Free Line 109 — October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 220
ALEX
GRAHAN
PAUL HANSON
STEVE
BENNETT
BRIGGS
STEVENS
rights to this bit, but unfortunately, they lost it just after Christmas.
I had intended to leave the boat alone in the New Year and fish the reminder
of the season from the bank, but with the club losing the section, the boat
was the only option. I went for a look and managed to find a spot I could get
the boat in and have a big feature to fish on the upstream side in the shape
of a large fallen tree in the water. This was baited with copious amounts of
Wraysbury Baits Red Hot Squid and pellet at least once a week. But even
with all the will in the world, I could only fish it once a month due to looking
after my daughter most weekends, and I was now back working full time.
Then the winter floods came. I still made the effort to keep baiting, but it
wasn’t until the last couple of weeks of the season that I managed to get
some ‘free’ time to actually fish. I’ve got to admit, I’ve never had a buzz like
it, driving down to the river to fish for a potential British record barbel and
big carp and chub on a prebaited spot I was 99% sure of actually getting in.
When I eventually got to the swim, I put two rods out on my usual boilie
approach, but one on my “modest” quarter-of-a-tin of luncheon meat rig
that I have caught my biggest barbel on in the past. The first night passed
without a beep, but on the second night, I had a steady take on the luncheon
meat rod, which weirdly turned out to be an upper double figure pike! This
was then followed with a barbel on the left-hand boilie rod, yet another at
10lb 8oz. Not being big headed, but I’ve had every weight in the tens from
10lb 1oz to 10lb 15oz and many of them too, but only few above 11lbs.
The next session, I was confident I was getting some fish in the swim, and
felt like a bite was on the cards. I didn’t have to wait long either, as a 9lb
barbel was soon in the net, quickly followed by another. The river was fining
down, and the colour was dropping out… it really was spot on. I could even
hear the odd crash of fish topping near the boat too, which I wasn’t sure
were carp or barbel. As the night got later and later, I thought the fish had
done the off and went to bed when the right-hand boilie rod fished next to
the tree folded in half and let out an almighty scream!
FREELINE 106
