freeline-105 - Flipbook - Page 222
DANNY HOLLAND
s p irited tussle, I finally m a n ag e d to s l i p t he n e t u n d e r o n e o f
t h e nicest mirrors I’d caugh t f ro m Ro c k fo rd a t 3 6l b s . To s ay I
was very pleased was an u n d e r st a te me n t . P h o to g ra p h s t a ke n ,
t h e fish was safely return e d , a n d I c o n t i n u e d t h e re m ai n d e r
o f my session in a totally re la xe d s t ate , c a re l e s s o f wh e t h e r I
h a d another bite or not , th e l at te r b e i n g t h e c a s e , wh i c h i s t h e
n o rm for Rockford.
Zig time Peg 5: A few d ays l a te r, w i t h t h e f i rs t f i s h u n d e r
my belt and looking for my n ex t c ha l le n g e, I h a d d e c i d ed to
t a ckle the infamous p eg 5 o n Ro c k fo rd , w i t h o u t a d ou bt t h e
m ost difficult swim to catc h f ro m o n th e e n ti re l a ke . I t ’ s a t i ny
c o rner swim where the fi s h f re q ue n te d re g u l a rly e n m a s s e,
g iving many people a spec t ac u l ar s h ow b ut re m ai n i n g n e a r
i m possible to catch. For so me re as o n t he f i sh l ove d th i s c o r n e r,
b u t numerous attempts in fo u r -o dd ye ar s by a l l a n d s u n d r y i n
t h e club and some of the c o u n t r y ’ s to p yo u n g a n gl e rs an d o l d
h a d failed! This swim had o n ly d o n e o ne f i s h i n fo ur ye a rs ,
a n d that was to a floater. Pe r fe ct ! I l ove a c ha l l e n g e !
So my first session i n th i s sw i m t h at lo o ke d s o p e rfe c t wa s
p retty much weed, weed, we ed . Wh a t a s ta rt ! Hav i n g a p l ay
a round with a lead, I had d i s c ove re d th e we e d i n t h i s c o r n e r
s e emed to be thick mid d ep t h a t a b o ut 4 f t , b u t w i t h s o m e
fo am round the hook, the b o t to m wa s a c le a r a n d a fi rm d o n k
every time, but try and dra g t he le a d b a ck a n d yo u wo u l d
t h ink it was choked, very mu c h l i ke S p i n n a ke r n ex t d o o r. O n
my first evening in this new sw i m, a ll ro d s we re s i x w ra p s o u t
i n different spots, but sti ll s ma l le r t ha n a te n n i s c o u rt . T h i s
was very me. Still, even wi th t h e we edy co n d i t i o n s , I k n e w my
p resentation was good.
That first evening arou n d 7 p m, I wa s j o i n e d by my go o d
FREELINE 44
