freeline-104 - Flipbook - Page 210
PETER LUCK
1 ¾ lb compound taper ca rb o n s fo r th e lo b . N o l o n g c as ti n g
n e eded here, Bill thought . T h e s e we re co up l ed w i t h a c o u p l e
o f 410s, which hadn’t let h i m d ow n ye t , s o th e re wa s n o re a s o n
why it should be any diffe re n t n ow. T h e b a le a rm s we re we l l
m aintained, and as long as yo u b a c kwo u n d a n d d i d n’ t rely o n
t h e clutch, they were great . A s fo r t he e n d t a c k l e , o r “ t h e r i g ”
a s they call it nowadays, B i l l wo n d e re d i f i t wa s wo rt h u s i n g
t h e hair but decided tha t th e se f i s h p ro b a b ly h a d n’ t b e e n
c a ught before and co nclude d t h at a s i d e o r to p - h o o ke d b a i t
o n a heavy lead and shor t b ra i d ed h o o k li n k to p reve n t any
c o nfident feeding fish gorg i n g t he b a i t a n d b i t i n g h i m o f f wo u l d
b e better. Take no chances , my so n , he t h o ugh t to hi m s e l f .
As Bill was going throu gh t hi s p ro c e du re , h i s h e ar t wa s
p o unding, and he was aware o f lev i at h an s c ra s h i n g ou t al l ove r
t h e pool, c ausing him to dro p t h e s i z e two h o o ks s eve ra l t i m e s
i n his excited expectations . He c o u ld h ard ly c o n t a in h i m s el f a s
h e snicked on a mango flavo u re d b o i l i e o n e a c h o f t h e h o o ks i n
re adiness for the expected a ct i o n , t h e n la s t b u t n ot l e as t , h e s e t
u p his enormous forty-two i n ch Sp ri n gb ow. He h a d n o n ee d to
m ove to find the fish, as h e n o t i c ed th e re we re p l en t y d i re c t ly
i n front of where he stood . N o lo ng e r we re t h ey l e a p i n g , b u t
t h ey betrayed their prese n c e by b ub b l i n g p ro f u s e ly. A g re a t
c l oud of silt was billowin g u p a ll a ro u n d , a n d t h e s u rfac e o f
t h e pool resembled a gin o r m o u s gl as s o f c h a m p a g n e – yo u
c o uld almost hear the fizz !
Bill shoved in his f ront b u zze r b ar wi t h c o nve rte d O p to n i cs
i n to the soft , peaty earth, n o t wo r ry i ng th at th ey we re n’ t
s t raight in line with the b ac k re st ; n o t fo r h i m t h e s p i ri t l eve l
a p proach he had witnesse d o n t h e la ke u p th e ro a d . R i gh t , h e
t h ought , all ready to go… n ow wh ere to c a s t ? T h ere wa s n’ t
FREELINE 80
