Of all the species that have a knack of thriving on man-made waterways, perch are one of the most universally successful. To my mind they epitomise the attraction of canal fishing. While they are abundant in the most rustic of settings, perch seem to fare just as well in really industrial-looking canals. They respond to a whole range of methods and hold a timeless appeal in the hearts of anglers, from battle-hardened specialists to small children.
The greedy little perch found near any given bridge or access point have formed a starting point for countless canal fishers. In fact my own adventures on the local Cut began with a little gang of us on pushbikes heading for a lock pool. The perch were like us in a sense: bunches of them would hang around in all the obvious places, rather naïve but eager to get stuck in. At the time our tackle was too crude to tempt much else, but along with eels, those perch gave us that vital first taste of success, providing the most obvious of bites and making our cheap fibreglass poles kick.
On other sunny afternoons we would amuse ourselves by throwing bread into the water and watching tiny silver fish swarm over it. Every few minutes a few small perch would arrive to crash the party, launching themselves into the shoal to pick a few off. Another helping of bread and the whole carnival would repeat itself.
Flyfishing is an underrated method for perch
The little perch still put a smile on my face, but perhaps the main difference today is an awareness that the next bite could produce a perch of three pounds rather than three ounces. Those great survivors that outgrow and outlast their little siblings do extremely well on canals, foraging on a wide range of prey from fry and gudgeon to crayfish. Nor are they difficult to locate in many cases. Any area of cover and structure, from bridges, walls and lock gates to boats and landing stages can hold them. Equally though, some less obvious places also hold perch and the sloping shelf on each side of the canal is another sanctuary. They do often prefer deeper spots to the shallow margins however, and if you can find relatively deep water slap bang next to snags such as bushes and sunken branches, this is perfect habitat. Failing that, your best bet on more featureless canals is to search the water and pay special attention to any areas rich in small prey fish. At first and last light, which form periods of peak activity, you might even see fingerlings leaping clear of the water as perch go on the offensive.
The author tries an urban boatyard.
Footloose Fun
The list of rigs and methods to catch perch is a long one, but the simplest and most enjoyable way to catch them is to rove the banks with lure or fly tackle. In this manner it is possible to try various spots. A light, sporty rod is not only enjoyable to use but minimises lost fish. Perch, and the big ones especially, can be heart-breakers on the wrong tackle; whether it is their head-shaking antics or the soft sides of their mouths, these fish can easily shed hooks, hence heavy rods are less than ideal.
The only risk apart from getting stuck in the odd snag is the presence of pike, which make it sensible policy to use a light wire trace. Braided lines offer terrific strength at a very low diameter – and 10lb braid will cast even tiny lures but minimise the risk of danger should you contact a pike or two.
Des Taylor returns a canal specimen to the haunt it came from, beneath a barge.
Much has been written about lures for perch. While it is perfectly true that a big perch will sometimes take a comparatively huge lure, I am of the firm belief that you will catch a lot more perch on something that can be comfortably engulfed by a pound plus fish in one bite. Lures in the 2-3in bracket are ideal.
There is still something to be said for the classics where lure choice is concerned and a small spoon and plugs, or the time-honoured Mepps spinner still catch plenty of perch. It’s good fun just running the spinner through likely areas and watching the fish come after it. One tweak I will often make is to replace the treble hook with a large single: this is much kinder on the mouth of the perch and also allows you to thread half a worm in place, which is a good dodge to earn extra bites.
The author cradles a well-marked perch, taken on the worm.
Of the more modern lures, small soft plastics are brilliant perch catchers. These are much easier to fish at greater depths and hence my first choice when the water is deep or the perch are lying close to the bottom in the colder months. These can be counted down to different depths and retrieved steadily, or even jigged slowly across the bottom. I much prefer those rigged on just a single jig hook, which are also much kinder to the perch compared to treble hooks.
INJECTING LOBWORMS
On canals where weed and debris festoon the bottom, a legered worm can be popped up with a little air from a syringe. This must be done with great care on a separate surface because injecting yourself with air can be fatal!
As more anglers cotton on to perch fishing, it’s also worth bearing in mind that the species can wise up to pressure. Sometimes it is worth switching to new lures and methods to fool the big, wary fish, whether this means drop-shotting or trying suspending lures or flies which can present an alternative to the ever-popular up and down motion of the soft plastic jig.
This fish was spotted lurkng menacingly in a clear canal. Note the small fry, seemingly oblivious!
Bait and Wait?
Some things never change in angling. For generations of anglers, perch fishing has begun and ended with a float and a wriggling worm. Our tackle and mindset may have developed beyond recognition but the fish are still suckers for a lively bait, whether this means a delicately pole fished worm section or a whole lobworm. At the most refined end of the spectrum, modern pole-fishing techniques represent an incredibly productive and accurate way to catch perch of all sizes. A pole can be used to sneak a bait into the tightest of corners, while the canny angler can also use the tip to lift and drop a worm enticingly off the bottom.
Some things in fishing never change: perch always love worms.
