freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 225
ROBIN MONDAY
to come off the reel. The s ea s o n s t ar te d at 1 2 p m, an d b ai t s
were cast out . We alternate d t he ro d s to h ave an eve n c h a n c e
o f catching if the carp cam e o n t he fe ed . L u c k i ly fo r me , Pa u l
l i ked his s leep, and after s eve n ru n s, I f i n a lly h oo ke d i n to my
f i rst fish of the new seaso n . T h e f i r s t si x ru n s I h i t fo rg e t ti n g
to shut the bale arm. My ne w p e r so na l b es t n ow m oved u p to
1 9 lb 14oz – there’s hones ty fo r yo u . Fre d i n s t i l l e d i n me t h e
b e nefits of being honest , a n d I ’ve c a r r i e d i t o n t hro u gh o u t my
a n gling career. You are on ly fo o l i n g yo u r s el f i f you a d j u s t t h e
weights to increase your l o g . By th e e n d o f t h e s e s s i o n , I h a d
m astered the art of hittin g a ru n – s h u t th e b al e a rm , c o u n t
to three and then lean into t he f i s h . N o h ai r ri g s t h e n ; h o o ks
were buried in the bait an d a p i e c e o f p a s t a wo u l d b e p l a c e d
u n der the bend of the hoo k to wi th s ta n d t h e fo rc e o f t h e c a s t .
A few more fish graced o ur n e ts th a t we eke n d , a n d I we n t b a c k
to work a happy bunny.
My enthusiasm for carp f i s hi n g h a d b e g un to r u l e my l i fe . I
f i s hed at least four nights a we ek , a n d th e ot h e rs we re s p e n t
m aking bait for the next s e s s i o n . Fre d’ s b a i t ma d e m e a fa r
b e tter angler than I wou ld h ave b e en , a n d fo r t h a t , Fre d , I
w i ll be eternally grateful. M y f i rs t s e as o n s to t a l to o k m e p a s t
5 0 double-figured carp p l u s p le n ty o f s i n gl e s , b u t I n eve r
s u rpassed that 19lb 1 4o z f i s h f ro m my o p e n i n g s es s io n . B o b
c l aimed the first 1 00 dou b le s i n a si ngl e s e a s o n a fte r o u r
ve ry successful winter o n Bys i n g wo o d i n Fave rs h a m. We
f i s hed every weeken d thro u gh o u t th a t wi n te r i n o rd e r to ke e p
c a tching. As there were n o b iv v i e s, we h ad to ma ke o u r ow n .
B o b’s was a large tarpauli n t h at c ove re d an d h u n g dow n f ro m
h i s brolly, and mine was a p l as t i c s h ee t c o n n e c te d to t h e ri b s
FR E ELINE 89
