freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 120
EXCLUSIVE
about to give me the fight of
i t s l i f e. W h e n I i n i t i a l l y p i c k e d
the rod up, I assumed it was
o n e o f t h e l a k e s m a n y Te n c h
but the test curve on the rod
s o o n s a i d o t h e r w i s e. T h e f i s h
proceeded to flat rod me as
began to flap whilst trying to
loosen the clutch off before
the hook pulled. It kited on a
tight line 40 to 50 yards to my
left and ended up in bay going
t h r o u g h a t r e e. I o n l y h a d o n e
realistic option if I wanted to
land this fish, I had to get in
the lake and walk around the
tree with the rod and land
the carp. The problem with
that idea was, I was already
wearing my spare dry joggers
a n d i d i d n ’t h a v e a n y m o r e.
A s a l l c a r p a n g l e r s w o u l d, I
jumped into the lake to claim
m y p r i z e, I w a l k e d a r o u n d t h e
tree up to my chest, freeing
the line as I went and then
r e a l i s e d, I h a d n ’t b r o u g h t t h e
l a n d i n g n e t w i t h m e.
I had no option other than
to dog-walk the carp as if it
BigCarp 118
w e r e o n a l e a d . A r o u n d a t r e e,
along the margin and back to
my swim. Climbing out of the
l a k e o n e h a n d e d, g r a b b i n g
the net and land the fish.
A f t e r a n a m a z i n g l y l o n g f a f f,
the fish was now residing in
the bottom of landing net. As
I shivered in the bivvy trying
to think what to do next with
my wet cloths.
I t w a s n ’t a m o n s t e r b y a n y
means, a high twenty mirror
but It was an old original fish,
the exact type of fish I joined
E c t o n f o r. T h e o l d s l a t e g r e y,
scaley mirror weighed 28lbs
12oz and was a just reward
for all my unsynchronised
swimming
efforts
within
t h e m a r g i n s o f t h e b i g l a k e.
The morning sun arrived
from behind the clouds the
temperature
reached
25
d e g r e e s a n d t h e l a k e, s o a k e d
joggers where dried and I
was back in the comfort of
dry cloths ready to do battle
with another Ecton carp in
n o t i m e.
