freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 222
ROBIN MONDAY
e l even-foot , one-and-thre e- q u arte r te st c u rve f i b regl a s s ro d s
w i th hard chrome guides we re c ho s en . M i tc he l l 3 00 re e l s we re
l o aded with 8lb breaking s t ra i n l i n e a n d a s ize 4 M u s t a d h o o k
c o mpleted the setup. So me ro d re st s , a 4 5 - in c h b ro lly a n d a
l a nding net had to be obt a i n ed , a l o n g w i t h a S t u a r t b ox fo r
b i ts and pieces to go in. Efg e ec o we re t h e ma i n t ack l e m a ke rs
i n those days, and cho ice wa s n o t a n o p ti o n ; yo u j us t h a d to
h ave what was on offer. Bed c h ai rs we re un h e a rd o f , s o we h a d
to improvise by using Argo s s un l o u ng e rs . A n ex t ra c ove r we n t
over the top with a sheet o f fo a m i n s er te d b e t we e n to m a ke
t h em more comfortable. Five o r s i x ye ar s la te r, a lo c a l l a d , A l a n
L i pscombe, who had access to a wo rks h o p d i d a c o nve rs i o n fo r
u s by cutting the legs off th e lo un g e r a n d f i t t i n g a n ad j u s t a b l e
o n e – no ratchets, just a s e r i e s o f h o l es i n t h e l eg w i t h a s p l i t
p i n and a circlip. My mum h ad b e e n c o ll e ct i n g th e to p s o f f t h e
washing up bottles for me , a n d re d, g re en a n d ye l l ow o n es
were now in my box ready fo r t h e s ta rt o f t h e n e w se a s o n .
Some more of the things we ta ke fo r g ra n te d n owa d ays we re
n o t available in the early 7 0 s : l e ad s , c at a p u l ts , sp o d s a n d
m arker floats. Buzzers, as we c al l ed t he m i n t h o s e d ays , h ave
p robably seen more attenti o n t ha n a ny o t h er p a r t o f yo u r k i t .
Ho memade versions were e c li p se d wh en t he He ro n c a me o n th e
m arket , a buzzer with a cru d e p i e c e o f wi re t h a t t he l i n e pu l l ed
over to one side when you g o t a b i te . Two ad ju s t i n g s c re ws o n
t h e side gave you some s o rt o f s en s i t iv i ty a d j u s t me n t , a n d
e a ch buzzer had an extensi o n l e ad t ha t ra n b a c k to a c on t ro l
b ox with a light on it for ni gh t f i s h i n g . E l e ct ro n i c ex p er t s c a m e
o u t the woodwork and were s o o n f i tt i n g G P O co n t a c ts i n to t h e
h e ads for better control, vo l um e a n d to n e c o n tro l s an d b e t te r
q u ality jack plugs to save o n b a t te r y l i fe . M a ny o f yo u w i l l b e
FREELINE 86
