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A Long Time Coming
Only a month and a bit left to go till the end of the river
fishing season and it’s gone so very quickly, even though I’ve
not got to wet a line very much, especially not on running water for
a number of reasons. The main reason being that my fishing tackle got
nicked twice last year and had to be replaced both times. Despite this,
visits to the river have been more than fruitful and for me, epitomise
the essence of all that is fishing.
Since I last wrote, I’ve managed three trips to the Avon and all have resulted
in fish. The last two sessions have been trying out methods that are new to me,
with tackle that is the best I’ve ever owned. My pride and joy at the moment
is a Youngs Purist Centrepin and that is what I’ve caught all my fish with,
matched with a new Shakespeare rod that is also a joy to fish with.
My approach for these sessions has to adopt a roving approach, with minimal tackle,
so I can fish a number of swims without being weighed down by all those unnecessary
items we always think we’ll need but never see the light of day. Bait for
these sessions has been bread flake on the hook and bread crumb and crushed hemp
as feed. This approach has proved highly successful with a string of chub to
3lb each time I’ve fished. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these sessions,
not because I’ve caught fish, although that is a bonus, but more to see
the wildlife that abounds. Swans and kingfishers have all graced me with their
presence, robins have eaten from my hand, and lambs have danced in the fields
behind me as I’ve fished. The chorus of nature around me too has been fantastic,
so enthralling and captivating in fact that I’ve missed more bites than
I care to mention.
I might manage one or two more trips down to the river before the season ends
and hope to try a different method then, but more of that for next time I think.
As for my next purchase, I’m desperately trying to talk my wife round to
the thought of owning a Landrover Discovery, but at the moment I’m on a
losing battle. Still, if I constantly go back with the car covered in mud, I
might well win one day. The only other option would be to move to Barford, but
I can’t see that happening either.
Well, that’s about it for the moment, but more next month when the end of the season will be upon us.
Tight lines,
Adrian Hartopp
February 2004
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