Angling's essentials?

As June 16th rapidly approaches, so I am attempting to reduce the kit required to an absolute minimum. With my sights set on a couple of drains. out on the flatlands, the desire to remove the barrow from the equation has meant that everything I carry needs a purpose or gets left at home. Short dawn or dusk sessions, in and out within four hours being the plan. No surface fishing, it will be simply placing, via the Nash Bushwhacker system, a baited rig on a spot which will see a regular supply of freebies as the season progresses. The target species is, obviously, those wild Carp which inhabit the crystal clear dykes, however, if the odd Tench were to put in an appearance there'll be no complaints from this direction. 

July 2015 - my first "twenty" since February 1984. Some wait!

If I'm honest about this particular season's efforts, then a PB Carp has to be top of the agenda. It's not about split cane eccentricity, or some old school ideology, nope! I'm fishing for a trophy shot which will be of a Carp that isn't on the mainstream circuit radar. So, straight away, the necessity for the camera kit to be carried is an essential. What I don't need is the tripod when a Gardner Multi-angle Adaptor will provide a very acceptable substitute, via this, very flexible, bankstick monopod option.

I nicked this image from "flea-bay" so apologise for the poor quality

The rod, I've chosen, is a Bruce & Walker 12', 2.25 lbs t/c, HMC  model which was built by Ian Crawley (Leslie's of Luton - St. Alban's branch) around 1983. The reel, a Matt Hayes "limited edition" centrepin (No. 54) loaded with 50 lbs b.s. Berkley "Whiplash" braided mainline, a metre of leadcore leader, a running, in-line, 3.5 oz lead and an 8" hooklink, incorporating that insane Gardner "Rigga" hook pattern.

Bankside essentials have to include a landing net, un-hooking mat, weigh sling/retainer, scales, with spare leads, hook links and assorted gubbins required should I decide to change my set-up. Keeping it simple is my main theme, with my particle mix as my "munga" with flavoured chickpeas and/or IB maize (plastic) as my hook offerings.. I am 100% confident that no other anglers will have ever offered my baits to these fish in previous seasons. With the exception of the IB maize, no other items of my bait are available from tackle shops. 

It doesn't matter how big, or small, a flatlands Carp is? Every single one
is hard earned and worthy of a trophy shot.

As I was going through my final preparations for tomorrow's pre-dawn start, young Tom Lane rang me to find out what my plans were for the coming season. Great to spend time chatting about hopes and expectations whilst also being able to relive some of the fantastic moments that we've experienced out on the flatlands during seasons gone by. Tom has already achieved a 25 lbs plus Carp from this complex of drains, so I've a bit of catching up to do. As he's off to Bridgenorth on The River Severn, for his opening gambit, chasing Chub and Barbel, I'll have a week's head start before our paths cross for real.

I've actually been to Winchester Cathedral, in the hope of seeing
this window. Only to discover that I needed to pay to enter a
place of worship. The God Squad, even more money driven than
the KWT, and that takes some doing!

I'll finish this post by wishing all those, like-minded souls, who'll be out there awaiting that "first cast of the new season"  tight lines! Let's hope that Izaak is looking down favourably on our endeavours but, whatever the outcome, I'll certainly be raising a glass to his memory prior to the mid-night chimes..