freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 165
JOHN ANDERSON
h e re on the Island. My o ld la ke , Ha le Co m m o n , wa s l o o k i n g
awesome, and by n ow it ha d a g o o d h e ad o f f i s h , th e s a m e
o n es I was catching at mid d o u b l es . I s e t a b o u t re a c q u a i n t i n g
myself wit h them to low 3 0 s , a nd t hey we re s t i l l g row i n g . O n e
m ate in particular, Tim Oa tl ey, h a s d o n e s o m u ch for c a rp i n g
h e re. Yes, undoubtedly it wo u ld b e we ll o n i t s way by n ow, n o t
fo rgetting also the p assio n a n d ef fo r t s o f o t h e r g o o d p e o p l e
to o, but nowhere near what t he Is l a nd ’ s f i sh i n g o f fe rs w i t h o u t
h i s dedication and hard wo rk th a t he s t i ll c o n t i n u e s w i t h to d ay.
Ha le Common, Rookley, T h e Have n , t h e am a z i n g M o n ks Po o l
a n d Blackwater all now have a n i n cre di b le h ea d o f fi s h , s o m e
a l ready some tipping that m ag i c a l 4 0 l b b a r r i e r.
When my Blackwater tic ke t c am e up e i gh t ye a rs ag o , I wa s
m ore than excited. The cha n c e o f my U K 4 0 wa s c l o s er th a n
ever; there were four or five i n t he re a t t he t i m e. I a lways t ry
to keep in mind those simp le wa te rc ra f t s ki l ls . O f c o u rs e , f ro m
t i me to time I have varied stu f f b ut a lways t ri e d to m ai n t a i n t h a t
o l d school approach. For a ve ry lo ng ti m e n ow, an d s t i l l to d ay,
a s imple running lead of 2 o r 3 o z m ax i m u m i s s t i l l a b i g t h i n g
fo r me with a combi-link/l i n e al i g n er h o o k l i n k c o mp l e t i n g my
e n d gear for most of my fi s hi n g . I c a n’ t g o to a ven u e w i t h o u t
h aving a walk around firs t , an d I ’m j us t am a ze d h ow m any
a n glers, even today, don’t p o s se s s a p a i r o f b i n o c u l a rs !
Blackwater has roughly a n i n e- mo n th s ea s o n , c l o s i n g f ro m
s p awning until the first we ek o f S ep te mb e r. T h e re su l t s i n t h e i r
h e alth and growth rates sp ea k fo r t h em s e lve s , a n d a l th o u gh I
h ave other places I can fis h , I ra re ly f i s h fo r c a r p d u r i ng t h e
s u mmer months. I just love t h e a ut u mn / wi n te r a n d t hro u gh
t i l l late spring, and that n i n e -m o n th s ea s o n h a d b e e n m o re
t h an kind to me over the f i r st ye ar s w i th lo t s awe so m e f i s h
FR E ELINE 39
