10 minutes walk from my house is a 14 acre gravel pit.The water is crystal clear and in the summer it is full of Elodea.
At this time of year however the weed dies back to about 6 inches and goes black.In the past I have often walked round the water in summer with a lightwieght 7 foot spinning rod and tiny roostertail spinners .Sometimes I have caught a few tiny pike to around 10 inches but mostly I have caught small perch and sometimes catch nothing.Best spinners have been black or red.
The water has not been stocked for many decades and so is very natural and only fished occasionally for the few specimen carp or pike.
As its free fishing and local it would make a good water to practice my fly fishing while I'm still fairly useless.
Can anybody give me any great tips on catching the perch on fly.There are good grass banks with plenty of room for casting well away from the path.The water is shallow at around 4foot deep at 15yards out.

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Theres more to fishing than just fish.

I've got to admit, I've caught nothing more than trout on a fly rod but I've got a small pool near to me containing some nice perch. I've often thought about trying a few lure flies that I've tied such as muddlers,cats whiskers and damsels.

sounds like good fun.

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http://com5.runboard.com/bfantasywri...ited.f2.t11461

when i lived in wigan i used to fish the canal for them on the fly cats whiskers done it for me plain white anytrhing with bog chain eyes or even painted ones will work, they are also partial too orange and red coloured lures and roach fry imitations as for retrieves i had most success on a varied jerky retrieve

Try a claret super boobie in lower light

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a fisherman who has completed his mortal time discovers he has actually gone to hell when condemned for eternity to fish for one species in one stretch of river.

well, my best fly on the perch is olive damsel tying from olive marabou with big conic gold head. Best time - when perch eat - before sunshine or 1-2 hours before dark come. If they eat fry you will see how they push fry straight to bank. This is probably the best time for fishing.
Perch is a cannibal so try some imitation of perch. I caught perch only on lures.
Smaller perches move together. Big perches live single and is difficult catch them - imitation perch with some red spots by head. All of them like shiny points
on your flies.
Good luck

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New barbless hooks are here

As people have said large nymphs and lures work for perch. Black is a good colour and weighted heads which sink and fall in a jerky manner when retrieved are particularly effective.

I think that perch particularly represent an exciting untapped willd UK fly fishery. I joined the Milton Keynes Angling Association this year with a view to trying for the big perch in the Great Ouse. Unfortunately with the wet summer we had I only managed to get up there once and didn't manage to catch any perch. And somehow the autumn has just zipped by without us getting up there either. Anyone know whether perch are worth pursuing in the winter?

When I catch perch while fishing for trout, I normally catch them on lures such as White Baby Dolls. Or any bright lure, stripped back quickly, they normally chase the fly.

Early this year I was fishing for chub on the Nidd, and I saw a shoal of perch and caught one on a Snipe & Purple!



You could try fry patterns..... Try looking for the threads on this website which are to do with perch! I'm sure you will find some answers in those threads!!!!!

Try anything with a bit of red in it

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Oliver

had some luck with the perch at chew whislt fishing for trout a couple of weeks ago.a white baby doll seemed to do the damage .my best perch was 3lb 8ozs from blagdon quite a few years a go on a white dog nobbler.might be worth a try .good luck.steve

As said anything with red in it, FRY shaped, and fished fairly fast. If you want a big one fish the deeper water.. dont be scared to put a 2" or 2.5" lure on...If you can, fish along the edge of drop-off's.....and over banks....If there are any dead reed beds on the edge of deeper water... try there... Especially at last light and morning.....Many lures will take perch... it's FINDING the bigger ones...

Stickfloat