Free Line 108 — September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 167
MICHAEL WEBB
fo r the day ahead, I had a fe el i n g t h at th e c a rp j u s t mayb e
were making the most of th i s . To s ta r t w i t h , I s t u ck t h em a l l
o u t at the same depth at the to p o f t h i s z o n e an d 6 f t u n d e r t h e
s u rface. The plan was to le ave t h e m th e re fo r a c o u p l e h o u r s
a n d then start to explore t he d e p th s a l i tt le m o re . M ov i n g i n to
s p ring, say from April, I wo u ld b e lo o ki n g to be i n t h e to p
t h ird, and this is when I h ave ha d my b e s t re s u l t s , any wh e re
f rom just under the sur face to 4 / 5 f t un d e r. T h e c a rp are t h e n
i n depths you can hopefu lly s ee f ro m a h i gh e r v i e w p o i n t . I
h ave found bite indication to b e ve r y i n te re st i n g, w i t h a si n gl e
b l eep 90% of the time me an i n g t h a t th e h oo k i s i n a ca rp’ s
m outh. The length of line b e t we en t he h o o k a n d t h e l e a d give
t h e carp a lot of scope for move me n t w i th o u t u s eve n k n ow i n g .
Another member came aro u n d fo r a c h at , a n d we s a t t h e re
t a lking about what we th o u gh t wa s go i n g o n . I re m em b e r
s aying to him that I felt li ke I wa s f i s h i n g fo r t h e m to d ay an d
n o t spending another ni gh t b e hi n d mo t i o n l es s ro d s . Fo r s o m e
re ason, I just felt confide n t a n d exc i te d to s e e wha t t h e d ay
h e ld in store.
I t was about three ho urs af te r t h e ro d s we re p u t o u t t h at I
h a d a single bleep on the m i d d le ro d . A s I gl an ce d ove r, t h e ro d
t i p bounced on the tight li n e , an d t h en a s I wa l ke d d ow n , i t
d i d it again. I lifted the rod up a n d fe lt th e re s is t an c e . T h e f i s h
s l owly kited around out in t h e m i d d le , an d i t wa s n’ t u n t i l I g o t
i t within 20 yards that it re al ly wo ke u p . T h e o t h er me m b e r
n o ticed the activity and ca m e a ro u n d to a ss i s t . We c a u gh t a
gl i mpse of the fish as it ro l le d u n d er th e s u rfa c e , a n d i t wa s
c l early visible that i t was a b i g f i s h. T h o u gh t s o f a s i z e 8 a n d
7 l b hook link were n ow play i ng o n my m i n d , a n d t h e f i s h d i d n’ t
want to give in.
FR E ELINE 57
