freeline-101 - Flipbook - Page 187
ASH GEDEN
for t hat abs olute missi on of a m iss i on b a ck to t he motor. T he
ge ar was t w ice t he weig ht, s o a ke d t h rou g h , but d i d I c are ? I w as
now here ne ar happy w it h t he amou nt of b ait out t he re t hou g h , but
it was a l l I had on me, s o t he f i rst pr i or it y for w he n I got home
w as to g rab more b ait and ge t st r ai g ht b a ck d ow n t he re, s o of f I
shot w it h anot her 7kg , w hi ch wou l d t he n br i ng t he h it up to 1 0 k g ,
ag ain a mixture of b oi li es, p el l e t s , t i ge rs , p ar t i cl e s and l i qui ds . I
ha d b e en putt ing in around 5 kg e ve r y t h re e d ay s for ab out t h re e
we eks s o far, s o I was happy w it h t he r at i o I ha d de p o site d for t he
we ek.
It was nine d ays l ater t hat I w as b a ck d ow n and i n t he are a , s o
t here wasn’t one moment t hat we nt p ast du r i ng t he we ek w h i lst
work ing w here I didn’t t hi n k ab out t he sp ot and w hat m i g ht b e
v is it ing it. I cer t ain ly k ne w w hat p ote nt i a l t he re w as and w hat
t he r iver has to of fer w it h ye ars’ wor t h of k now l e dge, e x p e r i e nc e
and sig ht ings f ir m ly emb e d d e d i n my m i nd. I w as woke n by a
s e r iously fast t a ke on a t ig hte ne d up clutch on my l e f t hand ro d
just b efore 7:30am on 7 t h Au g ust . Hav i ng b e e n w re cke d f rom a
busy we ek, I ne e de d a coupl e more hou rs’ sl e e p i n me r at he r t han
w a k ing up at f irst li g ht to w atch t he w ate r, w h i ch I just re a l ly
d i dn’t have it in me to do t hat mor n i ng and ha d f a l l e n b a ck to
sl e ep. I pro ce e de d to t r y and c ont rol a ve r y ang r y T hame s c ar p
t hat chug ge d around i n f ront of me for a c oupl e of m i nute s w h i lst
I r ubb e d my e yes in an attempt to w a ke up. A l l w as u nd e r c ont rol
t houg h, and numb er t wo of t he s e as on was m i ne, a l ovely d ark
2 0 lb mir ror, e ven t houg h it was a re c aptu re of one I’d ha d of f
t he sur face l ast ye ar a fe w m i l e s up st re am . Wit h t hat , out we nt
anot her 5kg of b ait, and I he a d e d of f home.
I was b ack dow n t hre e d ay s l ate r and fe el i ng ve r y con f i d e nt .
I ar r ive d just as t he lig ht was f a d i ng on Fr i d ay e ve n i ng and
FR E ELINE 6 7
