freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 186
KRIS FORD
a r m had proved a nuisanc e wh en f i s h tu r n e d away, and th e
h e avyweight Efgeeco SH n e t m ad e a p ra g mat i c swa p t he o n ly
o p tion. Although by now th e la n d i n g n e t h a d b e e n swa p p e d
to o for a selfmade one w i th ho ll ow gl as s 4 8 i n ar m s w i t h a
h a nd made custom net by a M r Ca tte rm o le f ro m d a rke st E s s ex .
I t was obvious that DIY wo u ld b e t h e way to g o . A l l o f t h e t h e n
m anufacturers, British and fo re i g n, o nly re al ly c ate re d fo r th e
s o -called pleasure anglers a n d ma tc h f i s h er m e n . O f c o u rs e t h e
s e eds were sown very fir m ly by D i c k Wa lke r i n “ S t i l lwa te r
A ngling”. Hadn’t he design e d a n d b u i lt th e l e g e n d a ry M K I V
c a rp rod amongst others alo n g w i th l a mi n a te d b a m b o o l a n d i n g
n e t and the iconic Heron b i te a la r m ? I en h a n c e d my H ero n s ,
a d ding GPO contacts amo n g s t o t h er t hi ng s , b u t eve n t u a l ly
e n ded up designing and m ak i n g a s e t o f Pe rs p ex h e a d s , wh i l e
I c ontracted an electronic g en i u s c o u s i n to b u i l d me a t h re e to ne buzzer box with plug i n 2 0 f t le a d s, l i ke G P O te l e p h o n e
w i re. They were everythin g I wa n te d w i th h i gh , m e d iu m a n d
l ow tones to indicate whi c h ro d a n d n o th i n g m e c h a n i c a l , a l l
d o ne with LEDs and integ ra te d c i rc ui tr y ( ga s p ) . T h at s e t u p
p l us increases in rod numb e r s , a ll s el f - ma d e , l a s te d m e a n
e ternity.
An amusing incident o cc u rre d i n t h e a u t u m n 2 0 18 wh il e
I was fishing a local syn d i c a te l ake . A p a s s i n g g e nt l e m a n
s topped to ask about any f i s hy su c c es s , s o we c h a t te d . Af te r
a while, he pointed at my m ai n c u rre n t c h o i c e o f ro d s e t u p
a n d said how good they lo o ke d a n d a ske d wh o s e t h ey we re . I
to ld him, “Thank you; they ’ re m i n e.” He l au gh e d a n d s a i d , “ O f
c o urse, but whose are they ? ” A ga i n I s a i d , “ T h a n k yo u ; t hey ’ re
m i ne… really mine… I mad e t he m .” S te p p i n g c l o s e r to s t u dy t h e
ro d butts, he read the gra p h i cs an n o u n c i n g , “ T h ey are re a l ly
FREELINE 56
