Sid Payne, email
“if you are at all concerned about the presence of lines and have only found one or two nice spots in front of you then don’t feel you have to put a third rod out”
QDo you think that there are times when we are handicapping ourselves by using, say, three rods instead of just one or two?
AYears ago, when I used to fish with Terry Hearn a fair bit, I asked him why he almost always chose to fish just two rods and not three. He told me it was much simpler and less cluttered – plus he felt he fished better devoting all his attention to a pair of rods rather than diluting it across three.
At the time I thought it a bit odd but now, with age and wisdom, I can see his logic and it should go without saying that he caught plenty of fish just fishing two rods!
Often the third rod can be a hindrance rather than an advantage, especially in really tight swims. There have been times when I have been perfectly happy just fishing one rod, although I’d have to say that in recent years I have become fond of squeezing more than one rod on to a spot - something we never did all those years ago. This tactic, when fishing for ‘pack fish’ on wellstocked lakes, can be really effective.
Back to the original question, if you are at all concerned about the presence of lines and have only found one or two nice spots in front of you then don’t feel you have to put a third rod out. Instead, maybe rig it up and keep it spare and ready to cast at a showing fish!