freeline-101 - Flipbook - Page 202
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
DAVID
PHILLIPS
GAYNER
WALLEN
p o nd, stream or dyke – we a lways fo u n d s o m e t h i n g to g o a t ,
a n d catch or not , it was always a n i c e ti me . I m i s s t h o s e e a rly
d ays.
The night before it was a b u zz g e tt i n g eve ry t h i n g re a dy, a n d
we were up early making f la s ks o f co f fe e a n d a p ac k l u n c h e s
fo r the day ahead. Then i t wa s o f f to t h e t a c k l e s ho p a s i t
o p ened, stocking up on the e ss e n t i al s an d l i s te n i n g to th e o l d
h e ads chatting away befo re t he a n ti c i p a t i o n o f wh a t t h e d ay
m i ght bring as we drove to o u r c ho s en ve n u e. T h ey are t ru ly
g reat and very fond memo r i e s , j u s t ca tc hi n g wh a tever ca m e
o u r way, hoping that mayb e o n e d ay we m i gh t c a tc h o n e o f t h e
b i gger ones that we had s ee n l u rk i n g i n t h e d e p t h s . T h i s wa s
d e finitely where my passio n fo r f i s hi n g b e ga n , b u t my f i s h i n g
h a s certainly changed sinc e th e n t ho u gh …
At the age of 12, I move d ho us e , an d t h e R ive r T h am e s wa s
n ow on my doorstep, so i t wa s o n ly n at u ra l t h a t I wo u l d b e
f i s hing it . I still remembe r se e i n g t h e r ive r fo r t h e f i rs t t i me
a n d being overwhelmed by t h e s he e r si z e – w i d e , l o n g a n d
d e ep – a world away from th e 4 f t g i n c le a r dyke I wa s u s e d
to . I didn’t have a clue where to st a r t , b u t I wa s exc i te d to g e t
s t uck in – the mystery of wh at i t h el d i n i t s d e p t h s h ad m e
f rom the very beginning! I s t a r te d s l owly, ta rg e t i n g t h e l o c a l
t ri butaries and backwate r s , a s th ey s e e me d mo re i n t i ma te
a n d a little less intimidat i n g t ha n th e m ai n f l ow, f i s h i n g t h e
o n ly way I knew how, on th e f l o a t , c a tc hi ng n o t h i n g m o re th a n
s mall fish for the first year o r so an d l o s i n g th e o d d be t te r f i s h
to hook pulls and weak tac kl e, b ut a s a lways , h o p ef u l t h a t o n e
d ay I’d catch something sp e c i a l.
I was down one day after s c h o o l , a n d I saw a g uy f is h i n g u n d e r
a n overhanging tree in one o f t he b a ck wa te r s . A s I a p p ro a c h e d
FREELINE 82
