freeline-101 - Flipbook - Page 214
LEE GRIFFIN
BILL
DICK
DAVID
PHILLIPS
GAYNER
WALLEN
to get out on the river and c a tc h m o re ca r p wa s s t ro n ge r t h a n
ever! As time went on, I d ec i d e d th e b a n k wa s to o bu sy a n d
c rowded for me, and I need e d a c ha n g e , s o I b o u gh t a b o a t a n d
s l owly bec ame even more o b se s s ed w i th t he r ive r a n d t h e c a r p
– hunting them in the clos e s e as o n wh en t h e wa te rs a re c l e a r,
b e dding down in the colder mo n th s wh en t h e wa te r’ s mu rk y,
p repping areas, baiting sp o ts a nd wa tc hi ng t h e m fe e d ! T h re e
n i ghts a week is just no rma l n ow… we ll , i t h a s b ee n for t h e
l a st 4-5 years. June til Dec em b er i s g e n era lly my s e a s o n , a n d
h o nestly, I’ve never dedic a te d mys el f to a p a s s i o n l i ke I h ave
d o ne to my river carp fishi n g ! Ca r p f i s h i n g ove r t he l a s t f ive
ye ars has become a massive p a r t o f wh o I a m a s a p e rs o n! T h e
u n known and unexplored d ep t h s o f th e m i gh t y R ive r Th a m e s
a n d the potential and myste r y o f wh at i s s t i ll sw i mm i n g a ro u n d
u n caught down there is wh at dr ive s m e to d o i t . I h ave ca u gh t
s o me really stunning fish ove r th e ye ars . W h e re t h ey s ta rte d
l i fe, who knows? Did they g row f ro m s p aw n i n t h e T h a m e s ?
D i d they, like most , enter i n th e f lo o d s ? E i th e r way, I j u s t c a n’ t
g e t enough of the aweso me c h ara cte rs t he rive r h o l d s .
Over the last few seaso n s , al l o f my h a rd wo rk , d rive a n d
d e termination to keep on g o i ng th ro u gh a ll t h e b l anks an d al l
t h e drama and stress that c o m e s w i th c arp f is h i n g ha s s e r ve d
m e well. I’ve managed to c a tc h m a ny d i f fe re n t ch a ra c te rs f ro m
t h e river: long ones, stumpy o n e s, fa t o n e s, s c aly o n e s , c h i l l e d
o n es, angry ones and I’ve h a d n i n e d i f fe re n t 3 0 l b - p l u s c a r p to
over 37lbs with a back-up o f g n arly, d ark c o l o u rf u l wa rr i o rs !
I ’ ve had barbel to over 18 lb s , c h u b to 7 lb - p l u s , p erc h to ove r
3 l bs, pike to double figure s, b re am to 1 0 l b -p l u s a n d g ra s s c a r p
to mid 20s! It’s been an ep i c j o u rn ey s o fa r, a n d I c a n’ t wa i t
to see what the future ha s i n s to re ! I’ m f ul ly h o o ke d o n o l d
FREELINE 94
