freeline-101 - Flipbook - Page 219
DAVID
DICK GAYNER
WALLEN
h e avily scaled mirror o f 3 0 lb 4 o z . I de c i d ed to re t a i n t h e f i s h ,
a s I usually do when I catc h, to al low t he f i s h to re c ove r an d
to give the spot chance to re st a f te r th e c o mm o t i o n, h o p e f u l ly
a l l owing the other fish to m ove b ac k i n an d c o n t i n ue fe e d i n g.
W ith the fish secure, I reca s t th e eve r -fa i th f u l 1 5 m m wa s h ed o u t Pink Citruz pop-up pre se n te d o n a mu lt i -r i g b ac k to t h e
s p ot . After half an hour to 4 5 mi n u te s, i t wa s away aga i n ,
b u t this fish was a whole d i f fe re n t b e a s t , g iv i n g a g o o d 1 0 1 5 minutes of powerful run s an d h o ld i n g h e r ow n – a re a l ly
m ean battle! But after a p ro p e r g o i n g ove r, f i n a l ly t h e b a t tl e
was won, and staring into my n e t , I co ul d n’ t q u i te b e l i eve i t .
I expected to see a long, p owe r f u l m i d 2 0 c o m mo n , bu t n o –
i t was ano ther big mirror, b u t d i f fe re n t i n a p p e ara n c e to t h e
l a st . It was a big, dark wide - b o d i ed f i sh w i t h b i g , s l o p i n g h ea d
a n d droopy stomach and a fe w s c al es o n e i th e r s i d e – a n u t te r
d i nosaur of a fish! It wasn’ t q ui te a n e w p ers o n a l b e s t , b u t
FR E ELINE 99
