freeline-106 - Flipbook - Page 188
MARK KERRIDGE
d r ift out of the out of bou n d s, a nd i t wo u ld c o m e a c ro s s my
b a ited area.
Morning came with no a c t iv i ty, n o t t h a t I wa s ex p ect i n g
a nything so soon; I was t he re fo r th e l o n g h a u l . I s a t b a c k
o u t on a bucket next to my ro d s , re ady fo r f i rs t l igh t h o p i n g
to see where the fish wou ld b e s h ow i n g th e m s e lve s . W i t h n o
re al giveaway signs of ac t iv i ty, I d e ci d e d th at I wo u l d ke e p
t h e rods out until midday a n d t he n go fo r a wa n d e r; a f te r a l l ,
i t was mid-morning when Co l i n h ad b e en o ut ye s te rd ay. A f te r
c o untless cups of tea whils t wa tc hi ng t h e wa te r, I l o o ke d ove r
a t my braided main line h an g i n g l i fe le s s ly of f o f t h e en d o f
my rods, as slack as can b e , wh en , a ll o f a s u d d e n , i t s t a rte d
c u tting up over the weed a n d g et t i n g t i gh te r a n d t igh te r.
The alarm had barely ha d a ch a n ce to le t o u t a s o u nd , a n d I
was on the rod. With the we ed a s t hi ck as i t i s , I wa s d e s p e ra te
to keep as much control a s I c o u ld , e sp ec i a lly a s t h e b o a t wa s
n owhere near me. The an g ry f i s h ki te d ri gh t re a l ly q u i c k ly,
a n d before I could do anyth i n g ab o u t i t , my r i gh t h a n d ro d h a d
b e en crossed. Great – an ira te ca r p i n a we ed - c h o ke d l a ke wa s
n ow caught in my other lin e ! I le t t h e b a l e a r m o f f o f t h e o t h e r
ro d and waded out i nto th e l ake s o th a t I c ou l d ke e p c on t ro l
o f what was attached.
After what seemed like a l i fe ti m e , wh at wa s a t ta c h ed to my
h o ok started to tire and s l owly ed g e c lo s er to my n e t . J u s t
i n ches away, it all went s o li d d ue to my o th e r l i n e b e i n g
t a ngled. I was at the limit o f my ch e s ti e s , kn ow i n g o n e m o re
s tep would give me a go od s o a ki ng . A l l I c o u l d s e e wa s h a l f a
p e anut nailed in the botto m l i p o f t h i s h u ge m o u th . I n s t a n t ly I
k n ew which fish it was, as t he re i s o n ly o n e f i s h w i th a m o u t h
b i g enough to suck up boil i es th e s i z e o f a p p l e s – B J ! I h a d B J,
FREELINE 56