Typical pole set-ups also offer sensitivity. Slightly thicker-tipped pole floats cater for worm fishing, but otherwise tackle needn’t be ultra-heavy. Perch give a gratifying thump but present little danger on balanced tackle: rigs constructed of 3-4lb line and either a light hollow elastic or a solid number eight is ideal for big perch. Some finesse can be a great benefit because although smaller perch can be suicidally eager, the larger fish are surprisingly canny.
Whether it’s quality or quantity you want with perch, feeding is crucial. Loose fed maggots are one way to draw in both perch and the prey fish they like to bully. But for the dedicated perch angler there is no better feed than chopped worm. This can be mixed with suitable groundbait and casters, or just pure worm. I find dendrobaenas or red worms best, chopping them into a mixture of fine and larger pieces before they are introduced. I usually kick off proceedings with 6-8 decent-sized worms plus some casters, adding a further 3-4 after every few bites or fish. The effect can be magical, drawing in fish whatever the conditions. A dendroabaena minus head slipped onto a size 12 hook presents an irresistible target amidst a pungent helping of ‘choppie’, but if smaller fish are a nuisance, lobworms are also worth trying.
Small livebaits also work where they are permitted, but do use a light wire trace as pike insurance.
Bites are generally very positive, and with the oversized mouth even a small perch possesses, you should strike as soon as the float begins plodding away. For the best in bite-detection and presentation, I like a worm set just touching the bottom.
Seb Nowosiad tries some locks – areas which offer not only cover, but often major depth changes.
For anglers who don’t pole fish, waggler or light feeder tactics also work for perch. Nor is the classic chopped worm approach the only way to succeed. Maggots are a good bait, albeit one that is not as selective as worm. Like pinkies, they can be very useful to draw in the tiddlers which in turn can switch the perch on. Casters are another option many match anglers swear by for quality perch. I like these as a change bait for later in the session – although they can also be used to tip worm baits.
Going Specialist
For the dedicated specialist angler, selective tactics are perhaps the surest way to target a really big canal perch. The giants are heavily outnumbered by their numerous, mouthy grandchildren and so for the perch fanatic it can be a case of either wading through the smaller fish or using a large bait.
Current canal record holder Dan Sales proves it is never too cold to catch perch.
As with lures, roving tactics guarantee a lot of water is covered. I would recommend just one rod, or at most twin set-ups to cover each side of the canal. A whole legered or float-fished lob worm, sometimes air-injected to sit above weed and debris, is a capital bait for this. As with the match approach, correct feeding can be crucial, whether that means a handful of chopped worm or regularly spraying an area with maggots. Liquidised bread is also excellent: perhaps best of all at drawing in the tiny fish perch love to eat.
Another option is a small live bait such as a roach or even a small perch. For my part, I dislike this method for several reasons. The presence of pike is one. Light tackle is a bad idea where the species mix. I wouldn’t go any lighter than 10lb line and you must also use a wire trace – not ideal, but you’ll still catch perch with finer wires. Large single hooks are kinder and less crude than sets of trebles.
Prawns are perhaps the best alternative I can think of to live baits, should you want a really selective offering for perch fishing. These are not often used on canals, but can be very effective at singling out bigger perch.
‘Specimen’ perch tackle should be qualified as gear that retains some finesse. Hooklengths seldom need be above 5lb strength and it is imperative that rigs are cute and sensitive. Perch are notorious for hating resistance, so when legering, a light bobbin on a long drop is recommended. Perhaps the lightest and best indicator I’ve ever seen is a simple loop of plastic (below) shown to me by Paul Hamilton, the captor of some fantastic canal perch.
The quandary for the specimen perch angler is often the decision whether to stay in one likely spot or search out several, perhaps spending no more than an hour at a time in each promising area. There are pros and cons to both, but in my own fishing, I will only stay put in one swim if I am virtually certain there are good fish present.
Timing can also be crucial. Sometimes you might be in the perfect swim for a big fish but only receive that critical bite early or late in the day. As for seasons, the best time for a real monster is probably in the early spring, before the perch have spawned, although I must stress that big, fat females must be handled and returned with the utmost care. By high summer, weed can make presentation tricky and fish lethargic – and my perching usually only commences again in the autumn. I’ve found deeper ship canals extremely tough in the winter, but the shallower waters can still produce well in mild, settled conditions.
Virtually weightless: a simple loop of plastic connected with silicone tubing makes a perfect legering indicator.
Further Horizons
Although local rumour can often outstrip the reality with perch, it is my belief that virtually every canal in the country holds the odd two-pounder. A three-pounder is not out of the question, and would be the fish of a lifetime for most canal anglers.
My best fish, a specimen of 3lb 2oz, represents the pinnacle of quarter of a century fishing from the towpath and is a perch I am unlikely ever to better from my local Cut. It was taken on the fly, a less fashionable but utterly deadly way of catching perch where visibility is good. That is another story however. For a far more in-depth look at tricking perch on flies, my book Flyfishing for Coarse Fish has a dedicated chapter on special flies and tactics for perch.
Tench love to hug cover such as lilies. A pole offers pinpoint presentation.