PERCH PERFECTION

a perfect perch for a cold winters day, 'only' 3/11 but still beautiful

We’re running out of time … we should be on the river I thought … only two weeks to go ... but if you end up with a perch as perfect as this one then maybe the decision to fish a lake isn’t so bad after all.

Sway on a cold and breezy day

The plan was to fish the Hampshire Avon at Britford but after heavy rain raised and coloured the river and a call to river keeper Stuart confirmed conditions were hopeless, Sway Lakes stood in as the alternative.

Great friend and ultimate Man U supporter Gerry Higham was coming down for an end of season get together so it was important I tried to put him on some fish, though I didn't want to put him in the best swim just in case he caught more than me. After all, I had to keep the Saints above Man U, even if only in the fishing contests. 

Sway can usually be relied upon to produce a few perch, even if a water temperature of 40 didn’t bode well for a roach. Add to that a cold wind blowing down the lake and the ‘banker’ swim too wild to consider, Gerry hid in a bit of shelter and struggled for a bite.

Gerry trying to make it happen

I tried roaching with a waggler and hemp and tares … yes I know it’s a summer technique but this time last year it produced plenty of big roach, so I ignored the rule book and failed to raise a bite!

My back up was perching, using a lovely delicate Drennan IM8 bomb rod with a swan shot paternoster to 1.8 line and an 18 hook baited with two red maggots, dusted in turmeric of course. Trickling just four to six free samples on a regular basis I soon started catching perch, all over a pound to close to two but if I strayed from my baited spot – nothing. The cold weather had shoaled the perch up tightly.

looked like a good 'un

Then at about lunch time it happened, the tip wrapped round and the rod bent double to the fierce head shakes of a good ‘un. I had to backwind as what was obviously a big perch ran for cover but eventually it succumbed to the pressure and I had a lump in the bottom of the landing net.

Weighing in at 3/11, I was told by the owner later that it was not only the largest perch in Sway but a lake record, so how lucky can you get. … [and how do I know it’s the biggest in the lake? Well, the management here net the lake to control stock levels every two years or so and only two months ago completely drained the lake to remove all the pumpkinseed and thin out most of the small roach and perch. One perch that was far bigger than the others was netted and I’d just caught it.] What a jammy sod.

what a cracking perch - they don't get any better looking than this do they?

Gerry did a lovely job with the camera before we settled down for a few more and I ended up with a dozen perch, all over a pound. The big ‘un isn’t big by modern standards but I was well pleased to see such a beautiful creature and it was my second biggest ever, a 4/6 from the Gt. Ouse caught while filming “Catching the Impossible” being my PB.

This fish was more memorable because when the light was too poor for filming I poached it from the tail of Mr.Yates’s swim, much to his chagrin. Chris was joining Gerry and I for one of Sue’s tasty dinners so we had plenty of time to commiserate about our respective teams losing at the weekend’s football while celebrating the capture of such a splendid perch with some excellent French wines. Gerry certainly knows how to pick’ em.

There was plenty of football banter, particularly when Chris reminded Gerry about our team Southampton beating his at Old Trafford. Chris even sent Gerry a sympathy card and to add insult to injury, didn’t put enough postage on it and cost him £1.11!

the shallow end at Sway

looking towards the Lightening Tree

Next day Gerry wanted to have another go for the big roach at Sway and I had a hunch that they might be in the shallower and maybe warmer end. 

Gerry concentrating on catching

I was right, for he caught several nice fat roach and some good perch. 

Gerry with one of several good perch

I also caught a few big roach to a best of 1/15. I need some new scales.

'only' 1/15 and I'm wondering if Gerry has the camera in the right place - of course he did

It had been a most enjoyable get-together … in spite of Gerry’s long drive from Manchester and back. You can’t beat sharing a couple of days on a waterside with a good friend and I hope to do so again at Britford before the end of the season. But until then, I’ll linger a little on the memory of a perfect perch.

the perfect perch and a happy Hugh

Thank you for the company and the splendid happy snaps Gerry … and if any of you are fortunate enough to be out there before March 14^th – be lucky.

IN THE THEATRE OF DREAMS

                           

Gerry with a dawn scrapper

Generosity is seldom a dominant trait in folk these days but friend Gerry Higham has it in spades. I first fished with him when on the Cauvery River in India, indulging in a marvellous overdose of ‘mahseer magic’. Sharing the sunrise with him while enjoying bite a chuck action and missing most of them is as good as life gets – lots of laughter in the best possible company.

