Perch Fry

Irish lough perch-fry streamer

TroutSubsurface

A fry imitation tied for the massive trout of the western Irish loughs — particularly Corrib and Mask, which hold prodigious populations of perch. In late summer the trout move onto the shallows to smash perch fry shoals, and a well-placed streamer stripped through the melee is one of the great sights in Irish fishing.

Fish this when

Late summer and autumn on the western Irish loughs when perch fry shoals are being herded to the surface by large trout. Also from a boat drifting close to rocky shorelines in August.

Why it works

Large Corrib and Mask trout feeding on fry are highly aggressive and non-selective — they want something that looks like the small perch they are chasing. A streamer moved fast through a shoal gets a take almost every time.

Naturals it imitates