BIG CARP APRIL 2026 RICHARD - Flipbook - Page 217
JOHNASH
KRIS
TERRY
BINGHAM
THORNLEY
DEMPSEY
GEDEN
unlocked the boat for me. The next thing, I was paddling out in
the boat with Daniel shouting, “Be careful, Dad! Don’t fall in!”
I got out there with a to rc h. I wa s us i n g a wa s h ed - o u t p i n k
p o p-up, one of our Tuna an d G a rl i cs , a nd a ll I c o u l d s e e wa s t h i s
p i nk pop-up sitting there an d a b i g p a i r o f wh i te l i p s a ro u n d
i t , just opening and closin g i n t h e to rc hl i gh t . I t c o u l d n’t s e e
m e, as its head was covere d i n we ed , s o I p o s i t i o n e d th e b o a t
r i ght in front so the lips we re fa ci ng m e, a n d I l owe re d t h e n e t
r i ght along the front of th e b o a t . I g o t my n e t t h ere , a n d t h e
l i ps were j ust opening up, an d t h i s p o p - u p wa s j u s t gl ow i n g i n
t h e light of my torch. Its eye s we re a ll c ove re d ove r, s o I k n ow
h e couldn’t see me. It was s o c h e ek y a nd b r i l l i an t t h e way I
d i d it; I started taking some we ed o f f h i s ba c k , a nd I j u s t gave
h i m a little tug with my ho o k l i n k , a n d h e swa m s t ra i gh t i n to
t h e net . I shouted, “Go t him , D a n ! ”
This is no word of a lie a n d t h e st ra n ge s t pa rt o f t h e s to r y…
D a niel’s d one a fair few n i gh ts w i t h m e o n d i f fe re n t la ke s ,
a n d he gets to know the n a me s o f th e f i s h . W h e n we u s e d
to fish Winghams, he used to k now a l l t he n a m e s o f t h e f i s h
‘ c os he had seen me catch k n ow n f i s h , a n d h e h a d h ea rd m e
s p eak about them. He had b e e n l i s te n i n g to t h e g uys d ow n a t
L i nch Hill, and just before we we n t to b ed t h a t n i gh t , h e s ai d ,
“ You’re go nna catch Max Fa cto r to n i gh t , D a d ! ” He s a i d , ” M y
f r i end Max is German, and t he G e r ma n c ar p a re ve ry p re t t y,
a n d Max Factor is a pretty ca r p , s o i t mu s t b e G e rm a n .” I t wa s
a t ypical t hing to come o ut o f a n i n e- ye ar - o l d ’ s mo u t h . N ow,
I ain’t got a clue about M ax Fa cto r; I do n’ t k n ow a ny o f t h e
f i s h in Linch. We got this f i sh i n t h e n e t , a n d i t wa s a b i g f u l ly
s c aled. We weighed it up a t a ro u n d 3 5 lb s an d s t u c k i t i n t h e
re tainer until the morning
FR E ELINE 95
