freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 192
KRIS FORD
p e rfectly summed up in th e ti t l e o f Fra n k Wa rw i c k ’ s exc e l l e n t
b o ok “Every Bit of Blue ”, s ee k i n g o u t ow n e rs h i p a n d
p e rmissions to fish for eve r y b i t o f b l u e t ha t c o u l d b e fo u n d
o n the maps and travellin g f ur t h e r a n d f u rt h e r a f i e l d i n t h e
q u est for carp. I don’t thi nk t he re we re e n o u gh o f u s a ro u n d
i n those days for Jack Hilto n’ s a ma z i n g b o o k “ Q u e s t fo r Ca rp”
to provide him with the in co me to re ti re , b u t t h e ti t l e a l o n e
s t ruck loud, harmon ious ch o rd s , le t al o n e t he m a g i ca l c o n te n t
a b out Redmire and A shlea p o o l s. N o In te r we b i n t h o s e d ays ,
j u st mile after mile of min o r ro a d s a c ro s s E ss ex a n d t h e Ho m e
Co unties.
As already illustrated, ro d s a n d t a c kl e, o r ra t h e r th e l a c k o f i t ,
wasn’t a big deal. If you co u ld n’ t b uy wh at yo u t h o u gh t o f a s a
g o od idea, you simply made i t , o r i f b eyo n d yo u r s k i l l s , yo u p ai d
s o meone to make it for yo u . D i c k Wa lke r l e d t h i s t re n d , a f i r s t
g e neration carp angler, an d eve n i n hi s wo n d e rf u l “S t i l lwa te r
A ngling”, he demonstrated s e lf - ma d e ro d s , l an d i n g ne t a n d b i te
a l arms. He clearly showed u s t he way to f i n d s o l u t i o n s . I f D i c k
was first t generation, the n t he B CS G me m b e rs h i p an d m a ny
o t her carp anglers around be c a me th e se c o n d g e n era ti o n a n d
were the epitome of self-re li a n c e i n al l t hi ng s c a rpy, p rov i d i n g
a n immense base of knowl ed g e , ex p e ri e n ce , i n n ova t i o n a n d
d e termination for future g en e ra ti o n s to b e n e f i t f ro m , wh o as
we all know, like the four Yo rks h i re me n s a id , “ T h ey ’ l l n eve r
b e lieve it!”
I magine a world with no re ady t i e d r i gs , exc e p t fo r t h e n o d d i e s
( matchmen), no bedchairs , j u s t u n re li a b le s u n l o u n g e rs t h a t
n e eded customising before t h ey we re a ny g o o d , n o m u l t i p l e
b a nk stick and buzzer ba r s un l e ss yo u m ad e t h em yo ur s e l f
a n d no bivvies, just the 45 i n u m b re ll a w i t h a c a nva s o r p l a s t i c
FREELINE 62
