freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 157
DAVE HYDE
TWO DAYS IN
SEPTEMBER
The alarm rang out its to r t u o u s c r y a t 4 . 2 0 a m . I f eve r t h ere
was a time I could have tur n e d ove r a n d g o n e s tra i gh t b a c k to
sleep, it was then. In addition to the hectic week of work and long
j o urneys, I’d only had 12 h o u rs ’ sl e ep i n fo u r d ays . Eve n tu a l ly
I managed to crawl out o f b e d , a n d w i th my eye s a l m o s t h av i n g
to be propped open with m atc hs t i c ks , I d rove th e h al f - h o u r
j o urney to the lake. On arr iva l, c o n d i ti o n s l o o ke d p e rfe c t – t h e
s k y was overcast and the la ke d e se r te d. I el e c te d to f i s h my
favourite swim, which wa s a s i mp l e n a rrow p l at fo rm j u t t i n g
o u t into the water from be low a h i gh b a n k. Fro m t h i s sw i m I
h a d the great advan tage t h at I co ul d al mo st c a s t to a ny p o i n t
o f the lake and also be able to l an d f i s h w i th o u t th e i m m ed i a te
o b stacle o f snags in f ront o f me . T h e o n ly d i s a dva nt a g e w i th
t h is swim was the bushes a n d t re es b eh i n d , wh i c h m ad e l o n g er
c a sting to the opposite ban k a l i tt l e di f f i cu l t .
Despite the seemingly go o d c o n d i t i o n s , my f i rs t i m p re s s i o n
a s I looked out across the wa te r wa s th a t i t l o o ke d d e ad . T h e re
were no signs of bubbling , ro l li n g o r le ap i n g , wh i c h n o r ma l ly
s i gnified that it would be a g o o d d ay ’ s f i sh i n g . I wa s a l i t t le o u t
FR E ELINE 2 7
