Perch are not to be despised

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 14

Perch are not to be despised

FISHinG-with Tony ORMAN

Perhaps, when you have been fishing Little River, Lake Ellesmere, or some other place, you have encountered perch. I first did so as a schoolboy I when we used to angle for them in a slow-moving ; stream on the outskirts of Palmerston North. They ' were great fun for youngsters intent on suc- ! cess. We found the shoals of small perch were eager to take a worm on a small | hook: but the bigger perch, usually solitary in existence, were wary and selective. One day I peered over a bank and watched a big perch. I gently dropped my line with nvlon trace and hook baited with worm. The big fellow just , sat there impassive. I was mesmerised by his beauty and bulk, for the perch is a handsome and striking fish: My worm lay there, i Time stood still. Then, suddenly, I was broken out of my trance as the big fis u ’• moved forward, picked the worm up — am..

horror, expelled it. I just

left it lying there. 1 was shattered for an instant. Then the fish moved forward again and took the worm. I waited and waited, and then yanked the hook home. The perch was a threepounder. No schoolboy was ever so proud as that evening when I carried the big fish home. Practically every trout fishing licence gives the angler the right to fish for perch, but few avail themselves of the opportunity. Some do not even know what a perch is. for in some districts they have not been introduced; while in other districts some anglers regard them as of little value. Nothing is further from the truth, for not only can this handsome and colourful fish give a very good account of itself when hooked on light tackle, but it is also delicious eating —not unlike tarakihi. Deep bodied and slightly hog-backed, the back and upper sides of a perch are olive green. Five to eight vertical bars on each flank, a spiny dorsal fin, and scarlet-tinged fins,

make the perch a handsome fellow.

Perch are a great sports fish on which to start off a youngster for they can be voracious feeders. They are seldom found in the typical New Zealand river. Usually they prefer deep, slow-moving streams or lagoons. When confined in small areas of water they seldom do well unless well fished for. Being prolific breeders, they soon increase to a stage where the food supply is inadequate to maintain their growth rate.. The water soon swarms with mature but small fish.

On a light fly rod they are grand sport and will often grab a small spinner or minnow. At times they will take a dry fly or a small wet fly. On light spinning tackle they out up a brave fight.

Some people maintain that perch are detrimental to trout stocks, but a study on an Otago lake sugg'ests otherwise. There, it was found that the perch were beneficial to the trout fishery by . the small perch being preyed upon by the trout and by perch diverting the attentions of predators, such as shags, away from trout.

The perch is very much a neglected game and food fish. Generally, it is belter eating than trout (although I know of one or two streams and lakes where the orange-fleshed trout are fabulous dining fare); and when cooked properly, the fine, white, flakey flesh has a most delicious flavour. Just a suggestion. If you decide to fish perch why not take some youngster with you. Some nephew or niece, or a youngster in your street. There will be a good chance of success, which is very important to a person on his or her first fishing trip. Perch fishing has so much to commend it that it should be more actively encouraged. If you want a touch of the Old Country, try fish* ing with a worm and bobber. Hang your worm below your float by a metre long or more trace (depending on water depth), and bait your small hook with a small red worm such as found under old sacks or logs. On a tired morning, after a frantic night, it is a pleasant way to relax near the water’s edge.