Hi all, does anyone have any tips for catching Perch (european) on the fly? I understand that one of the lakes near Auckland has some good perch and I would like to have a go at them. Will my normal stillwater flies catch perch? I normaly fish for trout in stillwater useing damselfly nymph patterns and pheasant tail nymphs or blood worms with a dead drift or slow retrieve. I would like to have a good chance at hooking any trout in the area as well so will the same patterns and techniques take both species or do I need to tie some flies for perch only and change my technique as well?
Any comments most welcome. Thanks.
All the best.
Mike.
Not a hijack attempt.
I have no real idea what catch perch on .
I just had no idea that you had perch over there.
The type that I am used to catching are the “Perca flavescense”(hope I spelled it right. Is that what you have ?
Id imagine that any of the minnow paterns would work if yours are the same as mine(perch that is).
Best wishes.
No idea about the scientific name but these are the same perch they get in England, ours were introduced from there I believe. They grow up to about 4 or 5 pound so they are not a bad fish! They have a spiney dorsal fin and they are olive green on the back with stripes on the side and a silver belly and often have red fins. I have only ever seen them caught on bait or spinners but if they take a spinner they will take a fly surely.
All the best.
Mike.
Well for what it’s worth, I can tell you how I catch the related American species, Yellow Perch. I usually find them in the shallows in the spring months, most often on cloudy days. I have had good results with the McGinty wet fly and also Tellico nymphs. I usually wade the perimiter of a pond and cast to different spots until I find some. Of course, I get many bluegills and crappies doing this as well.
I catch yellow perch on pheasant tail nymphs. If you catch one you will catch a 100. I generally use about a 6 inch fast strip and they hit quite hard.
Thanks for your help guys I will try to catch some this winter and I will see if a “crappie candy” will also be perch or trout candy. It might take me a while, but I will let you know how it goes.
All the best.
Mike.
Hi Mike,
I have not specificaly fished for perch, but I believe they will go for lures and have a partiality for red.
Here is some info I dug up.
http://www.davidmillerart.co.uk/coarse_ … _paintings
Thanks Donald they are very good web sites, just the sort of thing to help me.
Thanks very much
Mike.
Mike; here’s a great article that I found very informative.
http://globalflyfisher.com/staff/bouma/perch/index.php
Jim
That is a great article Jim, I use Global a lot, don’t know how I missed that one.
Where I live in Scotland, I am surrounded by good brown trout waters, river and loch,
and the local view of perch is that they are a damned pest. There are some very rigid minds in
the fly fishing world, and we have our fair share.
Again, an excellent article.
I just dug out this info, it shows the difference between the European Perch and American Yellow Perch.
Hi Mike,
Looks like some good tips there. Back in Nova Scotia when I was a kid I fished for perch using a bobber and worms. Never fly fished for them. But, after reading the info listed here I would think a small parson’s glory (size 10 or even 12) would be worth a try, as would a silver or copper dorothy or jack sprat. Basically, any of the standard matuka streamers and small wooly buggers. Or, you could try midging for them once you’ve found the areas where they hang out. Good luck and let us all know how it goes.
- Jeff
Once again guys thanks very much for all the info - and Jeff the place I am thinking of fishing for Perch is Lake Ototoa on the Kaipara south head road. Someone released Perch there a few years ago apparently and the Fish and Game guys would like to see as many as possible taken as they have devastated the population of native smelt.
All the best.
Mike.
Hi Mike,
Good luck with the perch, not sure when we can make it (baby is due in about 9.5 weeks, so it’s hard to predict right now). I’m constantly amazed at people releasing anything in New Zealand. One would think that after all the problems we’ve had with introduced species people would be a bit more on to it.
- Jeff