I caught my first perch accidently while fly fishing for rainbow trout on a blob fly. It was a small perch and didn’t put up much of a fight. At the time I was disappointed that I had caught a perch on a fly, it was a nuisance, and it was promptly put back in the lake.
I had caught large perch before when coarse fishing, they had been strong fighting fish and overall good sport especially when fished on light tackle. This got me thinking about how to fly fish for perch.
I have since targeted and successfully caught several perch on the fly. In this article, I will outline how you too can fly fish for perch by setting up your own perch fly rig, selecting perch fly patterns as well as where and when you should fly fish for perch.
If changing your fly fishing rig to fly fish for perch is too expensive for you, you can also fish flies on a spinning rod to catch perch before making the invest in new gear. Drop shotting flies or fishing flies on a bubble float can be particularly effective methods of catching perch on the fly.
Where to Fly Fish for Perch?
You can fly fish for perch in reservoirs, canals, drains, rivers as well as lakes.
Reservoirs and lakes typically hold large perch while other waterbodies in general hold smaller perch but should not be overlooked.
If you are new to fly fishing, fly fishing for perch in rivers can be more difficult than fly fishing for perch in other waterbodies.
Fly fish for perch near overhangs, bridges, walls, fallen trees, snags, rocks or areas with sudden drop offs, and any other places you think perch may be hiding or lying-in wait to ambush their prey.
Be on the lookout for small shoals of fish, perch could be nearby feeding. Fry jumping from the water could be an indication of them trying to escape from predatory fish.
What Fly Fishing Equipment Do You Need for Perch?
Fly fishing for perch will not require heavy fly fishing tackle. Using light tackle will allow you to have more fun when playing the perch on the fly. However, you will need a fish rod that is not too light as when fly fishing for perch you will be using larger flies and heavier flies.
Another reason why you need a fly fishing rod that isn’t too light is that and you are likely to hook pike when fishing for perch.
Therefore, you need a rod that is both light enough to have fun playing the perch yet heavy enough to comfortably handle a pike and cast larger flies with ease.
I recommend a six or seven weight fly fishing rod for catching perch if pike are likely to be present otherwise three to five weight rods are fantastic perch fly fishing when no pike are around.
A floating line will work great when fly fishing for perch in shallower waters. If you want to carry a spare spool with you, a floating line with a sinking tip will get you by in most cases. Use a leader 7-8 feet in length when fly fishing for perch on a floating line.
If you are fly fishing for perch in deeper waters, a fast intermediate or a sinking line will get you down to where the perch are better. Use a shorter leader around 5 feet in length.
If there are no pike are present where you are fishing, you can get away with using fluorocarbon as a leader. An 8lb leader is strong enough handle the largest of perch.
On the other hand, if there are pike present or you are fishing a new area, I recommend using a 12lb leader with the addition of a wire trace to deal with any pike you may encounter.
Best Flies for Catching Perch
There are several flies that well for catching perch, you should use flies that closely imitate what perch eat. Effective patterns include lure flies representing the fish fry making up the bulk of the diet of a large perch. Worm fly patterns are also great perch catchers.
I find flies tied on hooks sizes 1-4 are ideal for catching perch. My favorite perch fly colors are white and yellow to imitate bait fish. I like to add a little red to my flies to depict small perch or sticklebacks more accurately.
Additionally, I like to add a few strands of silver, gold, or pearl flash materials to make the flies stand out more and grab the attention of the perch.
When designing my own flies for catching perch, I like to draw inspiration from trout, saltwater and pike flies.
Although, the flies for catching trout are a little small, the same materials can be used in the tying of perch flies. Materials such as marabou are ideal for making tails or wings of the perch fly and, chenille or sparkle fritz are fantastic for the body.
Trout flies often have a wire ribbing body, I like to add this to my perch flies to give them longevity against the teeth of large perch or an accidental pike catch.
While pike flies are too big to use to fly fish for perch, you can get inspiration for perch flies in the style in which pike flies are tied. Similarly, you can find idea from saltwater flies for tying perch flies.
Bucktail and other materials used in pike and saltwater flies such as the clouser minnow are ideal for tying perch fly patterns.
Fly Fishing for Perch
Perch are most active at dawn and dusk, if you can you should prioritize your fishing around these times. You can also catch perch at other times of the day.
In shallower waters such as canals or drains, cloudy and overcast days are better for fishing perch. On deeper waters such as lakes and reservoirs you may find luck on sunnier days.
Try out different times and weather conditions to find out when your local area fishes best and record these times for future reference.
When fly fishing for perch, keep your rod tip low and close to the water. Be ready for little picks on your line and get ready to strike. Strike with your line first rather than using your rod. Lift into the perch if you feel contact.
Often, perch will nip at the fly without taking, continuing the retrieve can be enough to encourage the perch to take. If you run out of line, make another few casts in the same area.