GOING BACK TO BASICS

TIM HILLS, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

I have been fishing for well over 40 years and am always amazed at the latest must-have gadgets that are more likely to catch the fisherman rather than their quarry, or the latest must-try techniques. Nevertheless, I still look through the pages of your magazine and look at a technique while thinking ‘not tried that, gonna have to’ or look at the latest gadget and add it to my wish list, even though my tackle box has an array of equipment that is still in the packaging, unused. One day I might use it, you never know. I see there is even a camouflaged unhooking mat – why? If it’s on the floor the fish can’t see it, and don’t get me started on the camouflaged underwear I’ve seen in an advert. I’m at the age where I remember biking down to the local lake with the rod strapped to my pushbike, box over my shoulder that doubled up as a seat, and half a loaf of white bread for bait. Now when I go it’s like a military operation that starts the evening before with preparing my pellets and getting everything ready. In the morning I empty the car boot so I can get everything in, as well as filling up the back seat with my carp chair. When I get to the lake, incidentally the same one I used to bike to, it takes me two trips from the car to the water before I can finally set up to fish. Admittedly I’ve sometimes gone back to basics and just gone down with one rod and a tin of sweetcorn and had a really great day’s fishing. The fish don’t know that they are supposed to just eat the latest wonder bait, nor do they care what technique or tackle you are using. If they are hungry they’ll eat anything you stick in front of them. I think everyone once in a while should leave all their gear and bait indoors and just spend an afternoon with one rod, one float and a tin of sweetcorn – it’s great, try it!