BIG CARP APRIL 2026 RICHARD - Flipbook - Page 191
JOHNASH
KRIS
BINGHAM
THORNLEY
GEDEN
b u t to others… well, they ’d neve r k now.
I managed to wake T homa s an d c o a x h i m o u t o f t h e c o m fo r t
o f the bag to see the fish a n d t ake a fe w p i c t u re s . He wa s
p l eased to see the common o f 1 8 l b , t h o ugh I ’m n o t su re h e wa s
w i de awake enough to fully a p p re ci ate i t , s o h o p e f ul ly t h e re
would be more to come. T h o m a s wa s q u i c k ly b a c k to sl e e p ,
b u t for me, expectant of a n o th e r b i te to fo l low, i t wa s a l i t t l e
h a rder to drop off. The nex t f i s h wo u ld h o l d of f u nt i l f i rs t l i gh t
t h ough, and a finicky indi ca t i o n re su l te d i n a p ri sti n e m i rro r
o f 20lb. A few snaps and b a ck s h e we n t n o n e t h e wo rse fo r
h e r appearance. With the ro d b a c k o n t h e s po t an d j u s t a fe w
S p ombs to top up the area, t h e s es s i o n wa s fa l l i n g i n to p l ac e ,
s o I thought .
The daytime wen t by w i t h n o a ct i o n o r s i g n s o f f i s h a t
o u r end of the water, tho u gh I co u l d ha rd ly c o m p l a in . I wa s
g e tting the best of both wo rl ds , b e i n g o u t o n t h e b a n k wh i l e
s p ending time with two o f t he m o s t i m p o r ta n t p e o p l e i n my
l i fe. We sp ent the day shar i n g l a ugh s a n d p l ay i n g ga m es wh i l e
p e riodically trying to activa te t he sw i m by to p p i n g u p w i t h b a i t
a n d discussing the hows, wh en s a n d whys o f c a rp a n gl i n g … I
was in my element . T hey s ay t i me f li e s wh e n yo u a re h av i n g
f u n, and that was certainly t r u e o f th i s tr i p . I t wa s s o o n t i m e
to order takeaway, a plus o f f i s hi n g s uc h a p o p u l a r d ay ti c ke t
water. Needless to say, the f re sh ai r h ad t a ke n e f fe c t a ga i n , a n d
t h e pizza stood no chance a ga i n st t h e th re e h u n g ry a n gl e r s .
I topped up the spot onc e m o re a n d re b ai te d t h e r i gs , re a dy
fo r the evening ahead. It s ee m ed th e f i s h wo u l d m ove i n to o u r
e n d of the lake at night , and I wa s s u re o f mo re l i gh t l e s s a c t i o n .
I t wasn’t long before a one - to n e r u n m a de th e b oys j u m p , a n d
I quickly bent into what fe lt l i ke a b e tte r f i sh , w i t h b o t h b oys
FR E ELINE 6 9
