freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 210
ROBIN DIX
excited is an understateme n t; t he f i s h we n t o n to be n a m e d
t h e Dustbin when Terry Pe t Hyb r i d g e wa s lo ok i n g t h ro u gh my
p h oto albums and said, “Co r ! I b e t th a t ea t s l i ke a D u s tb i n ! ”
As Andy and Chris took t he p h o to s , Ja n s ai d , “ Have yo u s t i l l
g o t a rod out?” Shoot! I ha d th e ro d i n t h e di p o n t h e b a r! “ I t ’ s
r i pping off,” he said. “I w i ll ju s t hi t a n d h o l d i t .” I s ai d , “ N o ,
J a n. Take it! I need to get th i s f i s h b a c k.”
Back went the leather as Ja n h e ld t h e ro d . “ I t h i n k i t’ s o n a n d
i n weed,” he said. I didn’t a rg u e w i th h i m, an d t h e f i s h c a me i n
i t s head covered in weed. I t we n t i n to t he n e t f i r st t i m e, a n d
I recognised it as the Sma ll Co m mo n , a c ra ck i n g f i s h , wh i c h I
h a d been lucky enough to c a tc h a c o u p le o f t i me s p rev i o u s ly.
I u nhooked it in the water an d l et i t sw i m away. I t h a d b e e n a
b u sy few minutes…
I was then away on holiday n n o t f i s hi n g , b ut I re t u rn e d , f i re d
u p wanting to get back on t he l ake . A co up l e o f t h i n g s s o u re d
my return. Sometimes wh en yo u he l p p e o p l e o u t , te a c h i n g
t h em how to prepare bai t , i t c an b a c kf i re o n yo u , a n d I wa s to l d
s everal of the fish had be e n o u t o n t h e p a r t i c l e s I wa s u s i n g ,
n also that the Bronze Lea th e r h ad b e en c au gh t , d ro p p e d a n d
d i ed the day after. I was b i tte rly di sa p p o i n te d a n d n ee d ed to
g e t away and fish somewh ere e l se . A n dy h a d i nv i te d m e to f i s h
l i t tle Frensham with him, s o I to o k h i m u p o n h i s o f fe r. T h i s
I i ntended to do for the re st o f t h e s u mm er, a s I al re a dy h a d
p l ans to join Pete and Ken ny o n Wrays b ur y 1 fo r t h e a u t u m n .
I decided on a change of bait when I moved over to Frensham.
I swapped my base mix over to a new recipe based on the YHS
mix. I like milk/bird food baits and still use them today. With
this I used a powdered oyster flavour. I wish I could still get
this; it was a great flavour and a very different sort of smell. I
FREELINE 74
