freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 160
DAVE HYDE
b u t as soon as it touched t he g ro u n d th e f i s h s o m er s a u l te d ,
p u lling free from the hook an d t he n fe ll s tra i gh t i n to t h e wa te r. I
l o oked down in amazemen t , wo n d e r i n g wh et h e r I h a d ac t u al ly
c a ught a fish or not . Havi ng re ga i n ed my s e n s e s , I re c a s t to
t h e lily bed. I decided my b e s t b e t af te r a ll th e c o m m o t i o n wa s
to recast the other bait to t he p o t a mo g e to n b e d o n t h e o t h e r
s i de of the lake, a spot wh i c h h a d o f te n p ro d u c e d fi s h fo r me
a t around midday.
The sun was now shinin g b r i gh tly, a n d t h e gl a re f rom t h e
water was shining direct ly i n to my eye s. B eh i n d my sw i m ,
I had the disadvantage o f t he t re es a n d b u s h e s , wh ic h h a d
g rown considerably since my la s t v i s i t a n d m a d e i t d i f f i c u l t
to obtain the swing requi re d to g e t t he b a i t to t h e c o r re c t
p o sition, so with a quick f l i c k f ro m th e w r i s t , I pu n c h e d t h e
l e ad out . I t seemed to be g o i n g fo reve r, a n d eve n t ua l ly I h ad
to check the line. It was a to t a l m i s c as t w i t h t h e b ai t l a n d i n g
i n a perfect position unde r a b us h o n th e o p p o s i te b a n k . I n
a l l the years the lake had be e n f i s h ed , I b e t n o o n e h ad eve r
m anaged to cast to that sp o t , b e i n g v i rt ua l ly i m p o ss i b l e f ro m
a l l angles. It certainly had to b e wo r t h l eav i n g t he b a i t t h e re
fo r half an hour or so, even t h o ugh t h e c ha n ce s o f m a n a g in g to
l a nd anything from there lo o ke d s l i m w i t h a p o t a mo ge to n b e d
f ive yards to one side and ex te n di n g a b o u t 2 5 fe e t o u t f ro m
t h e bank, and to the other s i d e a li ly b ed .
I didn’t have to wait ha l f a n h o u r t ho ugh ; n o s o o n e r h a d I
s a t down and wiped the swe at f ro m my b row t h a n th e O pto n i c
s o unded and the indicator l i f te d s lowly to t h e to p o f th e n e ed l e .
I s truck as quickly as I cou ld . At f i rs t I co ul d n’ t fe e l a ny t h i n g ,
b u t gradually the rod bega n to b e n d. I wo u n d d ow n , l i f ted t h e
ro d again and then walked a s fa r ba c k u p t he b a n k as I co u l d ,
FREELINE 30
