freeline-97 - Flipbook - Page 172
JOHN BARNES
l evels of difficulty on site , a n d th e f i sh i n g , b e i ng d ays o n ly,
g ives every angler a level p lay i ng f i el d . B ut o n t h e f i r s t a n d
t h ird Saturdays of each mo n t h, yo u ca n f i s h a n i gh t , a n d to b e
h o nest , this usually tricks a fe w o f th e bi gg e r f i s h i n to co mi n g
o u t , as seemed the case on my la s t tri p .
I will usually wet a line i n a fe w o f t h e wa te rs i n o n e d ay,
ra cking up a good few mi l es . B e c au s e mo s t o f t h e re s e rvo i r s
a re big sil t bowls, the fish a re u s u al ly o n t h e m ove , a s t h e re
a ren’t many features to ho l d t h em , s o wa lk in g a b o u t b a i t i n g
a n d keeping a firm eye o n t he s p o t s a n d m ak i n g s u re I ’ m g e tt i n g
o n fish is what my aim i s. B u t t h i s t r i p wa s a b i t d i f fe re n t , a s
t h ey stayed in the same a re a o f my f i r st sw i m fo r my wh o l e
t ri p, so I gave them a good he l p i n g o f St i c ky ’ s Kr il l a n d M a n i l l a
b o ilies in mixed sizes over t h e to p o f th e t h re e b ri gh t p o p - u p s
I had out . These were fish ed a t l o n g ra n ge i n to s h al l ow wa te r
a n d deep silt where I’d se en t h em s h ee t i n g u p a n a b s o lu te ly
J a cuzzi like patch of fizz w i t h t he o d d g i ll c l e a n i n g ro l l o n t h e
s u rface every now and aga i n , exc i t i n g me eve n m o re , k n ow i n g
t h ere were bites to be had.
I do know the area well , an d by th e a mo u n t o f t i me s I ’ ve
wound in from there with b l o o dwo r m i mp a l e d o n t h e h o o k …
well it doesn’t take a roc ke t s ci en t i s t to k n ow why t hey ’ re
s t aying put! I had to use a b i g e n o u gh l ea d to re a c h t h e sp o ts ,
b u t I also know how soft th e b o t to m i s , so I h a d to m ove my
s a fety bead right up on my l ea d co re l ea d er, c o u p l e d w i t h my
own original pop-up rig, wh i c h i s mo st we ll k n ow n th e s e d ays
o u tside Walthamstow as t he Ro n n i e o r s p i n n e r. I f i sh e d t h i s
s l ow sinking on a helicop te r s t yl e wi t h h e li s a fe s an d 4 o z l e a d s .
My first two bites were s ma ll c o mm o n s , n ot t h e b i g g e s t f i s h ,
b u t one was short an d chun k y, a n d t he o th e r wa s a l o n g c ri c ke t
FREELINE 60
