freeline-105 - Flipbook - Page 224
DANNY HOLLAND
f r i end Matty and club bail i f f , Pe dro . We s a t j u s t ch i l l i n g wh e n
a l l of a sudden, a massive m i r ro r s tu c k i t s h e a d o ut of t h e
water no more than fifteen ya rd s o u t . We a l l s aw t h i s b e a s t
a n d were amazed. Over th e n ex t c o u p le o f h o u r s , t h e t h re e o f
u s were treated to what I c a n o n ly d e s cri b e a s a s h ow o f b i g
f i s h like I’ ve never seen, a n d s o c lo s e , yo u c o u l d n am e t h e m.
T h e Leather, Big Common a n d S i n gl e Sc a le to n a m e b u t a fe w,
were rolling directly over al l t hre e ro d s a t va ri o u s s t a g e s . I
s a t on my hands expecting a ro d to ro a r a t a ny t i m e, b u t t wo
h o urs passed, darkness wa s u p o n u s , a nd s ti l l n o t a s i n gl e
b l eep. Wel come to peg 5 .
The fish continued to show fo r t h e re ma i n d e r o f t h a t s es s i o n ,
a n d one or two other frien ds we re wi tn e s s to t h e s p e c ta c u l a r
s h ow of such large fish, so c lo se i n yo u c o u ld a l mos t to u c h t h e m .
S t i ll biteless after two ou t o f f ive ni gh t s e s s i o n s, I c o u l d n’ t
s e em to buy a bite. These f i s h we re o bv i o us ly u p to s o m e th i n g ,
b u t I wasn’t sure what . T h a n kf u l ly th e la d s o n Ro c kfo rd a re
g o od guys and left me to i t i n t h i s m o s t f r u s t ra t i n g c o rn e r.
By the start of my thi rd se s s i o n , t h e v i s i t s b e c a me m u c h l es s
f requent , as I think the fis h h a d n ow su s s ed I wa s p re s e n t i n
t h eir environment . Beaten o n t he b o t to m , i t wa s t i me fo r a
c h ange – zigs, I thought . N ow I c o u l dn’ t p l u m t h e d e p t h s , a s
t h e marker float would ca tc h o n t h e we ed an d n o t p op u p , s o
I had to guess the depth o f t he wa te r to s et t h e z i g s . G u es s i n g
i t at about 8ft , I had o ne a t fo u r fe et , o n e at f ive fe e t a n d o n e
a t six feet . Now I’m a comp l ete n ov i ce a t zi g f i s h in g , b u t I d i d
my best .
J ust before dark on the f i rs t eve n i n g, u s i n g t h e z i g s , I g o t
a f unny pick-up on the lef t h an d ro d . F i s h o n ! Wow ! I wa s i n
s h ock. After a very strange f i gh t an d n e a rly d row n i n g , I s l i p p e d
FREELINE 46
