Spires Perch

After finding clear water and big perch elusiveon two previous trips it has been good to get back into business at Spires Lakes, North Tawton. Sure, the fishery has a bit of reputation- but these big perch are wily customers and it has taken some experimentation to get them to play ball. The deeper water on the first pond is definitely the place- lobworms and small deadbaits surprisingly ineffective, the best offering proving just a single maggot over regular loosefeed. I have a hunch it was purely finding the right conditions that made the crucial difference: extra colour, overcast and with small roach proving active too. Slowly but surely, the tiny perch became bigger samples and finally, a real old battler of a perch hit the net- a few marks, a battered tail and certainly not the prettiest, but a solid old character, 2lbs 5oz. Great fight on the pole too.