He had it, alongside others of 4lb 6oz, 4lb 3oz, 4lb 2oz, plus two ‘threes’, on lure tactics on a recent session. He told us “Perch were the first species I targeted when I started specimen fishing, so a five-pounder is my dream fish. Landing it achieves a lifetime goal, and although I caught one a pound bigger from Holland last year, this fish tops it. Those from British waters are just that bit more special.”

The start of Ryan’s session was slow, as he spent the morning with nothing to show for his efforts. “I kicked off fishing crankbaits in shallow water where I’d caught a few fish previously, but that was a total waste of time,” he revealed. “It was a windy day so there were only two other predator boats on the water, and I was able to move around and target different places.”

Using a side scanner, Ryan noticed a dozen fish and soon started catching. “First cast I had one of 3lb 5oz, and over the next two hours, the fishing was manic,” he told us. “They were in 20ft of water, and all felt big when hooked. When the ‘five’ surfaced, I was amazed by the size of it. The fish was a bit of a freak compared to its shoal mates, and incredibly thick across the back. You could barely get your hand over it!”

Tactically, Ryan opted for tiny lures, switching 4cm and 7.5cm patters, on a simple dropshot rig. “These fish here are heavily pressured and see lots of large lures flying past them. Scaling down kept bites coming,” he explained.

Well done Ryan!