| MARK HODSON | |
An angler since he can remember, Mark Hodson almost literally lives, eats and breathes fishing. A match angler in his youth, fishing for the junior Starlets, he turned to the dark side and joined the ‘floppy hat’ brigade in his college years. He worked in the tackle trade for ten years, on a part time or full time basis at Chaplains, one of Birmingham’s busiest tackle shops and managed the specialist department there for two years. He now fishes just for fun, although the ‘floppy specialist hat’ still dominates his angling, his writing concentrates on getting the maximum enjoyment from your angling and trying something different from the norm. |
| ESSENTIAL NON-ESSENTIALS Even though there hasn’t been a close season proper for years, this time of year, the two weeks prior to the river season opening, has remained the time of year when I give my tackle a good spring clean and replace all those terminal bits and pieces that are running low. Why this is I don’t know as the obvious time would be the depths of winter which is when I do the least fishing, but tradition has won through and like the majority of anglers out there I am busy compiling lists of things to do and buy before the 16th. All the usual things are done like cleaning rods, fresh line for reels along with a spray of WD40 for the workings, checking nets, changing catapult elastics, tying rigs and not forgetting getting rid of the mouldy bits of bait that have accumulated in the bottom of rucksacks and carryalls. There are some things that I have come to call my essential non-essentials, that I could not do without, that receive just as much attention as the fishing tackle itself during the pre-season check. These items are things that I believe every angler should carry, or have as a matter of course, as they make your angling that little bit more comfortable, enjoyable and economical. Pills, Potions and Lotions When I was a kid I can remember part of going fishing in the summer was inevitably getting sunburnt, coming home with bright red arms and legs was as commonplace as coming home covered in bream slime and groundbait.
The days of discomfort and peeling seemed to justify the end result of a good day’s fishing, but that changed in the late eighties when my dad had skin cancer and had to have a chunk of his back cut out. My dad, like me, had spent the majority of the summers of his childhood fishing and getting burnt, the result was the skin cancer in later life. I now carry in all my rucksacks and carryalls a bottle of suntan lotion. Never underestimate the damage the UV rays can do to your skin, and some waterproof factor 15 or 20 (anything lower just isn’t worth bothering with) might just save you a lot of grief later in life. Total sun block for the nose and lips is also worth investing in, especially if you fish a lot standing in the water or afloat, as you get the rays reflecting back off the water as well. Of course you could always just set up the brolly and sit in the shade instead, or cover up and wear a good hat, but as we all know this isn’t always practical, so get some suntan lotion and improve the chances of seeing your pension. For those worried about the oily residue left by the lotion getting on your bait and effecting your fishing it hasn’t made a bit of difference to my results. You can even get eco friendly lotions, like the factor 20 in the picture, which is designed for fragile marine environments (this bottle was from Mexico), but if you’re still concerned about your results just wipe your hands using a cleaning wipe after application and apply a quick spray of your favourite flavour and you’ll have no worries. Insect repellent is another must-have. There are those who insist that they never get bitten but, trust me, their day will come. I’ve tried all manner of repellent’s and they all work just as well as the next, some people don’t like applying it to the skin due to the insecticides contained in the repellent. If you’re the same just apply it to your clothing instead. A couple of years ago members of the public were denied access to parts of my local specimen fishery as in the height of summer they were being bitten terribly, and increasing numbers were ending up in A&E with a bad reaction to the bites. A quick spray could save a good days fishing being ruined by the little blood suckers.
I also carry some paracetamol and some anti-histamine tablets, both are invaluable as I’ve lost count of the times I have had a headache whilst fishing, either through de-hydration, squinting at a float or tip all day and of course the odd hangover. The anti-histamine are great for relieving any reactions to stings or bites should the insect repellent fail or you forgot to pack it or wear any in the beer garden the night before. Or you might do what my one mate did and accidentally wipe his rear end with a dock leaf (forgot the toilet roll) that had a stinging nettle attached, the anti-histamines kicked in within ten minutes but they were a very amusing ten minutes. The Car Box This simple little box proves its worth all too often during the fishing year. All it is, as you can see from the picture, is a plastic box which is kept in the back of my motor all of the time. In it is a complete change of clothes, a tub of cleansing wipes and of course the must have emergency toilet roll (so much more comfortable than dock leaves). The uses for all are self explanatory but if a ‘Realtree’ pattern toilet roll was ever released I dare say a few might find their way to the inside of the bivvy or rucksack instead. The bait store At this time of year I do a quick stock check on my bait store and freezer and replenish any dwindling stocks. I do carry an excessive amount of bait at any one time but it gives me a flexibility to change any fishing plans at the last moment and I’m not at the mercy of tackle shop opening hours.
Now I wouldn’t suggest the average angler would find it necessary to stockpile the amount of bait at any one time that I do, but I would suggest that you should start buying the essential baits you use every week in bulk and save yourself a fortune. Just get some airtight containers, such as the blue tubs in the picture (you can buy them from pet food stores if you can’t locate any for free) and these are great for putting sacks of hemp, brown crumb, Vitalin or pellets in and will keep them fresh and mice-free. A bin for storing other bags of groundbait, bulk particles and bulk bags of ready-mades is also useful, as is a storage box to keep all those bottles of flavour and additives together in one place. All these can then be kept in the garage until needed. So remember, if you’re busy sorting through your gear at this time of year ready for the magical 16th, don’t forget those little things that have nothing to with catching fish but could make all the difference between a good day and a day that would have been perfect, if I only had some….. |
