freeline-107 - Flipbook - Page 184
ADAM
BARRYKITCHEN
OCONNOR
and we were close to the actual weight of 34lb 12oz.
Photos done and carp returned, we proceeded with
renewed enthusiasm. It’s great when you catch early on in
a session; it gives you so much confidence for the rest of
the session. Not long after Ben’s capture, one of Mango’s
r o d s w a s a w a y. H e w a s o n i t i n a f l a s h . B e i n g n e a r e s t t o
him, I went to net it for him. The carp put up a good
fight, twisting and turning, but it eventually went into the
net. It was instantly recognisable; it was the Fully Scaled
M i r r o r. I ’ d h a d t h i s f i s h o n o u r p r e v i o u s v i s i t t o C h r i s t i n e .
It weighed in at 29lb 14oz, which was a few ounces down
from the previous capture back in May when it was 30lb 2oz.
Nevertheless, Mango was well pleased with the capture of
t h e F u l l y S c a l e d M i r r o r. S c o t t i n t h e m e a n t i m e h a d c a u g h t
a couple of carp, both mirrors, 28lbs and 31lbs. Placing
a hookbait very close to the island foliage had been the
downfall for these carp. The islands and the margins are
very productive on Christine and should not be neglected.
More carp get caught in these areas than anywhere else.
Accurate casting to the islands is a must, although bait
boats are allowed on Christine. Most of the margins can
be reached by just walking along them and dropping a
hookbait in the side and walking the rod back to the swim.
It’s worth mentioning here that although Ben and I used
the same tactics as before on this session, we did want to
t r y s o l i d P VA b a g s . A l o t o f a n g l e r s w o n ’ t u s e t h e m b e c a u s e
they think they are fiddly to make up. That isn’t the case.
Bags are a means of getting the hookbait and freebies
tight to weed beds and at distance without having to put
FREELINE 66
