freeline-95 - Flipbook - Page 182
ADAM SPILLER
where I’d pull the net back t h ro u gh t he s p re ad e r an d e f fe c t ive ly
s h allow pan netted it , only fo r i t to j u st p owe r b ac k o u t o f t h e
n e t back into the lake. No d dy ! Howeve r, I q u i c k ly go t t h e n et
s o rted, and the carp playe d b al l an d we n t i n to t h e n e t t h e
s e cond time. At this point I wa s s c re am i n g my h e a d o f f a t eve n
j u st landing my first fish, l e t a lo n e a c hu n k . I wa s l o o k i n g i n to
t h e net , knowing deep dow n exa ct ly wh i c h f i s h i t wa s , b u t i n
my head I was refusing to b e li eve mys el f . T h ere wa s n o way
t h e Machine was in my ne t … n o t o n j us t my fo u r t h s e s s i o n o n
t h e pit , let alone my first bi te .
A phone call was made to N i c k to te ll h i m wh a t I ’ d ca u gh t
a n d to arrange someo ne to c o m e an d h e lp w i th t h e we i gh i n g
a n d photos. Shortly later, M a c ca a n d K i e ra n f ro m t h e sy n d i c ate
a p peared in my swim with a c e le b ra to ry b ee r (i t ’ s neve r to o
e a rly!), and we went abou t t h e we i gh i n g o n t wo s e ts o f s c al e s
to confirm the weight of 5 4 lb 6 o z, a n e w P B by ove r 1 7l b ! We
t h en went about taking p ict u re s be fo re wa tc hi n g h i m sw i mm i n g
o f f into the depths o f the p i t , wo n d e r i n g i f h e wo u l d eve r b e
s e en again.
I spent the rest of the s es s i o n c o mi n g to te rm s w i th wh a t
I ’ d actually managed. Not o nly h a d I m an a g e d to g e t a b i te
f rom the 400-acre pit , but I ’d l an d e d a U K 5 0 a n d on e o f o n ly
fe w anglers to catch this f ro m th e p i t . D o I c on s i de r i t a l u c k y
c a pture? Yes, without a sha d ow o f a do ub t lu c k wa s o n my s i d e
fo r it to be the Machine. Al l f i s hi ng i s w i th o u t d ou bt i n my eye s
l u ck. You can’t force the fi s h to t a ke yo u r b a i t n o m a t te r h ow
m uch you have learnt abo ut eve n o ne p a rt i c ul a r f i s h . Howeve r,
yo u can certainly make yo u r ow n l u ck by d o i n g t h i n g s r i gh t .
W hat next? Well I’m still in s e a rc h o f my f i r st 40 … W i l l t h e p i t
t reat me with Lady Luck a ga i n ?
FREELINE 46
