freeline-105 - Flipbook - Page 232
DANNY HOLLAND
Boom! 5am on day two, a n d t h e le f t -h an d ro d o n t h e h u m p
was away with probably o n e o f t h e m o s t ag g re s s ive t ake s I
c a n remember in nearly fo r t y ye ars o f c a r p f i s h i n g . I wa s i n .
Wow! I had hooked somet h i n g a bs o l u te ly c ra z y ; t h i s f i s h wa s
n o t impressed! It was just s o p owe r f u l, b ut a f te r a t h i r t y- o d d
m i nute battle, a very knac ke re d m e s l i p p e d t h e n e t u n d e r
Ro ckford’s most elusive an d b i g g es t c o mm o n . I wa s sp e e c h l e s s ,
I really was. I had seen prev i o us c a p tu re s o f my f ri e n d S teve
w i th this beauty the prev i o us a u t um n a t n ea rly 4 8l b s , b u t
p i ctures don’t really do thi s f i sh j u s ti c e .
News of the capture was q u i c k to s p re ad , a s t h i s b a n k wa s
re ally busy, but I’ve neve r b e e n o n e o f t h o s e s e c ret t yp e s o f
a n glers; I’ m glad to show a nd sh a re . Wi t h q u i te a ga t h e ri n g
a round me, she finally wen t 4 5 l b s 4 o z, a ma s s ive c o m m o n a n d
o n e of the most beautiful o u t o f th e re . A m a s s ive t h a n k yo u
g o es to everybody who wa s t h ere th a t m o r n i n g , a s i t wa s a
ve ry special moment for m e wi th s u ch a s o u gh t a f te r f i s h .
The S ergeant: August n ow, i n to my s ec o n d we e k , an d I h ad
d e cided to fish an area th at t he ye ar b e fo re h a d d on e b o t h
t h e Big Common and Si ngl e S c al e , t h e o n e A- l i s t f i s h I h a d to
c a tch, but I was brimming w i th c o n f i d e nc e a n d wa s s u re I wa s
i n the right area. I had no t f i sh e d th i s b a n k ve ry m u c h , b u t o n
t h e whole, it was probably t h e m o s t p ro d u c t ive b a n k o n t h e
l a ke, the Alice Bank. M y p l an fo r t he n ex t fe w we e ks wa s to
c o ncentrate on this bank, to t r y to c o n t i n ue my u n be l i eva b l e
s u ccess of the last few weeks o n t h i s mo st t r i ck y of wa te rs . S o ,
t rying to not repeat mysel f , I we n t b a ck to my u s u a l ways w i t h
p e llets, leader bottoms, b a i ts etc . I wa s f i s h i n g an d h a p py.
P retty much as all my oth er f i s h t h i s s u m me r, I h a d c a u gh t i n
s h allow water, on top of g rave l b ar s . W h et h e r t h i s wa s d u e to
FREELINE 54
