.  There is something pleasing about a pair of matched rods, bobbins and Optonic bite alarms - I think it goes back to tench fishing in my youth.

All was slow for a while, then the margin rod with a little size 14 sedge hook baited with red maggots screamed off and I hooked the desired whopper.  Except it was a carp. Still on 5lb lin the fight was long and exciting.

Later, I tried spinning, using a classic Ondex spinner.  These spinners are quite light, even in a large size, which is ideal for this fairly shallow water.  The large blade catches water easily and revolves even in still water.  The blade also flashes well, which is good for coloured water.

Soon after starting to spin, I hooked a fish.  Another whopper, but much too big to be a perch (the little 7ft rod was bent double) and I though it might be the Withy Pool Pike (a youth caught a ‘20’ on a boilie), but no, it was a lunatic carp, hooked in the mouth.  Luckily, it fell off.
In the end, I had no perch and no more carp in the morning.  I am going to try again, but with soft baits and jig heads.