freeline-94 - Flipbook - Page 190
MICHAEL
ROB
MAYLIN
BONDand FRIENDS
G e off asked me if I had he a rd o f a c a r p a n gl e r f ro m L o u th i n
L i ncolnshire called Rod Hu tc hi ns o n . I to l d hi m I h ad a n d t h a t
I had read a couple of art i c le s o n f i s h i n g m a p l e p ea s . We l l ,
h e said he had written a b o o k , a n d i n t he b oo k we re ri g s , a n d
when this book came out , i t wo u ld b l ow c a rp f i s h i n g w i d e
o p en and carp fishing wou ld n eve r b e t he s a m e a ga i n! !
He was t alking of cour s e a b o u t Ro d ’ s f i rs t b o o k “ Ro d
Hu tchinson’s Carp Book”, an d h ow ri gh t h e wa s . As i t h a p p e n s ,
Ro d decided not to publish t h e h a i r r i g i n h i s b o o k , n eve rt h el e s s
i t opened everyone’s eyes to wh at wa s p o s s i b l e, a n d i n d e ed
fo r me and thousands o f c a rp a n gl er s , ca r p f i s h i n g wa s n eve r
t h e same again.
By the tim e his second bo o k c a me o u t , T h e Ca rp S t r ike s B ac k ,
Ro d had become a big nam e wi t h h i s ow n b ai t a n d ta c k l e ra n g e .
Hi s tales of little Brian an d h i m a t Savay a n d Pa u l G u m m er a t
Ha refield entertained the c a r p wo rl d. I h ad j o i n e d S avay o n a
d ay ticket for a year before my i nv i te to b e p a rt of t h e L o o ny
Ro ta came along. This was p re -Ho rs e a n d B a rg e ; i n t h o s e d ays
we would drive a couple of m i le s to a n o t he r p u b , o n t h e c a n al ,
T h e Fisheries. Here Rod wo u ld h o l d co ur t , s a t at t h e h e ad o f
t h e table, or dancing on i t . A lways t he j o ke r b u t neve r t h e
fo ol, Rod was already pla n n i n g to m o r row ’ s a s s a u l t , a h e a d o f
t h e rest as usual. Rod and I h i t i t o f f i m me d i a te ly ; o u r l ove
o f bait resulted in him wr i ti n g t he b a i t c h a p te r i n my b o o k .
We then fished the North Ha r row Wa lto n i a n s b u t a l t h o u gh h e
c a ught a few, this was his b o g ey wa te r, u n li ke m e wh o c o u l d
n o t put a foot wrong.
Ro d chose to head off to Fra n ce – Ca ss i e n , t h e R ive r L o t – i n
fa ct everywhere, and the wo rl d b e c am e hi s oys te r. Howeve r
we kept in touch, and wh en I s t a r te d B i g Ca rp i n 199 1 , Ro d
FREELINE 80
