freeline-94 - Flipbook - Page 175
GREG SADLER
t h e purchase of a wet suit a n d b u oya n cy a i d ma d e t h e wh o l e
ex perience of swimming i n t he l a ke s a mu ch s a fe r a n d m o re
p l easurable experience. K n owl ed g e o f p rev i o u s c a p ture s o f f
t h e straight bank, gained ma i n ly f ro m my f i s h i n g b u d dy S teve ,
gave me my starting po in t . I f i gu re d th a t t h e re m u st h ave
b e en something out in fro n t o f a fe w o f th e m ai n swi m s t h at
c o uld be considered a ‘feat u re ’ t h at I ju s t wa s n’ t f i n d i n g w i t h
my marker rod. So, on a b li s te ri n gly h o t s um m e r ’ s day i n t h e
m i ddle of July and with a ll my n e w k i t o n , I l owe re d mys e l f
i n to the stinking, silty marg i n s a n d h e ad e d o u t i n to t h e l a ke .
T h e third lake was deserte d, wh i c h me an t t h a t g o i n g i n to f i n d
a few spots wouldn’t upse t anyo n e .
Swimming around for t h e n ex t ho ur o r s o wa s to t a l ly
e n lightening! The bottom wa s la rg e ly a m i x t u re o f de e p s i l t
a n d clay, but occasio nally I wo u ld f i n d t h e o d d m o u n d t h at
would rise up to a fairly s h a ll ow de p t h o f a b o u t t hre e fe e t .
At first I was unsure as to wh et h er t h es e are a s wo u l d p rove
to be good feeding spots; a l l I re al ly wa n te d wa s a c l e a ri n g to
p resent the bait on that wa s i n ra n ge fo r a s i m p l e a c c u ra te c as t
a n d was close enough to re ac h i f I wa n te d to sw i m b a c k o u t
to bait up, or indeed retrieve t he s to rm p o l es t h a t I wa s u s i n g
a s markers. The mounds we re i n c re di b ly s l i p p e ry, a n d I ca n
v ividly remember sliding d ow n t h e s i d e o f on e as I a t te m p te d
to get a storm pole in plac e . T h e d e p t h o f wa te r a ro u n d t h e
fe ature was such that it me a n t I c o ul d o n ly j u s t abo u t m a n ag e
to get the marker to the ba c k o f t h e m o u n d wh i l s t st i l l l e av i n g
a good amount of clay to c as t to . Sw i mm i n g b a c k to t h e b a n k ,
I had to pass a couple of we ed b e d s an d c a re f u l ly no te d t h e i r
p o sition, as they of co urse may p re se n t a p ro b l e m l a te r o n i f
a ny hooked fish deci ded to p i l e st ra i gh t i n to t h e m . T h e h e a t
FR E ELINE 6 5
