freeline93 - Flipbook - Page 211
MICHAEL BOND
A f ter the missed opportun i t y t h a t m o r n i n g , I q u i c k ly re e l e d
a l l three rods in, changing f ro m a l ea d c o re l ea d er a n d b o i l i e s
to a more refined fluo roca rb o n l ea d er a n d swe e tc o rn . I wa d e d
o u t onto the shelf, lookin g fo r t he ti ni es t o f c l e ar s p o ts to
d rop my subtle rigs o n, p la c i n g th e l ea d i n th e b l an ke t we e d
w i th around 2ins of hoo k l i n k ly i ng o f f t he c l e a r sp o t – t h e
t rap looked perfect (I reme mb e r th i n k i n g “ T h a t ’ s a b i te ! ” ) . I
p l aced around ten to 15 g ra i n s o f c o r n aro u n d ea c h t ra p a n d
waited for the carp to co me b a c k a nd g ra ze o n t h e sh e l f … I
d i dn’t have to wait long!
T he following morning, at f i r s t l i gh t , th e ca rp ca m e b a c k o n to
t h e shelf. I was seriously exc i te d k n ow i n g I wa s ab o u t to g e t
a bite, and I even filmed th e wh o le e sc a p ad e ! T h e g ro u p o f
f i s h slowly worked thei r way towa rd s my l e f t l i t t l e c l e a r s p o t ,
a n d the first few fish fed ve ry l i gh tly o n th e s p o t b u t ma n ag e d
to swerve the hook bait . T hey move d o n to s p o t n u mbe r t wo ,
p i cking the odd bit of corn u p as t h ey m o s eye d o n th ro u gh t h e
swim, but again, no pick up wa s fo r t h co mi n g . I c o u ld n’ t be l i eve
t h at these carp that are h a rd ly f i s h e d fo r h a d n’ t p i c ke d u p
e i ther of my hand placed, p e rfe ct li t t le swe etc o rn t ra p s ! W h a t
was going on? What carp sw i ms p a s t swe etc o rn ? S t u p i d o n es ,
t h at’s what – ha ha!
T hat morn ing the fish rep e ate d t h e p at te r n fro m t h e p rev i o u s
d ay in coming onto the she lf , h av i ng a l i t tl e g ra z e t h e n s l i d i n g
b a ck off into the depths o f t h e B lu e L ag o o n ( a n d ra t h e r
a n noyingly, still not gettin g c a u gh t) . I wa de d b a c k o u t o n to
t h e shelf to look at my sub t l e li t t le t ra p s , a n d t h e re t h ey l ay,
to tally undisturbed. I sat th e re s c ra tc hi ng my h e a d, t h i n k i n g ,
what’s going on? I could g et t he m fe ed i n g , b u t I c o u l d n’ t g et
t h em to eat a little yellow p i e c e o f p l as t i c c o rn , s o I c h an g e d
FR E ELINE 85
