Asp in Holland
Officially the asp is a non-native species in the Netherlands, but as of today, it’s hard to imagine the Dutch major rivers and their interlinked canals without them.
Spectacular
Roughly from June to October you have a good chance of hooking one of these quick silver predators using a small, jumpy lure. The takes are spectacular, and also the plays are spiked with action! Use small plugs and ASP-spinners – fishing at spots with a lot of current, such as right in between the main current and the rotating current between two groynes and, whenever allowed, near pumping stations and weirs. When your fishing in clear waters, dawn and sunset are the best times of the day, but in the somewhat more murky waters, such as the Waal and the Benedenrivierengebied, these fish will happily take during daytime too.
Closed season
Asp in the Netherlands are some 45 to 60 cm, but there are the occasional specimens of over 80 cm! Mind the closed season, however: from 1 April up to and including the last Saturday of May you’re not allowed to fish with lures of over 2.5 cm and dead bait. There is active enforcement of this law, so adhere to these and other rules.