freeline-94 - Flipbook - Page 147
DEREK STRITTON
I p urchase another yeast d e r iva tive , wh i c h I d i d n’ t k n ow wa s
a c tive! Anyway, I made my b o i li e s , p u t t h em i n a b ox a n d b e a t
my way off to Moor Hall l ake s i n O c ke n do n E s s ex to d o g re a t
s l aughter! Because o f the a c tive n a tu re o f t h e ye a st , by t h e
t i me I arrived at the lakes, my m arb le s i z ed b a i t s h a d g row n
to footballs, pushed the li d o f f th e b a i t b ox a n d we re c l o s e to
p u shing the boot lid o f th e c a r o p en ! O o p s ! I wa s s o o n l u c k y
e n ough to not only meet Fre d b u t to f i s h w i t h h i m an d h i s
b a its, and other stories be ga n to e m erg e !
One or two friends have b ee n ki nd e n o u gh to co mm e n t a b o u t
my last “Old School” piece. A l th o u gh t hey s a id t h ey e n j oye d i t ,
t h ey also added they wou ld have l i ke d me to s ay m o re ab o u t
t h e “Wilton Years” and al s o th e co mi n g o f t h e “ h a i r ri g .” I ’ l l
b e gin with Fred, whose tho u gh ts , i d e a s an d p ra c t i ces i m p a c te d
s o much on my own fishin g a n d th a t o f eve ry an gl e r wh o h as
fo l lowed. Fred’s idea that c a rp wo u ld b e n e fi t f ro m a n d l e a rn
to eat a high nutritional fo o d wa s li gh t ye ar s a h e a d o f i ts d ay.
To not only put together a b ai t t ha t wa s g o o d fo r t h e f i s h , g ive
i t a “label” that distingui sh e d i t f ro m o t he r b a i t s , a n d t h e n to
p u t a skin on it to prevent i t b e i n g ta ke n by m a ny o t h er s p e c i e s
was simply brilliant . We co u ld b a i t u p k n ow in g t h e b a i t wo u l d
s t ill be intact when the carp c am e u p o n i t , a n d t h os e o f u s wh o
were lucky enough to use i t s i mp ly i m p rove d o u r c a tc h ra te s
b eyond all comprehension . M y re co ll ec t i o n s o f t h o s e ye a rs ,
h owever, are as much ab o u t t h e f u n a n d f r i e n d s h i p s a s t h e
a c tual fishing. Fred is not o n ly a ve r y i n te ll i g e n t a n d t h o u gh t f u l
g uy; he also has a sense o f h u mo ur fa r b eyo n d t h a t o f m o s t .
Hi s ability to tease, torm en t a n d ab u s e (i n a p l e a s a n t way )
k n ew few boundaries, and wh en eve r o ur g ro u p : B o b M o rr i s ,
Ro bin Monday, Alan K ing, Fre d a nd I f i s he d to g e t h e r t h e re wa s
FR E ELINE 37
