It’s about time I started Perch fishing, I enjoyed every minute of it last year and I have a few lakes to have a play on. There isn’t much information on the size of the fish, but that’s not a surprise as its very secretive with specimen hunters! So it’s going to be a lot of hard work and perseverance on each lake. I’ll stick to one lake each trip and try to divide my time by splitting them up over different sessions.
After spending two hours in one swim; flicking the baits about by the dead pads. It was clearly time to get the Deeper out and locate the baitfish. You’d feel that this is very simple on a small lake but there are so many nooks where they can hide, it took me over an hour. There were a few definite spots worth a try, but I may have to get some worms or try live bait. It was clearly going to be hard work and a challenge that I’m definitely up for. I can easily split this up with the odd carp trip.
After not even a knock, I headed home early in the hope that the other lake was empty and I could quickly get the Deeper out on there in advance of my next trip. Unfortunately, not this time as I don’t particularly like the idea of disturbing another angler’s tranquility, so I headed home.
I would like to give a brief snap shot of my life and introduce myself;
My name is Richard Handel and was born in 1965 in Suffolk. I have worked as a UK Operation & Intermodule Manager for a shipping company. I live in Hampshire now and am married with 2 young children, both girls so I am a bit outnumbered even the cat is a girl!
I have been fishing since I was about 7 years old. I started on small local rivers in Suffolk, then moved onto gravel pits and then carp fishing. My personal best is a 39.08 mirror, over recent years I have started river fishing again, on the Hampshire Avon, this is a nice break from the carp lakes.
My life has turned a big corner this year, the company I was working for relocated their Operation centre to Estonia. I was offered a job at the head office in London. This would have meant a 5 day commute and working in Stratford. As a family, we did not fancy this, as I would hardly spend any time with the children (and the Mrs). So after 22.5 years, I was given a nice redundancy package and with my wife is working full time. I became the house husband.
This has meant a complete turn around in my fishing, as I can pick and choose when I go. I have found a splendid new syndicate to fish this year, which includes 5 lakes and some 8 miles of river with only 150 members. It's an amazing change to the way I am able to fish.
I am now trying to start my own tackle business and make a bit of a name for myself in the world of fishing, as I have retired from real work.
Richard
UK Carp & Coarse Fishing 