How to Catch Them series:

Occasionally, we all happen upon things that really resonate with us, and when we feel a connection to something we inevitably want more...

Having picked up a copy of Perch – How to Catch Them at a market stall for £2 a few years back, my obsession began. With a book dedicated to every species and tactic, this series of pocket-sized hardbacks were originally published back in the 1950s, however the knowledge within can be just as effective today as it was all those years ago. My collection of these little gems has grown over the years and If I know what species I'm targeting on my next session, I often slip the related book into my fishing bag as a reference point. It's great to be out there, sat on the bank absorbing knowledge from a past era that can really give you the edge when in persuit of your quarry.

One of my favourite extracts from the Perch book sends us back even further in time – taken from an 1863 title – which details the placing of a few live minnows into a sealed glass bottle of water that is then lowered to the bed of your chosen fishing spot. This action, after a couple of days, was said to attract a multitude of big old stripies without having to forego anything other than your hookbait when it came to casting a line – pure genius!