freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 107
EXCLUSIVE
much ablaze again. If the
big lin had indeed escaped
during the floods, at least I
had a new target to chase
a r o u n d t h e p o n d, a l b e i t t h e
l i t t l e l i n h a d n ’t b e e n c a u g h t
i n a l m o s t t w o y e a r s e i t h e r.
I decided to get myself
down to the lake and just
go for a simple walk around
into a hollowed-out tunnels
through the trees where
anglers have passed through
f o r d o n k e y ’s y e a r s . A s y o u
g e t t o t h e w a t e r ’s e d g e y o u ’r e
greeted with what can only
be described as a carp fishing
nirvana, the big Lake is the
Carpiest lake I’ve ever seen;
shallow reed lined bays, over
- n o t a c k l e, n o b a i t a n d n o
expectations, just myself and
a pair of polaroids. I really
wanted to go down and get
a f e e l f o r t h e p l a c e. T h e
drive to Ecton is around and
hour and half from door to
lake and when I first pulled
into the car park – I was
b u z z i n g. I c o u l d s e e t h e b i g
l a k e s o u t l i n e o n m y s a t n a v, I
knew that the lake was 100
y a r d s d i r e c t l y i n f r o n t o f m e,
b u t I c o u l d n ’t s e e i t d u e t o
the dense woodlands that
surround the big lakes banks.
To g e t t o t h e w a t e r ’s e d g e o n
t h e b i g l a k e, y o u f i n d y o u r s e l f
f o l l o w i n g m e a n d e r i n g, w o r n
trails in the long grass leading
hanging willows, snag points,
bars and the big lake even
has its very own archipelago
running down the centre of
t h e l a k e. T h e f o u r i s l a n d s t h a t
run down the centre of the
big lake cover an estimated 8
acres of the 38-acre pits area,
together the islands virtually
d i v i d e t h e l a k e i n t w o . Wi t h a
choice of two banks to fish;
the roadside and the riverside
bank.
That first walk around was
a r e a l e y e o p e n e r f o r m e, I
noticed that that roadside
bank (that offers parking
behind your swim) was very
busy with almost every other
swim taken which made
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