“I couldn’t believe it – I saw its giant white belly and knew it was a special perch”

“To get my fishing fix I’ve been nipping down to the Great Ouse before work and despite only fishing for an hour on each occasion, I’ve enjoyed the best perch sport I’ve ever experienced in my life.

In two previous sessions I banked a string of specimens on lures ranging between 2lb and 4lb, but nothing could prepare me for my latest trip.

I arrived at the stretch and began my usual routine of combing the far bank with the lure to try and find where the perch are lying.

I’ve found deep water behind trees to be good spots and this was again proven true when I struck into a 2lb fish almost straight away, and another on the following cast!

I slipped these fish back, flicked the lure back out to the spot and whack! – fish on, but from the way my light 1g-9g rod arched over I thought it was a pike.

Halfway through the fight it started to headshake more and it stayed deep for about five minutes before finally surfacing just feet from the bank…

I couldn’t believe it – I saw its giant white belly and knew it was a special perch.

It wasn’t the longest stripey in the world but it was incredibly fat and smashed my previous best of 4lb 2oz.

I’ve fished the Ouse my whole life but for me this season has by far been the best for big fish.”