freeline-107 - Flipbook - Page 200
DEAN MCLOED
M onks, and he was just sor t i n g t he c a me ra s e t t i n g s o u t to t a ke
s o me photos of a lovely fis h by th e n a me o f He n r y.
I offered to do the pics fo r h i m a n d s n a pp ed away at t h e
awesome fish he had just l an d e d. Wh a t a s i gh t to t urn u p to
– 42lb 12oz – one of the A- te am , o n e t ha t i s o n everyo n e’ s
t i ck list . He informed me t ha t p rev i o us ly t h a t s e s s i o n , h e h a d
c a ught the Patch Common , o n e I ’ve al re ady h ad t h e p l e a s u re
o f catching but at a low we i gh t o f 2 7 l b , b u t a c o u pl e o f ye a rs
a g o, Rich had had it at a g re at we i gh t o f 3 8 l b . A f te r t h e s n a p s
were done, fish returned an d s o m e b an te r a b o u t b a i t b o a t s , i t
was time to get the gear ro u n d to t he Wo b b ly B o a rd s, a ve ry
g o od swim, but for so me re as o n i n t he p as t I ’ d n eve r d o n e a
n i ght in there. Looking at t he co mi n g we at h e r, I k ne w i t wo u l d
b e on the back of the wind a n d o u t o f h arm’ s way, a s Han n a h
was coming and high wi nd s ex p e cte d. I d i d n’ t wa n t to c as t a
l e ad around in case it dis t urb e d R i c h’ s sw i m , e s p e c i a l ly a t a
g o od time in the morning to h ave o n e , s o I p u t t wo zi g s o u t
a n d went about setting up b as e c a mp .
i dday came, and Rich i n U nd e rp a s s wa s g e t ti n g re a dy to
l e ave. Two fish under his b e lt may n o t b e a b ri l l i a n t s e s s i o n fo r
M onks, but a 38 and a 4 2 wo u ld be m o s t we l c o m e i n a nyo n e’ s
b o ok. It was time to get t h e s p o t s s o rte d a n d g e t s o m e b ai t
o u t . Finding a firm patch i n t h e s i l t , I s e t tl e d fo r 2 3 wra p s ,
p robably an average area fo r t he sw i m c h o s e n a n d c lo s e to
where I had seen a fish sh ow. I p u t t wo ro d s t i gh t o n t h a t s p o t
a n d one in the margin on t he b o t to m o f t he s h e l f , a n d t h e n i t
was time to get a few hour s ’ s l ee p , as by t he n I ’ d b e e n u p fo r
2 4 hours.
I woke to a few beep s on the ma rg i n ro d an d s a t t h ere wa tc h i n g
t h e rod tip, but nothing c am e o f i t . T h e re st o f t h e d ay ca m e
FREELINE 82
