Fishbook: Perch

‘Fishbook’: Our species-guide series based on “Get Fishing”
the brilliant how to fish book by Allan Sefton

We profile the UK’s most common as well as some lesser-known fish species to help newcomer anglers find out more about fish that can be caught in our lakes, canals, rivers, ponds and sea.

Understanding the kinds of fish you might catch will add interest and could even make your fishing easier! Here you’ll find out more about…

PERCH

Name:
Perch

Scientific name:
Perca

Life span:
Around 10 years

Typical size:
8oz to 2lb

British record:
6lb

Waters:
Slow rivers, canals and stillwaters – perch are widely distributed throughout the British Isles

Interesting fact:
A few years back, disease reduced the numbers of wild perch in many lakes and rivers. Happily, their population has now bounced back

About Perch

Perch are ‘Dennis-the-Menace’ fish. Feisty, dark-striped with sharp fins and gill-covers, they are bold and greedy feeders. A few years back, disease reduced the numbers of wild perch in many lakes and rivers. Happily, their population has now bounced back.

A giant 4lb perch with a large mouth, dark vertical stripes and scarlet-coloured pectoral fins is a spectacular and handsome fish. Some anglers dedicate their careers to catching such fish.

Until recently, when carp became dominant, the first fish that most young anglers caught was a small perch. This was not surprising.

Perch love worms or maggots, the baits that youngsters use first, and they shoal near jetties, locks and boat docks where youngsters first go fishing with basic tackle. Perch invariably oblige!

Visit the rest of the How To Fish video gallery here to learn new tricks and discover more about the basics of angling.

Find out more about:

• Carp
• Chub
• Pike

Read more about how you can get into game fishing. Alternatively, find a venue near you where you can #getfishing!

Some of the above content is taken from the new book, Get Fishing – the ‘how to’ guide to Coarse, Sea and Fly Fishing by Allan Sefton published by Merlin Unwin Books. This colourful, lively book is aimed at complete beginners of all ages, those who have been out fishing a couple of times and want to take it further and families of all abilities. It’s also packed with top-tips and info that make it useful for more experienced anglers too. Find out more about, and purchase a copy of the book here.

Header image thanks to David Overland and text reproduced with permission and © Merlin Unwin Books.