Brass monkeys and perch

      Saturday afternoon, the lazy wind is blowing and it's absolutely bloody freezing. Again.
      I'd decided to try for the perch that hang around the old landing stages and boats. The selected bait was big juicy lobworms from the garden, the conditions weren't the best for float fishing but sergeant spiny obliged as he always seems to although the really big ones were hiding in the reeds or just being bored in a perch-like manner.
      Countless bites were missed because of the waves but sixteen perch were caught, the largest about one pound and the rest in the ten to twelve ounce category. I'm happy with any perch, little or large, and in those conditions every fish was a bonus.

      As always when you are perch fishing you inevitably catch one tiny perch, a little perch that manages to set about a lobworm almost as long as he is with a greedy tenacity that is quite baffling. Never content with taking a nip off the end of the worm and chewing it properly this little fellow fills his mouth and hangs on not wanting to let go of his feast and the whole lot, hook and worm just falls out when he is in your hand. Lovely red fins though.
      While we are talking of a bonus so was the pike that took a dead roach fished up against the reeds on the opposite bank. The fish was very sleepy and only really woke up when he felt the net envelop him.
      Thank goodness Middlesbrough weren't playing or they would have spoilt the day by losing.