freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 243
STEVE FISHER
worked very well around t h i s t i me i n c l ud i n g p e a n u t s a n d
m aples. Once particles like c h i cks s t ar te d to “ b l ow ”, we u s e d
to dye the bait other col o u rs . T he f i r s t p e r s o n I saw d o i n g
t h is was Phil Tibbs. He wa s c atc hi ng o n a re g u l a r ba s i s i n t h e
Ho tspot in 1978. Another go o d b a i t th a t I u s e d a l o t i n 1 9 7 9
was PYM baits and p aprika , Ca si la n a n d s oya f l o u r. T h i s wa s
u s ed in a paste form moul d ed a ro u n d t he h o o k .
The “in” tackle in the mi d to l ate seve n ti e s we re S S 4 a n d
S S 6 rods and Tony Fordham s w i t h D a re n th s t an d a rd s b ei n g a
p o pular choice as well. T he s e we re m ad e o f a l l gl a ss a n d c a m e
i n brown or black. I also p u rc ha s e d a p a i r o f Ha rdy Wa l ke r
ro ds from Geoff Bucknell a t Ro d a n d L i n e i n L e w i s h a m . T h ey
were 10 foot 1¼ TC rods a n d we re ve ry ex p en s ive ( I s ti l l h ave
t h ese today). At £3 6.00 p e r ro d , t hi s d o e s n o t s e e m m u c h
m oney, but as the average wa g e fo r s o me o n e o f 17 - 18 ye a rs
o f age was £25.00 a week , i t i s eq u iva le n t o f £ 3 0 0 . 0 0 -p l u s i n
to day ’s money. Most angler s we re u s i n g He ro n b i te in d i c ato r s ,
which later everybody, in c lu d i n g m e, gave to B i l l Wa l ford to
g e t converted by a friend o f hi s , D e l Ro m an g . T h e H e ro n s we re
c o nverted so the antenna c am e o u t si de th e s i d e o f th e b ox ,
which helped give it extra s en s i t iv i ty a nd l i ke t h e E fg e e co ro d
re st were painted black. Ho o ks a n d li n e I u se d at th e t i m e wa s
a u Lion D’or hooks and 8l b Syl ca s t b ro n z e o r B re n t l i n e.
We used silver bobbins a s i n d i ca to rs ( wh i c h we g o t f ro m
l e f t-overs at the factorie s b e hi n d B ro o k l an d s , wh i ch m a d e
l a mpshades). All you did to ma ke t h es e b o b b i n s wa s c u t t h e
m aterial into strips, tie wi th e la s ti c b a n ds , b o i l a n d h ey p re s to
yo u had a bobbin which wa s ve ry l i gh t a n d s e n s i tive – s o b a s i c
a n d cheap. Whenever the bi ns we re f i ll ed u p , a n gl e rs m ad e a
r u sh to jump into them to co l l ec t t he si lve r fo i l . I u s e d k n i t t i n g
FR E E LINE 10 7
