Free Line 108 — September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 161
MICHAEL WEBB
a round 10-15 baits over e a c h, my u su a l mi x of t h e P ro M a ri n e
a n d the Pro Seed. The nigh t p as s e d u n eve n tf u l ly, w i t h n o t h i n g
s e en to go on.
We seem to have escap ed a h a rs h w i n te r t h i s ye a r. Th e
weather has been quite wa rm re ce n t ly w i th s o me g o o d p e ri o d s
o f sunshine. I had heard th ro u gh f r i e nd s o f s o me l a ke n e tt i n g s
t h at had been happening an d t ha t o n e h ad b e e n ve ry s u c c es s f u l .
I t was done on the shallowe st are a o f a l a ke , wh i c h i s a ro u n d
4 f t . I decided to have a goo d l o o k i n t h e c o rn e r s o f t h e M a n o r…
m aybe they had been hold i n g u p i n t he s ha l l owe r c o rn e r s o f
t h e One or the End Pads. I ke p t an eye o n t h e s e a re a s , b u t i t
d i dn’t seem to me that thi s wa s th e ri gh t move .
With another mild day fo re ca s t wi th h i gh p re s s u re , d ay te m p s
o f 14 degrees and eight ho ur s o f s u n s hi ne , I d e c i d ed to ge t o n
t h e zigs. I had a move to a sw i m k n ow n a s t h e Ro p e . T h i s sw i m
g ives access to quite a lot o f wa te r i n c o m p a ri s o n to o th e rs .
I t ’ s an area out in the midd l e th a t th e c arp l ove to s p e n d a l o t
o f their time in throughou t t h e ye ar. T h ey a re o f te n s e e n h e re
away from the angling pre ss u re a nd s o a k i n g u p t h e su n .
I missed a massive op p o r tu n i t y l as t s p r i n g, wh i c h mo s t
d e finitely cost me fish. T he re we re bi te s to be h a d , b u t , i n
my stubbornness, I didn’t g e t i nvo lve d. T he p rev i o u s ye a r I
h a d done well fishing on th e b o t to m a n d m a n a g e d to c a tc h
c o nsistent ly. I stuck with i t th i s s ea s o n , exp ec t i ng t h e b i te s
would eventually come. A l th o u gh I ma n ag e d a fe w, t h e z i gs
o u tfished the bottom by fa r. N o t o n ly t ha t , b u t a fe w o f t h e
l a ke’s trickier residents sl i p p e d u p o n c e o r t w i c e o n t h e z i g s .
I think the weather p laye d a m as s ive p art i n t h e s uc c e s s o f t h e
z i gs last year. We seemed to go f ro m a l o n g , c o l d wi n te r w i t h
t h e Beast from The East in M a rc h to p re tt y m u c h s u mm er l i ke
FR E ELINE 51
