freeline-94 - Flipbook - Page 170
ED TYMAN
p u t five or so kilos on to t hi s m arg i n al a re a , I rem em b e r
t h inking how with such sh o rt s e s si o n s I wo u l d eve r g e t b i te s .
I was competing against the f i s h a n d o f c o u rs e o t h e r a n gl e r s .
I n my opinion too much ba i t wa s b ei n g p u t i n , a n d I n e ed e d to
d o something different . Su re ly a fe w k i lo s o f f re s h b o i l i e s a n d
a pop-up in the middle wa s a c l ea r da n g e r si g n to t h e s e hi gh ly
p ressured carp? I deci ded to g o dow n th e ro u te o f ve ry fe w
washed-out baits, using b o t to m b a i ts st ra i gh t f ro m t h e b a g
p l aced firmly on the deck. I wa s n ow f i s h i n g w i t h th e c l aw r i g .
T h is rig has been around fo reve r an d i s mu c h u s ed by t h e l i ke s
o f Terry Hearn for goo d re as o n . I t ’s r i di c u lo u s ly ef fe c t ive w i t h
a bottom bait; it’s underu s ed a n d ve r y e a sy to t i e.
I found myself back in the s am e sw i m wh ere I ’ d h a d t h e t wo
s tockies from a few weeks ea rl i er. It wa s re a l ly h o t , a n d a s
I arrived, I found a group o f m u ch be t te r f i s h b a s k i n g i n t h e
s u n. I placed a very small a mo un t o f ba i t a lo n g t h e m a rg i n a l
p a trol route and hoped they wo u ld g e t o n th e fe e d l a te r in t h e
n i ght when things had co o l e d d ow n . I ha d wo rke d o u t t h at
t h ere were two distinct fe ed i n g s p e l ls o n t h e wa te r – d a rk
u n til about 1am and 5am u n ti l a b o u t 8 a m . A s th e s u n c a m e u p ,
I was awoken to one si ngl e b e ep o n t h e l ef t h a d ro d . As I l ay
b a ck down, bracing mysel f fo r th e p ac k u p , o f f s h e we n t . T h e
l i ne tightened, and I instan t ly k ne w t h i s wa s a be t te r f i s h , a n d
t h e old knees started to wo b b l e.
After what felt like a tita n i c b a tt l e, I s l i p p e d t he n e t u n d er
a n immaculate chestnut b row n co mm o n j u s t ove r 2 0 l b. N o t
o n e of the A-Team, but like I s a i d , i t’ s n o t a l l a bo u t t h e s i z e ,
a n d this was one of the fin e st co mm o n c a r p I h a d eve r c a u gh t .
I was made up and had le arn t a lo t a b o u t my ow n a ngl i n g
l e ading up to that capture .
FREELINE 60
