Ajing in the middle of winter, with wind speeds of 5 metres per second or more, makes my hands feel as though they might freeze.
My trembling hands keep the lure twitching constantly…
Well, perhaps not quite that much.
Letting the tip do the work
When it is windy, I use a stiffer rod: the 34 Advancement HSR-610.
This rod suits this particular spot remarkably well. Once the rig is at the fish’s depth, the rebound of the tip sets the hook by itself.
Even when I feel a bite, I leave it alone. The tip makes its own little lift. It is almost too good.
An automatic hook-set. There is something artistic about that.
The enjoyment of this automatic hooking is enough to carry me through the cold.
Tap, tap, tap… Oh—hold on. Resist the urge to do anything.
It is fascinating to watch the tip.
Twitch, twitch, twitch… tug, tug, tug… then a long, hard pull.
Hooked. Just like driving an automatic car.
A modern way of fishing, this.
It happens the same way, time after time.
A trick made possible by the combination of this rod and a Split Shotter hook.
Or so I think.
Related: my notes on Split Shotter hooks. This describes the author’s experience at one fishing spot, not a guaranteed hook-setting method.
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