Perfect Spanish roach

We shared a river bank again in December when roaching on the Ebro in Spain and got talking about football – as you do. Gerry has been an ardent supporter of Man U. since childhood and my local team is Southampton so he kindly invited me to watch the contest at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. He also challenged me to a return fishing contest, for I had beaten him in Spain and he wanted revenge. [A full description of that match and witness statements etc. will follow in a future post].

The greatest football club in the world?

Gerry had kindly arranged for a tour of Old Trafford, so on Tuesday evening there I was at arguably the most famous football club in the world, standing by the hallowed turf in the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. 

Just a few of the stars

In the 'theatre of dreams'

They've won a few

Sir Alex didn't even put me on the bench

As I didn’t expect our football team to beat Man U. and keen to keep up the honour of us ‘southern softies’, I had secretly prepared a deadly cheese paste to ensure I beat him in the fishing match, not a nice way to show gratitude but it had to be done!

Gerry had already done a pitch inspection on the River Dane to ensure the match could go ahead. No doubt he had also sussed out the best swim for himself too! He had even bought a box of extra strong Kleenex, expecting my tears to flow twice during the day … dream on Gerry.

Coloured but fishable

Otters had been fishing here first

Despite arriving at the river earlyish, we immediately realised that we weren’t the first to fish the stretch that day, a family of otters having walked and swum upstream only an hour or so before our arrival. It sure is an indication of how well otters have recovered in England when they are breeding successfully within half an hours drive of Manchester.

Should be chub here don't you think?

Gerry's not smiling as he nets my first chub - funny that!

The match rules hadn’t been set, just so either of us could change them to ensure victory. Being the away team, Gerry gave me first choice of swim – I told you he was generous – which he immediately regretted because almost first cast my secret cheese paste that came with a government health warning had snared a modest chub from the heavily coloured flood water. 1: 0 to Southampton. I wondered if the score would be prophetic. [I doubted it as I had predicted a hat trick for Rooney].

A spectacular kitchen

No more scores by half-time when Gerry brewed a life-saving cup of tea and tasty bacon roll. I had hoped to fish a couple of chub swims to die for but the wind was so strong and the crack willows so tall that I didn’t intend to do so literally, even if it was a match to the death.

The 2 : 0 chub

The contest remained tense until I landed a second chub – nearly four pounds this one – and the Gods must have been smiling on us southerners as Gerry lost both of his chub … cracking under the pressure I reckon. Instead of chub he landed a giant minnow but felt he had a chance of winning when a text from friend Pete Reading suggested to Gerry that chub shouldn’t count – how disloyal is that! No last minute rule changes were allowed so the result remained 2:1 to the southerners. Would this be the score at Southampton v. Man U? Gerry was worried.

It was a big minnow

Sir Bobby Charlton in his youth

Anticipation builds as you walk to Old Trafford for the match, thousands converging from all over the world. And when greeted with friendly warmth and fed a great dinner in the executive lounge you realise that you’ve come to a very special place.

Just before kick off

On entering the stadium, the sight of this massive ground filled to the roof – 75,600 to be precise is impressive and when United equalised the noise of celebration was breathtaking. Southampton had scored first … to stunned silence from the home fans but much jubilation from the Saints supporters.

 Home fans nervous already

Man U on top in first half

I imagined keen fan Chris Yates at home, cheering as he listened on his radio. When Rooney scored again before half-time, with United creating some wonderful flowing moves, my prediction of a hat trick for Wayne looked promising.

Rooney scores his first

The Saints battered them in the second half

However, the second half was all Southampton, silencing the home fans as the Saints battered against United’s famous defence, nearly equalising but for a fine De Gea save from Lambert’s free kick. The Saints fans were in full voice and I thought I might have to offer the Kleenex back to Gerry as he was apoplectic with exasperation.

The Reds fans weren't happy

Despite Southampton's dominance, 2:1 it remained, reversing the result of the fishing match. So honours were even, especially as Sir Alex said that it was the best any opponent had played against them at home all season. I felt proud just to have watched them.

Van Persie free kick

It was an honour to be there

What an experience it had been, the spectacle, the colour, the noise, the friendship and the brilliant football ; sharing all this was one of life’s great privileges. Thank you Gerry, it was really kind of you, though it might be wise not to expect too much generosity from me when we next hold a fishing match!