freeline-106 - Flipbook - Page 168
JAMIE GIBBS
to put my waders on. I go t d ow n i n to t h e wa te r t h e n s t a rte d
working the fish back towa rd s t he wa i ti ng n e t , b u t th e n i t wo ke
u p , stripping 25 yards of lin e f ro m my re el i n s h o r t o rd e r. Tw i c e
we went through the sam e p a tte r n un t i l i t eve n t u a l ly ro l l ed
over the net cord. After u n h o o k i n g i t i n t h e wa te r, I wen t to
l i f t the net , and knew I wa s a lu m p . O n t h e s c a l e s i t we n t
j u st past the coveted mark a n d s e tt le d o n 4 0l b 4 o z. A f te r a
fe w photos, it slowly dri fte d b ac k to t h e de p th s , a n d I p u t t h e
ke ttle on for a most welco m e b re w. N o o th e r a c ti o n ca m e m y
w ay , so I packed all my ge a r i n to t h e c a r, an d fo r o n c e I h a d a
p l easant drive home.
The following week I was g o i n g to have a s o c i al w i t h my g o o d
f r i end Trevor to celebrate my 4 0 l b 4 o z an d my b i rt h d ay. To
g ive us a good chance of c a tc hi ng , I a rr ive d a t f i rs t l i gh t to
l o ok for any signs of fish. Howeve r, af te r th re e h o u rs ’ wa l k i n g
a round and the odd cup o f te a, n o t h i n g s howe d i t s el f . I h a d
b e en told that nothing h a d b e en ca u gh t s in c e t h e p rev i o u s
weekend. Deciding on a p e g th a t h ad p rev i o u s fo r m a n d wa s
r i ght next to another prod u c tive sw i m, I se t u p my b iv vy a n d
went back to my car for the re st o f t he g e ar wh e re I m e t Trevo r
p a rking his van.
Having l oaded up our b a r rows , we wa lke d ro u n d to o ur
swims, but in the time I h a d t ake n to lo ad my g e a r, t h e w i n d
h a d shifted and was blow i n g i n to u s , wh i c h Trevo r j o ki n gly
g r umbled about while setti n g u p . B ei n g t h e s t a rt o f N ove m b er,
we could now use three rod s , s o a f te r s e tt i n g t h e m u p , I s t a rte d
c a sting around with a 4.5 o z le a d, lo o ki n g fo r a ny fe a t u re s . I t
was mostly hard silt , but i n o n e a re a, I fo u n d s o me s o f t s i l t i n
a n area of new weed growth s o cl i p p e d u p a n d c a s t a fe w m o re
t i mes just to be sure.
FREELINE 36
