Catch Fish with
Mike Ladle
Information Page
Freshwater Fishing
For anyone unfamiliar with the site always check the FRESHWATER, SALTWATER and TACK-TICS pages. The Saltwater page now extends back as a record of over several years of (mostly) sea fishing and may be a useful guide as to when to fish. The Freshwater stuff is also up to date now. I keep adding to both. These pages are effectively my diary and the latest will usually be about fishing in the previous day or two. As you see I also add the odd piece from my friends and correspondents if I've not been doing much. The Tactics pages which are chiefly 'how I do it' plus a bit of science are also updated regularly and (I think) worth a read (the earlier ones are mostly tackle and 'how to do it' stuff).
Perch and seatrout.
Perch and seatrout are both serious predators of smaller fish, so tactics that work for one should usually be pretty effective for the other. However, in my local rivers the fish differ not only in their abundance but also in the sort of places they choose to live. In the past week I have been catching both species but using quite different methods. The perch tend to gather in large numbers, often in slightly deeper, slower water and, because they don't appear to be put off by seeing their neighbours reeled in, they can be caught one after another on livebaits. Often it is literally a bite on every cast using this tactic. Although perch often feed best at dawn or dusk, they can usually be caught in quantity throughout the hours of daylight - once you've located them.
In contrast, my seatrout fishing usually involves much more searching, and this includes the shallower, faster flowing water as well as deeper runs. Most places produce only a single fish. Unlike the perch, each trout hooked tends to make a considerable disturbance, jumping and rushing about, so I normally give each spot a rest after catching one. This approach is easiest with an artificial lure (this avoids having to catch and cart along a bucket of baits). I've tried a variety of lures, but by far the most efficient is a small, buoyant plug such as a 7-9cm, jointed Rapala. These plugs fish not far beneath the water surface, avoiding most of the weed and algae on the riverbed. These lures work well in a wide range of current speeds. Seatrout will feed during the daylight hours but in this case the best sport is usually round about dusk or after dark.
I'll show a selection of pictures from my last couple of sessions - each lasting not much more than an hour. All the perch pictured were caught more or less within an area of a few square metres. I would catch more but a lot of the time is spent trying to get baits. The seatrout were spread over a number of pools and riffles. In this case the delays occur moving about to find the fish and in playing, landing and releasing them.
Note the range of sizes of perch caught and the fact that they are virtually all lightly hooked on the circle hook.
... another.
... a third one.
... close up of the hook position.
An average perch of a pound or so.
One on the way in which has spat out the minnow.
... another.
... a much smaller one.
... and then another decent one.
An average seatrout. It's already quite dark.
A small one on the very next cast.
...and then a good one a ten minutes, and a bit of a struggle in the dark, later.
The following evening I had this one early on and then missed several bites.
If you have any comments or questions about fish, methods, tactics or 'what have you!' get in touch with me by sending an E-MAIL to - docladle@hotmail.com