A ROD, A POLE AND PERCH

     It's a favourite spot of ours for Perch which, along with small Zander, it holds in numbers. It can be bleak on a sunny day because the South Westerlies have at least half a mile of straight canal and the North Easterlies, a whole mile of equally straight canal, to gather speed. Our two favourite spots are either side of the concrete road bridge that we are parked upon and which acts as a venturi accelerating even the most subtle breeze into an annoying, stiff neck inducing and blustery wind.

     It did today just as it always does but it does hold Perch. Good Perch too, 2lbs plus fish are not uncommon. It does however have one interesting if not particularly obvious feature in that the banks and margins are lined with rocks and those rocks are home to plenty of crayfish and Perch love crayfish. I think we are both agreed, Pete and I; that this is the most likely explanation for their presence in numbers.

     There is more than one way to skin a cat apparently and today we chose different methods. Pete used his flick'em centrepin and a short float rod, while I persevered with a 65 year old 'Jap' pole sporting a no 3 elastic. Bait for us both was worms and maggots but despite feeding with both only the worms produced any bites. Right from the off, the floats were signalling interest. My tiny quill made from a woodpigeons tail feather and taking just 4 no8s produced very slow bites that even allowing a full 6 seconds running away from me often failed to generate hook ups. I caught the most fish, half a dozen small Perch and Zander with a fine Perch of 1-10 topping the list, but I missed a lot and lost a few too. including another really nice example.

     Pete fished a bit closer in with a heavier, inverted 2bb quill made from peacock and crowquill. His bites were more positive, could be struck quicker and he had fewer failures as well. It made me wonder if more resistance, rather than putting the fish off, induces a firmer grip on the bait and a reluctance to let go. It would explain why Perch bobs work so well. I wouldn't mind going back soon and maybe fishing a quivertip as that would generate an increasing resistance to the take that might be beneficial. It would also give me the excuse to use my recently built canal feeder rod and allow me to try the far margin for the first time.

     I don't mind my own company but I have to admit that fishing with a mate, as Pete and I have for over 20 years now, both spurs me on when times are hard and offers extra insight. It can be both, thought provoking when we are fishing different methods or baits, and it doubles the chances of at least seeing some fish.