A Brace of 4lb Perch & Double Figure Pike

Saturday afternoon started with a simple call to Brett for a catch-up, but it quickly turned into a spontaneous plan to hit the bank the very next day. It’s been far too long since I’ve had the pleasure of Brett’s company on the bank, and as always, the best sessions are the unplanned ones — this one was no exception.

Table of Contents

The Start of the Session

With no grand expectations other than enjoying a day catching up, we hit the water. Any decent fish would just be a bonus. However, our modest expectations were smashed within the first 35 minutes. At the first spot, I had a massive smash in an inside slack. A short but frantic fight followed, and within seconds, the backbone of my Poison Adrena BFS came into play. A beautiful sunrise chunk was bundled straight into the net. She weighed in at 4lb exactly — a perfect way to kick off the day.

London perch finder - a brace of 4lb+ perch — The first 4lb+ perch – caught at first light – @Londonperchfinder

Moving Upstream

After that promising start, we decided to move upriver to a spot that hadn’t produced for me in over a year. But with a solid 4lb perch already in the bag, we felt hopeful. Brett soon wrangled a lovely pike on arrival, while I managed to bank a 2lber. Confidence was building as we moved into a large slack.

Double Hook-Up Chaos

That’s when things got truly wild. On his first cast, Brett hooked into a fish. I watched his rod hooped over, bouncing with telltale head shakes, and without hesitation, I fired my Cheb rig straight to the same spot. Boom — I was in as well!

My fish was hooked at range and gave a tense, thrilling battle before I managed to net her, with the TRD falling out right in the net. It was a beauty, weighing 4lb 2oz, and measuring 47.5cm — the biggest perch I’ve ever caught from that section. But as I glanced at Brett’s net, I immediately knew his fish was something extraordinary. What a couple of casts!

London perch finder - double figure pike — 14lb pike to end the session – @Londonperchfinder

Finishing Strong

After the photos were done, I couldn’t resist pinging one more cast to the same spot. That’s when a 14lb pike slammed the lure. The fight was immense, especially on the BFS rod, and it was the perfect way to cap off an already incredible session.

Reflecting on the Day

This session brought my total to 14 UK lure-caught, river perch over 4lb. And for the doubters: no boat, no Holland, and no Livescope needed. Just a day of great company, solid tactics, and a bit of luck. Now, I can’t wait to get the boat back out there!

What a day. What a memory.